League Of Independent Theater Launches #cancelrent Social Media Takeover

The League of Independent Theater is calling for theatres, small businesses, and not-for-profits across NYC to join LIT on September 1st to flood social media with personal stories and images of the theatres that make up the great city of New York.

"We cannot let our small theater venues die," says NY State Senator Brad Hoylman. "It is a massive problem... We need to raise the temperature through public awareness about the need for rent cancellation."

Can the City of New York afford to evict small businesses and arts venues?

Over $1 Billion is generated by the nearly 750 small theatre organizations across the city according to the 2019 NYC Small Theatre Industry Cultural and Economic Study at the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

"Without complete cancellation of rent and rent forgiveness for the duration of this crisis, so many small and independent theaters would simply fail and cease to exist. We cannot allow all of you to be removed from the cultural landscape of the city of New York." Council Member and Chair of the NYC Council's Cultural Affairs Committee Jimmy Van Bramer at a LIT virtual Town Hall held this summer.

The League of Independent Theater projects that 60% of theatres will close by the end of 2020 if the city doesn't act quickly to provide some kind of rent relief. Now six months since the beginning of the PAUSE in New York, small arts venues and many small businesses have been at a standstill and are unable to generate any revenue while public events remain on hold for the greater good. Meanwhile, rents are due each month with no relief. LIT is calling on elected officials to take action and protect small businesses and performance venues throughout the city #cancelrent.

Join them September 1st as they call on their elected officials to #cancelrent and preserve the great theatre community in their city.

The League of Independent Theater was founded in 2008 out of an emergency town hall in response to the sudden closures prompted by the start of the Great Recession. The League of Independent Theater has been a launching point for independent theater to fight alongside the #cancelrent movement and advocate for protections for the community citywide.

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