Hello there,
The Covid-19 epidemic decimated the entertainment industry and hit us all very hard. Live work vanished and many people have, by no fault of their own, fallen into a category where government support is limited or simply non-existent as a result of their circumstances. Jim Howarth is one of those people.
Jim is a hardworking and incredibly passionate live comedy promoter. He is brilliant at what he does and most importantly he's one of the kindest and most genuine guys in the business. He has promoted tons of gigs all over the UK (in the weirdest and most remote venues) and always delivers the highest quality shows to his audiences by bringing them the best comedians from the UK and International Comedy Circuit.
Jim truly cares and looks after the acts on his bills. He consistently pays top circuit fees, offers a platform for newer acts and always provides generous and warm hospitality. To say he goes above and beyond is an understatement. He sets up gigs by himself which takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy and still finds time to pick acts up from the train station; drive them to the gig; offers a bed at his house; cooks breakfast and packs the gig away- either on the same night or the next day. He works his butt off and always treats his acts with the utmost respect and gratitude. He deservedly won Best Independent Comedy Promoter in 2019 which was voted for by the UK's best comedians.
Jim hasn't worked in comedy for 13 months and has earned next to nothing with not one penny support from the government. He's invested money into shows, spent money on marketing materials, only to have shows cancelled making significant losses with drink stock going out of date, with absolutely no renumeration. However, Jim still worked incredibly hard during lockdown by helping comedians produce loads of virtual shows. He gave comedian’s his time for free and provided a creative space for free by giving comics an artistic platform during a global pandemic.
He has an irregular heart condition that will severely affect his ability to carry on as a promoter. It’s unlikely Jim will be able to carry on doing his shows and being able to give what he needs to give, to get back up and running again with the amount of effort and energy it requires. As a result of Corona the NHS waiting list for operations is around a year, possibly and very likely more. However, there is possibility to get the procedure done privately at the end of May.
As a friend and part of the comedy community it would be amazing if we could all pull together and help contribute towards a heart operation that will allow Jim to get back up and running as quickly as possible. Once the restrictions have been lifted, he can continue doing what he does best. If you know Jim, have gigged for Jim or have been to one of his shows then it would be great if you can help contribute and see what we can all do to help a top bloke who needs a little bit of extra support.
Anything that you can contribute would be greatly appreciated.
IF YOU CAN’T PLEASE LIKE, SHARE THIS POST AND HELP SPEARD THE WORD!
Thank you very much!
Kind Regards,
Joe Rowntree x