United Arts Wake County’s Post

Americans for the Arts recently released their thorough Arts & Economic Prosperity study, including the following two key findings that hit very close to home. As the director of a community-based, non-profit arts and culture center, I get to see firsthand every day the economic impact on our neighborhoods and pride in our communities that is driven by artists and arts organizations. "Pride in community. 89% of attendees agreed that the activity or venue they were attending was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community.” 86% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available,” and 86% felt it important that future generations also be able to have that cultural experience." "Arts and culture drives commerce to local businesses. When people attend a cultural event, they often make an outing of it—dining at a restaurant, paying for parking or public transportation, enjoying dessert after the show, and returning home to pay for child or pet care. Attendees at nonprofit arts and culture events spend $38.46 per person per event, beyond the cost of admission—vital income for local merchants and a value-add that few industries can compete with."

On this #GivingTuesday, consider giving in support of access to the arts and arts education. Pratt Fine Arts Center is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides access to the transformative power of artistic expression through an inclusive community, culture of learning, and specially equipped studios. When I think about effecting change, I think about art and artists and cultural workers first. In the words of Favianna Rodriguez, "Art and culture are a pathway to healing, liberation and critical thinking...through art we can expand the imagination, and change can feel possible and tangible, we can tap into emotions and go into other worlds and dimensions." Let's start here: https://lnkd.in/g75drkSR

These points about the importance tax-deductible contributions are spot on. If all taxpayers, not just those who itemized deductions, could separately deduct their charitable contributions, it would be a great help to all non-profits, including in the arts and culture sector. #arts #culture #theatre #museum #fundraising #nonprofit https://ow.ly/eU7B50UlBtc

The Pathways Program is about sector change - to help make arts, culture, and heritage spaces safer for the humans who work, volunteer, and participate in the arts. From the people who are leading change within our sector, to the ones that want to spark change but don’t know where to begin, the Pathways Program offers a learning-to-action approach to support systems change within your organization’s specific context. In recent years, our sector has worked to become more equitable and just, but there is far more we need to do individually, in our organizations, and at a sector level. This work is ongoing and requires intentional steps to take statements and values into action. The Pathways Program seeks to bring together a community of learners to make a shared commitment to implementing principles of equity and access in arts, culture, and heritage organizations in BC. On June 25th we are excited to share more information about this program, guidelines for applying, and a timeline for the 2024/2025 program. Visit www.manypathways.ca to join our mailing list. —------ Image Description: A white square featuring the Pathways Program logo at the bottom. Text at the top reads: "Want to learn more? Register for our upcoming info session: June 25th, 2pm PDT." Behind the text is an image of a country path, with a green field on the left side, a row of trees on the right, and sun shining through a cloudy sky. BC Museums Association, Rural Arts Inclusion Lab, GVPTA Theatre and Arts BC’s logos are featured bottom right. #Pathways #ArtsBC #BCArtsCouncil #BCMuseumsAssociation #GVPTATheatre #RuralArtsInclusionLab #BCArts #BCNonprofit #NonprofitArts #CommunityArts #Equity #Accessibility #Nonprofit #NonprofitLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #SectorChange

Curtains closed. Galleries empty. Stages silenced. COVID for the arts sector was devestating. But a new report shows that behind the scene, something remarkable happened… 💰 £120 million funding distributed in 12 months. Commissioned by the Arts Funders Group, part of the Association of Charitable Foundations unvailes the hidden story of arts funding during the pandemic. 🔍 Key revelations from 2,600+ grants (2020-2022): 1️⃣ UK Trusts and Foundations poured over £120M into arts and culture in the pandemic's first year. 2️⃣ Individual artists saw a surge in support, with grants focusing on their welfare. 3️⃣ Small cultural organizations found a lifeline in Trust and Foundation funding. But here's the million-pound question: was this just a temporary plaster? 🤨 Particularly enjoyed Holly Donagh (Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Director of Strategic Learning, Insight and Influence) response to the findings and questions about the landscape of arts and culture funding and philanthropy. What path will we choose? A) a world of budget cuts and fierce competition. B) An inclusive, innovative approach prioritising artists, communities, and sustainability. Read the full report here 👇 https://shorturl.at/zpAYD #ArtsFunding #PhilanthropyMatters #FutureOfCulture #CulturalInvestment

I very much enjoyed chatting with Jack Gamble at our Breakfast briefing this morning. It fired me up... It was particularly interesting to reflect on the grassroots, citizen-led approach of Campaign for the Arts as we head toward the next election. Jack was clear that they are staunchly non-partisan and politically neutral. I don't have to be. From my perspective, at least, our sector's attempts to commodify and numerate the arguments for arts funding have failed to convince the decision makers during at least the past 14 years. 'The arts generates £X in benefit for every £Y in investment' just doesn't seem to matter when the numbers are often tricky to articulate or can be interpreted in other ways. And the argument that such 'a tiny % of public spending generates such a disproportionately large benefit to health and wellbeing, social cohesion and societal happiness' really doesn't seem to matter to some. If you ideologically believe that commercial forces solve societal problems, and that low taxation stimulates all, then why would you care about the network of local arts provision, community centres, regional venues and countless opportunities previously afforded by local funding? If your exposure to the arts is via the big numbers and commercial imperative of West End theatre then how can you understand the complex cultural ecosystem that provides the environment in which those rare blooms can emerge and flourish? If your school fees (and tax breaks through charitable status) afforded you exposure to live events, visiting professionals, tutoring and facilities, and everyone around you took museums, galleries and theatre trips for granted, then how can you appreciate what it's like to have none of that? As the next election gets closer, I'll be doing all I can to push for our decision makers to be those who understand why the arts are so vital to all our lives. And that includes being a vocal advocate for the work of Campaign for the Arts. Thanks Jack, keep up the good work.

As trustees of the National Education Museum project we get asked “Why do we need this museum?” We could start with “Because we haven’t got one” but that’s not good enough. Well of course it will entertain, and it will provide a centre for those who wish to research the history of education. But that’s not an answer either. It’s because we really do need one. Far too much of the discourse on education policy is about the “now” and “the future”. There is far too little knowledge and understanding of where we have been, of what has been successful and what has failed, of what we should value and what we should discard. A National Education Museum for England and Wales can change that - as we educate, enlighten and entertain. Support us, join us, become a Founder Patron. https://lnkd.in/eDWCyRpt

Last Day to apply for the next intake of Pathways! Expressions of interest Close July 22nd. Is this program for us? Pathways is designed for organizations and individuals working in different contexts, with different interests, and at different points in their work towards equity. Whether you are strongly invested in equity and would like support to access more costly advanced learning opportunities, or are just beginning and would value one-on-one guidance as you get started; this program may be a good fit for your organization. The Pathways program is a collaborative effort between Arts BC, the BC Museums Association (BCMA), the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA), and the Rural Arts Inclusion Lab (RAIL). This group works in a trust-based co-leadership model. Join us in this work. This is a free program that supports Arts and Heritage workers as we learn about equity and access, and integrate this work into our organizations. Expressions of interest are now open Full program details are available on our website www.manypathways.ca —------ Image Description: A winding dirt path with trees lining the left side of the path, which heads into a more densely forested area. Text overlaid reads "Pathways is based on a learning-to-action approach, tailored to your specific context, organization, and capacity." On the bottom left of the image is a white and navy swoosh with the Pathways logo. The BCMA, Rural Arts Inclusion Lab, Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA) and Arts BC logos are featured bottom right. #Pathways #ArtsBC #BCArtsCouncil #BCMuseumsAssociation #GVPTATheatre #RuralArtsInclusionLab #BCArts #BCNonprofit #NonprofitArts #CommunityArts #Equity #Accessibility #Nonprofit #NonprofitLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #SectorChange

Buoyed by record-setting philanthropy and new performance and rehearsal spaces, artistic connection is riding a noticeable flourish of Tommie momentum. To learn more, click here: https://ow.ly/zZSq50UaoHW

In Toronto “Attendance at City-produced cultural events has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, many other nonprofit arts organizations are at risk of folding after years of reduced attendance.” - Toronto Foundation 2024 Vital Signs Report https://lnkd.in/gjMKY55w