Dance/NYC is happy to share community-led actions that activate the core message of the #artistsarenecessaryworkers campaign.
Listed here are events, actions, platforms and organizing that are independently led and initiated by the NYC dance community advocating for its self-identified needs. If you are engaging in a community action that activates the campaign message please submit for review.
The Artist Care Act is a U.S. Congress Bill created to fight for better treatment of artists workers on the federal level. Shadows Among Us is a documentary that exposes and hones in on the inner feelings artists share about their current situation and their hopes for the future. Together, they are a call for action in the representation of arts and its importance in our society, equitable solutions for all artists, proper health benefits for all artists, and representation in the decision making processes that govern the arts and cultural sectors.
Donate to help with the completion of the documentary and spread the word about the Bill to friends, family, and colleagues to gain as much support as possible! A signature page on the website that will allow people to sign up and show your support for the bill.
Be an #ArtsHero is an intersectional grassroots campaign comprised of Arts & Culture workers, Unions, and institutions in the United States pushing the Senate to allocate proportionate relief to the Arts & Culture sector of the American economy. Please join our joint advocacy campaign to advocate for continued economic Relief (direct support to creative workers), Recovery (get creative workers back to work), and Representation (establish a federal Secretary of Arts & Culture within the Biden-Harris Administration and future administrations). For more information, visit the Be An #ArtsHero website.
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The Show Can't Go On: Invest in Our NY: WPA for Arts & Culture Workers Now! Nearly all of New York's working-class performing artists haven't been able to work since Mid March of 2020. A broken and piecemeal unemployment insurance system has left cultural workers struggling to survive. Join the Invest in Our NY Coalition and Music Wokers Alliance for a performance-based action outside of the Governor's Office.
The Show Can't Go On: Governor Cuomo Must #InvestinOurNY and Support Unemployed Artists #WPAnow | When: February 25th at 12 PM (EST) | Where: Outside Governor Cuomo's Manhattan Office (633 3rd Avenue). Visit The Action Network for more information. Also to sign the letter: bit.ly/wpa-letter
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The Dance Studio Alliance is a New York City based coalition of dance studios and institutions that have come together with the clear goal of advocating for the greater needs of dance industry and community. HELP SAVE THE FUTURE OF DANCING IN NEW YORK CITY by Pavan Thimmaiah/Katerina Lu, is a petition in support of the safe reopening of dance studios and institutions. Join the NYC Dance Studio Alliance and sign the petition. For more information follow them on IG.
#NYCDANCEUNITES: Five of New York City’s acclaimed dance companies have joined together to create a new online initiative to urge the dance community to do their civic duty and vote: #NYCDANCEUNITES. Launched on October 2nd, the companies ask all presenting organizations, dancers and lovers of dance in NYC to elevate and participate by cross-posting, sharing, and engaging in discourse across all social media platforms through the November 3rd elections. Join the campaign! Download the campaign graphics for social media.
The companies: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | American Ballet Theatre | Ballet Hispánico | Dance Theatre of Harlem | New York City Ballet
Black Dance Stories: We are a community working together to support, uphold, highlight and celebrate Black Creatives. Black dance artists have been doing the work. Black dance artists continue to make work. To stay involved, we will hold weekly impromptu discussions and tell stories - “Black Dance Stories."
The Dance Union: A place to share ideas. A place to voice concerns. A place to ask for change. A space of resistance. A space to unify. A podcast and resource for artists.
Dance Artists’ National Collective (DANC) is a united group of dancers advocating for safe, equitable, and sustainable working conditions for dancers in the U.S., especially those who are most impacted by systems of oppression. DANC works to empower dancers, who are often underpaid, mistreated, manipulated, and misclassified, by engaging in research, sharing resources, educating members, organizing for collective action, and championing labor standards. Our current work includes the creation of a Letter of Agreement contract template, standard minimums, negotiating toolkit, and support resources for freelance dancers to be contracted in comprehensive, equitable ways for their work. Join DANC for monthly General Meetings on Zoom, the first Monday of each month at 8pm ET.
Creating New Futures: "Phase 1 Working Guidelines for Ethics & Equity in Presenting Dance & Performance" is a living document, ongoing conversation and outline of the needs and desires of arts workers in the dance and performance fields. It was drafted as a call to action. Phase 2 is now emerging and is formed by working groups that include: Black and Indigenous Survivors group, Disability+ group, Intersectional Riders group, and Contracts/Force Majeure group with potential groups in discussion like the Natureculture Watershed group. There will be a variety of virtual public convenings and new writing added to the public document late in fall 2020.
Wise Fruit NYC: A seasonal live arts showcase and mixer dedicated to the feminine divine and raises funds for women-centered organizations. In between live installations, Wise Fruit functions as a social media campaign offering beginner anti-racist and equity tools.
Submit your community action
Disclaimer:
The inclusion of any event, community action or platform does not constitute an endorsement by Dance/NYC of that organizer’s or platform's views.
#ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers
#DanceIsDignifiedLabor #DanceWorkforceResilience #dancenyc #nycdance
Dance/NYC convening is made possible, in part, by leadership support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
