Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Weekly Advocacy Alert, February 17: Reopening Dance in NYC Digital Toolkit from Dance/NYC and Gibney

By Dance/NYC

Image: Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre, Dance/NYC Dance Advancement Fund Grantee

Dance/NYC and Gibney announce the launch of the Reopening Dance in NYC digital toolkit to support the planning of safe reopenings of dance. This digital toolkit offers a framework of recommendations and support for dance workers, groups, organizations, and businesses navigating the planning of the safe re-entry to dance-making activity. Use this marketing toolkit to inform your networks about the digital toolkit. Sign up for Virtual Office hours with members of Dance/NYC and/or Gibney team on the Reopening Dance in NYC digital toolkit.

FEDERAL

1. Dance/NYS joins Dance/USA and the arts sector to urge more support for the creative economy and its workers. Dance/NYC signed onto a signatory letter developed by businesses and non-profit organizations across the arts sector to urge the U.S. Congress to provide more support for the creative economy and its workers during and beyond the current pandemic. The list of signatories will continue to be updated and provided to Congress

SIGN ON

2. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is about 2 weeks out in starting the $15 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, commonly known as Save Our Stages. The SBA will also provide advance notice before the grant program is operational. Eligible entities will apply directly to the SBA for their grants once the grant program is operational. It is important for eligible entities to keep in mind the following:

• Eligible entities need to secure a Dun & Bradstreet (D-U-N-S) number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) under the U.S. General Services Administration as soon as possible in order to receive a SVOG grant. The D-U-N-S number and SAM registration are free of charge.
• The SBA updated its FAQ document on February 12.

3. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan – the Biden-Harris Administration’s pandemic relief proposal – is on a fast track through Congress through its budget reconciliation process, which will allow passage only by a simple majority in the U.S. Senate. The relief proposal provides various relief for businesses, nonprofit organizations, states, local governments, schools, families, and individuals and extends important relief programs to later in 2021, including federal unemployment relief.

4. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties will hold a hearing on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, on February 17, 2021. The 10:00 a.m. ET hearing will examine the legacy of slavery, its continuing impact on the Black community, and the path to reparative justice. The virtual hearing will stream live here.

5. The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is hosting the Disability Policy Seminar. It will be entirely virtual this year and runs from April 19 - 22.

6. Join Nonprofit Vote for a webinar on Redistricting: What It Means and The Role of Nonprofits. The webinar is on February 18 at 2 p.m. and will help nonprofits figure out their continued role in advocacy efforts.

7. Join the US Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC), in partnership with MassCreative and The Theater Offensive for the 2021 People’s State of the Union to show Arts are Essential! Download the toolkit, then visit the USDAC website, where you can participate in trainings, read FAQs, and get more information on how to participate in the digital story circle. USDAC is collecting and sharing stories from across the country, if you share your story on Instagram or Twitter, be sure to use one of the following hashtags: #PSOTU2021 #PeoplesStateOfTheUnion2021 #ArtsAreEssential #ArtKeepsUsSafe

NEW YORK CITY

1. The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) launched a new survey: COVID-19 Impact on NYC Culture. This survey will build on the DCLA report from last year, which captured the impact of the earliest days of the pandemic on NYC’s arts and cultural organizations.

TAKE THE SURVEY

2. The Show Can’t Go On: Invest in our NY: WPA For Arts & Culture Workers Now! In-person rally event coming up February 25 at Governor Cuomo's office in Manhattan. This rally is calling for a new Works Progress Administration initiative in NY (comprehensive state-funded jobs program, including putting arts/culture workers back to work).

3. The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment is hosting a Health Care Town Call for professionals in entertainment and the arts on Wednesday, February 24 from 1:00 - 2:00pm. Get information about health coverage options.

4. The City has released Open Culture Guidelines. Open Culture is a new permit type available from the Mayor’s Street Activity Permit Office allowing for ticketed performances. Arts and cultural institutions, as well as entertainment venues, will have the opportunity to secure a permit for single day, socially distanced performances at over 100 street locations throughout all five boroughs. There is a public hearing on February 26 at 9am.

5. Curtains Up NYC: Free Program to Connect Live Performance Venues to Federal Relief is a program to provide application assistance to live-performance venues, organizations and workers applying for federal relief.

6. NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is hosting a webinar for New York City small businesses looking for tips and guidelines to keep employees healthy and safe during COVID-19. Information and registration is available here. The event is on February 18 at 9:30 a.m.

7. MetroPlus Health and NYC Health+Hospitals is holding a food distribution for artists and others highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic on February 17 - 19. Register to attend.

8. Join the Asian American Arts Alliance for their Performing Arts and Advocacy Town Hall. The event is on March 23 at 6:30 p.m.

9. Join Nonprofit New York, Community Votes, and the New York City Economic and Training Coalition for a public policy forum on the role of the nonprofit sector in voter engagement. The forum will focus on a new voter engagement toolkit with updated information based on rank-choice voting and recently enacted voting reforms.

10. COVID-19 Updates:

a. Eligible New Yorkers can find vaccination locations and make appointments online at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or by calling 877-VAX4NYC for assistance in multiple languages. For the latest information, please consult the City’s Vaccine Command Center and continue to check the State's website for the full list of eligible groups. New York will open up COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to those with comorbidities that make them vulnerable to the coronavirus beginning Feb. 15th.
b. C.D.C. is now recommending you to tighten your mask or use double masks.
c. The statewide positivity rate was 3.54%.
d. State COVID zone restrictions remain in effect in certain parts of the city. To find out where the zones are and to see what restrictions apply to each zone, please visit www.nyc.gov/covidzone.
e. Download the COVID Alert NY app today!
f. Remember to follow the “core four”—wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, stay home if you’re sick—and get tested! For information on free testing, personal protective equipment, and more, visit the NYC Mayor's Office Coronavirus page.

11. Engaging in community action in support of dance workers? Submit to be listed on the #ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers Campaign Activations page. Visit the page for events, actions, and platforms that are independently led by the NYC dance community.

12. Dance/NYC hosts weekly dance field-wide calls to address questions, needs, and plans for the future of the field. Calls are Thursdays from 4:00 pm. – 5:00 p.m. Register here.

13. For the ongoing Coronavirus Dance Impact Study, Dance/NYC is tracking studio & company temporary and permanent closures to gain a better understanding of the financial impact the pandemic is taking on the dance sector. This data will be used to better document this historic time and to be able to advocate for aid to policymakers. Please email any closures that you know of in the dance community to research@dance.nyc. You do not need to be in charge of the organization to send a notification as Dance/NYC works to compile a list of closures.