Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Weekly Advocacy Alert, February 3: Join the US Department of Arts and Culture in the People’s State of the Union to show Arts are Essential!

By Dance/NYC

A screenshot of a video call featuring Anu Yadav, Luis J. Rodriguez, Lyla June, and Tonya Ingram engaged in a digital story circle.
Photo: People's State of the Union Toolkit

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! Between February 1 and March 1, join hundreds of people across the nation in hosting a digital story circle. 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

FEDERAL

1. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has published new information about the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) grant, formerly known as Save our Stages, established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act. Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. Eligible entities must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020, and must not have received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020. For additional details, see SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grants Frequently Asked Questions.

2. Dance/USA announced a free new online resource to help artists and arts organizations document and preserve the record of the dance field’s experiences and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resource offers suggestions for how artists and arts organizations can document the effects of and responses to the pandemic, as well as information about national or regional efforts to collect archives of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Help focus the attention of lawmakers on the needs of nonprofits by signing your organization onto a new nonprofit letter calling for a package of solutions tailored to the needs and realities of nonprofits serving the public good. The letter calls for nonprofit-specific grants and forgivable loans for nonprofits of all sizes, and increase and extension of charitable giving incentives, full coverage of unemployment costs of reimbursing (self-insured) employers, and financial aid to state and local governments.

SIGN ON

4. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will begin moving forward on a massive 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, Reuters reports.

5. The Actors Fund is hosting National Dancer Info Sessions monthly on the second and fourth Thursdays. The Actors Fund has many services available to dancers including scholarships, financial assistance, health and wellness services and career services.

6. The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Advocacy Leadership Institute applications close on February 4. Through this two-month virtual training, participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of cultural policy in the US along with skills to further their arts advocacy efforts.

NEW YORK STATE

1. Applications for the 2021 Spring LGBTQI Advocacy Institute cohort are open. The LGBTQI Advocacy Institute is a joint program run by Equality New York and NYC Pride & Power. Applications are open to New York State residents over 18 and are due by February 28.

NEW YORK CITY

1. Mayor De Blasio gave his annual State of the City address in which he laid out a goal of 5 million vaccinations by June, as well as proposals to help support small businesses. To learn more about De Blasio’s State of City read this article from Gothamist.

2. Open Culture Updates

a. The DOT (Department of Transportation) released the list of all of the streets that are going to be available for the program.
b. The Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management will be holding a public hearing on February 26 at 9:00am. You can submit questions or register to give testimony in advance.

3. 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.
b. The statewide positivity rate was 4.86%.
c. 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.
d. Download the COVID Alert NY app today!
e. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.