Help us continue to advocate for your needs. If you are a dance worker or dance making organization, please take the Coronavirus Dance Impact Survey part 3 today!

The survey should take about 15 minutes of your time. If you are an individual dance worker and also run an organization or fiscally sponsored group you are welcome to take both to ensure your experiences are represented in the data. You can take this survey whether or not you have participated in previous surveys. Please share with your networks using this toolkit.
 

CORONAVIRUS DANCE IMPACT SURVEY PART 3

 

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NATIONAL
 

1. Americans for the Arts National Arts Action Summit is happening today through Friday. The National Arts Action Summit is a multi-day event giving grassroots advocates crucial advocacy training from experts in the field. Sign up to attend the individual sessions of the summit for free. 

2. Learn more about the Putting Creative Workers to Work proposal. #BeAnArtsHero is calling on arts and culture workers to use this script and call the White House at (202) 456-1111. Call to get the arts included in President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure package! 

3. Dance/USA Director of Government Affairs Tony Shivers provided an overview of federal pandemic relief and resources for the dance and performing arts world for Dance/USA's eJournal, from the Green Room. Read the article here. 

4. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has issued a request for stakeholder comments on workforce innovation to address lost jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an excellent opportunity for members of the Arts and Culture community to advocate for national economic recovery efforts. All comments must be submitted to HELPWorkforceComments@help.senate.gov by April 9.

5. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) formerly known as Save our Stages (SOS) program application process opens April 8. Here is a sample template that may be helpful with the application process. 

6. President Biden announced program changes to make access to PPP loans more equitable and extended the program until May 31.

• PPP First Draw Borrower Application Form
• PPP Second Draw Borrower Application Form

7. The Director of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed an order to extend the eviction moratorium through June 30. At-risk tenants must fill out this CDC form and give it to their landlord (keep a copy for your records).  

8. Take the Dance/USA Coronavirus Impact Survey part II. This survey is designed to analyze the issues the dance sector has faced and are still facing as a result of the pandemic. It has been tailored for individuals working in dance (e.g., dancer, choreographer, independent arts professional, etc.) and organizational dancemakers (e.g., companies, collectives). The deadline to participate is Friday, April 9. 
  

TAKE THE SURVEY
 

9. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Dance Education Equity Association is calling for commitment to creating safer spaces to prevent future experiences, both inside and outside of dance settings. Dance/NYC has collated resources on sexual harassment for the dance community. 

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NEW YORK STATE
 

1. The New York State arts and culture sector is asking for relief and support commensurate with the creative sector’s impact on the state economy, and more importantly, with the role that it will play in leading the state’s economic recovery. Sign on using the link below to let legislators in Albany know you and/or your organization are in support of the Revive & Rebuild Proposal.  

 

SIGN ON

 

2. On April 2, event, arts, and entertainment venues were allowed to reopen at 33% capacity. Venues can host up to 100 people indoors or up to 200 people outdoors. If all attendees present proof of completed vaccination or recent negative test results prior to entry, capacity can increase up to 150 people indoors or up to 500 people outdoors. Social distancing, face coverings, health screening and other health protocols will be required by all attendees. State interim guidance is available here.

3. New Yorkers For Culture and Arts are asking you to tell State legislators to save arts and culture so arts and culture can save our state and lead the recovery. Federal relief is finally headed to our city and states! State legislators are in the final days of budget negotiations. They need to provide the American Rescue Plan funds to the 'most impacted industries'---namely arts and culture! Here is a toolkit to use.

4. Make the Road New York is hosting Local Eyes on ICE: Truth and Accountability Forum on April 8 at 6:00 p.m. Make the Road New York builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice. This forum will be held in Spanish to be inclusive to community members who will be sharing their testimonies. Interpretation to English will be provided.

5. Governor Cuomo and Legislators have agreed to create a $10 million fund in the State budget to combat discrimination against Asian-Americans in the wake of recent brutal assaults against the Asian-American community. Under the deal, $10 million in grants will be distributed to community and social service groups to help address bias and curb crimes committed against Asian-Americans. 

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NEW YORK CITY

1. Arts and Cultural Workers for the New York Health Act Town Hall on Friday, April 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Learn more about the NY Health Act from Campaign for NY Health. Arts and cultural workers are asked to share your healthcare story here.

 

REGISTER HERE

 

2. Attend Mayoral Forum on Culture and Arts on April 21 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. This is coordinated by New Yorkers for Culture and Arts and the Mayoral Host Committee (Dance/NYC is a member). This event is moderated by Luis A. Miranda and Anna Glass. Sign your organization on as a supporter of the Mayoral Forum on Culture and Arts. 

3. Join New Yorkers for Culture and Arts for a nonpartisan City Council Candidate Forum for Queens' districts 22, 25, 26, 32 focused on culture and arts in our great city. Register for the forum which will be held on April 13 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

4. Register for 2021 Nonprofit Mayoral Forum on May 7 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Co-hosted by Advocacy Institute, Human Services Council, Nonprofit NY, and 2021 Nonprofit Agenda Project Coalition (Dance/NYC is a member) and in partnership with City & State. 

5. Register to testify at City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations oversight hearing on “Amplifying BIPOC and Queer Voices in the Arts," Tuesday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. 

6. Arts in Education Roundtable is asking for arts education organizations to complete this COVID-19 Impact Survey by April 23, to help support the field of arts education in NYC. 

7. COVID-19 Updates 

• All adults (over 16) in New York are eligible for the vaccine as of April 6. 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 State's website. 
• The statewide positivity rate was 3.59%. 
• Starting today, domestic travelers are no longer required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory. While no longer required, the NYS Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution. Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers.
• Download the COVID Alert NY app and Excelsior App today! 
• 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.

8. 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.

9. Dance/NYC weekly dance field-wide calls return this week! The call addresses questions, needs, and plans for the future of the field. Calls are Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Register here. This week’s call will provide de-escalation training by Pavan Thimmaiah, Director of PMT House of Dance and the Dance Studio Alliance. The call will be extended by 15 minutes until 5:15 p.m. and will be recorded for use on Dance/NYC and Gibney’s Reopening Dance in NYC digital toolkit.   

10. 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.