Dance Worker Digest
July 2024

This month's Dance Worker Digest topics cover research on livelihoods of artists across New York State, community-centric fundraising, and disability data as well as career counseling for immigrant artists and reduced fee MetroCards.

---

NYFA Provides Free Career Consultations for Immigrant Artists

Through New York Foundation for the Arts’ (NYFA) Immigrant Artist Resource Center, immigrant artists can receive free one-on-one consultations on how to grow their careers. Consultations are 40 minutes on Zoom and are offered in English, Mandarin and Spanish. Consultants can help artists think through career planning, applications, working with presenters, marketing, and more. New sessions will be released on August 1, September 2, and October 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

• Register for a free career consultation for immigrant artists
• Explore NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Resource Center

Photo courtesy of Ayazamana Dance Group

---

Cultural Solidarity Fund Releases “From Regranting to Redistribution” Report

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cultural Solidarity Fund was formed, providing over $1 million in $500 relief microgrants to 2,030 artists and cultural workers to date. To encourage further coalition-based organizing, the Cultural Solidarity Fund has released a report on how they did it with guidelines for community-centric fundraising and sustaining redistribution. The report is broken into three sections: 

• A toolkit on how to organize Money Moving coalitions
• Recommendations to sustain Money Moving Coalitions
• A history of how the Cultural Solidarity Fund operated

Considering that NYC dance workers make 15% below a living wage, this report provides an alternative pathway to building an equitable cultural economy, thereby increasing financial resilience for dance workers.

• Explore Cultural Solidarity Fund’s report

Image art by Emma Dulski

---

Creatives Rebuild New York Releases “Portrait of New York State Artists”

Creatives Rebuild New York’s “Portrait of New York State Artists” provides further data on the livelihoods of artists across New York State. It reveals the economic challenges that artists face and provides a fuller picture of the diversity of arts workers. Analysis includes findings such as:

• Nearly two-thirds of artists have no emergency savings
• Almost half of artists are gig workers
• Artists are earning significantly less than the average New Yorker

This data can help us advocate for just, equitable wages and broader social empowerment for dance and other cultural workers.

• Download CRNY's "Portrait of New York State Artists"
• Learn more about CRNY’s research in the press release

---

Fair Fares NYC Program Expands, Providing More Reduced Fee MetroCards

As part of the newly-passed city budget, the Fair Fares NYC program is expanding eligibility by increasing the range of income levels that qualify. Fair Fares NYC allows low-income New Yorkers to ride the subway or bus at a 50% discount. Pay-per-Ride, weekly unlimited, and monthly unlimited options are all available. The new $20 million investment increases transit affordability for more New Yorkers. This is vital for many low-income dance workers, many of whom rely on public transit to get to work, go to school, and participate in community life.

• Check your eligibility for the Fair Fares Program
• Learn more about the Fair Fares expansion

---

Interagency Committee on Disability Research Releases Toolkit on Disability Data

The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) released “Surveying the Landscape of Disability Data and Statistics: A Toolkit for Interagency Collaboration.” This toolkit goes over the disability data currently collected by federal government agencies. It can help us understand what data is available, its limitations, and what further research is necessary.​ It also provides recommendations and resources from the field for next steps to improve disability data collection efforts.

Data can be an important tool to advance disability justice. This toolkit can help disabled dance workers and their allies use federal data to advocate for people with disabilities.

• Review ICDR’s toolkit on disability data
• Learn more about ICDR