NEW YORK CITY: Creative Rebuild New York (CRNY), an organization dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of artists, shares the steps New York state and local governments can take to implement policies to support artists and creative workers. A detailed plan was outlined. situation. New York’s cultural sector accounts for nearly $144 billion in economic activity and supports 450,000 jobs.
“New York Isn’t New York Without Artists” is a policy handbook commissioned by CRNY and written by HR&A Advisors after a year of work with policymakers, artists, and organizers across New York State. This is a long-term, gradual project that will help legislators at all levels of government enact policies that empower artists, a vital but often endangered workforce in the state’s economy. It is intended to be a program. hardship and financial insecurity. Artists and creative workers across the state need additional resources and labor protections to continue working and serving their communities. Improving policies will help improve conditions for all workers in the state.
“This playbook is built on two funding programs: an 18-month income guarantee and two years of employment and benefits for the state’s 2,700 artists, and will continue to build on artist contributions for years to come. and launch a larger movement to support dignity and dignity,” CRNY said. Executive Director Sara Calderon said in a statement. “Artists make New York, and we urge policymakers to make New York work for artists by advancing these recommendations.”
The playbook’s recommendations include:
Develop a statewide creative economy strategic plan. The New York Creative Economy Strategic Plan, which serves as a starting point for implementing the policies in the handbook, will further clarify goals, responsibilities, funding sources, and tactics specific to all of the state’s economic regions. Establish a grant program to fund portable benefits and financial security tools for creative workers. Because many creative workers are freelancers, they lack access to a variety of important benefits, including health insurance, unemployment insurance, paid sick and family leave, and opportunities to save for retirement. Portable benefits platforms ensure that artists and other non-traditional workers have access to the same basic benefits as other workers. Increase public funding for economic development projects that integrate arts and culture. Despite delivering significant economic benefits in the form of tourism, retail and increased property values, only a small portion of economic development funding is invested in the local creative economy. By increasing the share devoted to creative projects, New York will experience an even bigger windfall while strengthening its cultural vibrancy. Create a statewide guaranteed income program. A guaranteed income provides immediate relief, freedom and autonomy for families living in poverty, avoiding the expensive and complex bureaucracy that prevents some people from accessing safety net benefits. This program benefits low-income creative workers and other low-income workers. Create artist employment programs that address the environmental, health, and safety needs of the community. Drawing inspiration from previous federal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (1935) and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (1973), artist employment programs provide artists with opportunities to use their creative skills to serve their communities. Provide. Legislate prevailing wage standards for artists working on publicly funded arts and culture projects. Wage requirements are set for many industries that contract with the government, but not for the arts and culture sector. Wage standards would ensure that artists are fairly compensated for their work, strengthening New York’s creative workforce and the labor movement as a whole.
Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) is a three-year, $125 million initiative that guarantees income and employment opportunities for artists across New York State. CRNY believes that artists are workers who deserve fair and sustainable support structures and that improving the lives of artists is paramount to the vitality of social and economic well-being across New York State. With financial support from the Tides Center, CRNY has $125 million in funding, led by $115 million from the Mellon Foundation and $5 million each from the Ford Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). I promise.
HR&A Advisors, Inc. (HR&A) is an employee-owned company that advises visionary clients on how to create places that matter, build equitable and resilient communities, and improve people’s lives. company.
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