Dance/NYC joins #NYCInspires, a citywide campaign to increase funding for arts and culture across all New York City communities, focused on: increased access to experiencing and creating arts and culture across the city; expanding arts and cultural education; and supporting workforce development and diversity in the arts and cultural sector. An increase in funding would allow the Department of Culture Affairs (DCLA) to increase financial support for currently funded organizations, grow funding for arts councils to offer re-grants to individual artists, and add new funding that would increase cultural equity by supporting a wider array of arts and culture groups across all five boroughs.

Update as of June 22:
The city has passed a budget for FY2019, and Dance/NYC joins New Yorkers for Culture & Arts and colleague advocates in thanking the Mayor and the City Council for increasing funding for arts and culture to the tune of $20 million. This is a much needed additional investment in the many organizations working to provide culture and art to ALL New Yorkers. Find a contact directory below to send a call/email/tweet of thanks to the Mayor and your local Council Member today.

Update as of June 5: 
Haven't had a chance to E-mail your council member? Perhaps you'd rather call? 

As we enter the final days of this budget season, we are urging the City Council to increase funding for culture and arts. We are asking you to call your local Council Member to voice your support for increased investment in culture TODAY, Tuesday June 5.  This last push from our cultural partners across the five boroughs will ensure that our urgent ask for support will be on their minds, and increase the chances we will get the funds we need to provide Culture for All. 

Below you will find contact numbers for City Council Members. We kindly ask you to contact your district office. There is a script for the call below.  Afterwards, please notify us that you made the call by emailing ny4camail@gmail.com. 

We will be posting this on social media, so please share and ask your community to support our call for funding for culture!

#nycinspires

District Number	Representative	Contact Number
1	Margaret S. Chin	(212) 587-3159
2	Carlina Rivera	(646) 504-2365
3	Corey Johnson	(212) 564-7757
4	Keith Powers	(212) 818-0580
5	Ben Kallos	(212) 860-1950
6	Helen Rosenthal	(212) 873-0282
7	Mark Levine	(212) 928-6814
8	Diana Ayala	(212) 788-6960
9	Bill Perkins	(212) 678-4505
10	Ydanis Rodriguez	(917) 521-2616
11	Andrew Cohen	(212) 788-7080
12	Andy King	(212) 788-6873
13	Mark Gjonaj	(212) 788-7375
14	Fernando Cabrera	(212) 788-7074
15	Ritchie J. Torres	(718) 842-8100
16	Vanessa L. Gibson	(212) 788-6856
17	Rafael Salamanca Jr.	(718) 402-6130
18	Ruben Diaz, Sr.	(718) 792-1140
19	Paul Vallone	(718) 619-8611
20	Peter Koo	(718) 888-8747
21	Francisco Moya	(718) 651-1917
22	Costa Constantinides	(718) 274-4500
23	Barry Grodenchik	(718) 468-0137
24	Rory I. Lancman	(718) 217-4969
25	Daniel Dromm	(718) 803-6373
26	Jimmy Van Bramer	(718) 383-9566
27	I. Daneek Miller	(718) 776-3700
28	Adrienne E. Adams	(718) 206-2068
29	Karen Koslowitz	(718) 544-8800
30	Robert Holden	(718) 366-3900
31	Donovan J. Richards	(718) 471-7014
32	Eric A. Ulrich	(718) 738-1083
33	Stephen T. Levin	(718) 875-5200
34	Antonio Reynoso	(212) 788-7095
35	Laurie A. Cumbo	(212) 788-7081
36	Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.	(718) 919-0740
37	Rafael L. Espinal Jr.	(718) 642-8664
38	Carlos Menchaca	(718) 439-9012
39	Brad Lander	(718) 499-1090
40	Mathieu Eugene	(718) 287-8762
41	Alicka Ampry-Samuel	(718) 953-3097
42	Inez Barron	(718) 649-9495
43	Justin Brannan	(718) 748-5200
44	Kalman Yeger	(718) 853-2704
45	Jumaane D. Williams	(718) 629-2900
46	Alan N. Maisel	(718) 241-9330
47	Mark Treyger	(718) 307-7151
48	Chaim M. Deutsch	(718) 368-9176
49	Deborah Rose	(718) 556-7370
50	Steven Matteo	(718) 980-1017
51	Joseph C. Borelli	(718) 984-5151

 

Use this script as a guide for your call (and please be polite of course!):

Hi, my name is ________ from _________(organization), located in district ________.

I know that the work on the city budget is entering its final phase, and I’m calling to urge Council Member ________________ to support a $30 million dollar increase in funding for arts and culture for New Yorkers, which includes baselining the critical $10 million increase from last year.
 
It has long been proven that robust culture and arts programs increase school performance for our children, increase the health and longevity of our seniors, increase the mental health and vibrancy of our communities, and drive our local economies. 

The city's Cultural Plan rightly calls for culture for all New Yorkers. Now it is time to put that plan into action by funding the organizations who are working to provide culture to every citizen.

We need your help! Thank you for all the work you're doing.

#nycinspires
 

Update as of June 1: 
Share with your Council Member why arts & culture is important to New Yorkers.

It is imperative that our City Council members hear from us as we enter the final days of the budget process. Please copy and paste the message below---adding your own stories and thoughts if you can!---and email your Council representative.

Also attached is a city-wide borough document to share with your council member. It details the impact of arts and culture on our community and economy. If you would like a document specific to your district please email ny4cainfo@gmail.com for more information.

It will be great if every council member gets back from the long weekend to read many emails from cultural groups. Let's Do This!

Thanks so much for this and for all you are doing!

"Dear Council Member _________

As one of your constituents, I am writing to thank you for your past support and implore you to push for a much needed increase in funding for the cultural groups in your district, and all over the city. It has long been proven that robust culture and arts programs increase school performance for our children, increase the health and longevity of our seniors, increase the mental health and vibrancy of our communities, and drive our local economies. 

The city's Cultural Plan rightly calls for culture for all New Yorkers. Now it is time to put that plan into action by funding the groups like ours who are working to provide culture to every citizen. We can start by increasing the funding for culture in the 2019 budget by $30 million, and by baselining last year's critical $10 million increase.

Thank you for your support for culture and for all your work."

Supportive Document 
City Wide Profile
 

Update as of May 7:
Join us for a City Hall Rally and Cultural Affairs Hearing on Friday, May 18, at 10:00 a.m.

• Join cultural leaders from around the City in asking that the budget support the goal of Culture for ALL
• Featured Speaker: District 26 Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer
• Tell City Council and the Mayor not to cut arts funding–and to increase it!

Join us in asking for a $30 million increase in the City's funding for DCLA to be equally divided between the Cultural Institutions Group and the Cultural Development Fund:

• Attend a meeting with your City Council Member
• Attend a rally and cultural affairs hearing at City Hall on May 18 at 10:00 a.m.
• Send an email to your networks
• Share your story on social media to show how arts and culture change and inspires lives: tag @NYCCouncil and use #NYCInspires
• If you are interested in visiting City Council, let New Yorkers for Culture & Arts know: info@ny4ca.org
• Complete this New Yorkers for Culture & Arts survey to show your support
• Learn more at www.nycinspires.org