June 22 Policy & Action Review

Last Friday, we celebrated Juneteenth--an honoring of freedom and emancipation of the last remaining enslaved people in 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The work towards racial and economic justice calls us as creatives, artists, and culture workers to take individual and collective action towards a more just future. This weekly Policy & Action Review includes ways to stay informed, take action, and connect with the larger advocacy community. Please join us in our work to build a stronger, more inclusive creative sector.

Virtual Policy & Action Updates

Thank you to the hundreds of advocates that have joined the MASSCreative team for our weekly Virtual Policy & Action Updates on Fridays from 9:45-10:00am.

Check out MASSCreative’s June 19 Policy & Action Update

Register for MASSCreative’s June 26 Policy & Action Update

Top Policy Update

MASSCreative continues to monitor and report on state and federal policy that supports equitable communities and a stronger, more inclusive creative sector.

Learn more in MASSCreative's Policy Update, including:

Safe and Fair Elections
Arts Education
Capital Budget and Reopening Plan
Federal Reserve and SBA

Top Action: Create the Vote

Save the Date! On Wednesday, June 24, MASSCreative and the Create the Vote Steering Committee are launching Create the Vote 2020! Create the Vote 2020 is a nonpartisan, public education campaign to increase civic engagement and strengthen democracy by engaging members of the creative community in voter education, registration, and turnout. Keep a look out on Wednesday for the #CreateTheVote Pledge and online Toolkit.

Top Action: Arts Education

Right now, the Commonwealth and its cities and towns are grappling with major losses in tax revenue and increased sanitation costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In facing these hard decisions, several school districts have laid off educators, including art teachers. As schools plan to reopen in the fall, students will need more educators and resources that support their social and emotional learning, not less. Reach out to your MA Legislators to advocate for the protection of Chapter 70 Education Funding and equitable access to quality education.

Spotlight

In 2013, MASSCreative launched Create the Vote around the Boston mayoral election to ensure arts and culture was part of the debate and vision for a future Boston. Over the past seven years, this nonpartisan, public education campaign has gone statewide and activated local networks of arts and culture advocates to engage in conversation with candidates running for local office about arts and culture policy. With Create the Vote 2020 launching this week, longtime supporters will notice that this year’s campaign is taking on a different shape.

Read more in our Spotlight: Reimagining Create the Vote

Hope to see you on Friday, June 26 from 9:45-10am for our next Policy & Action Update.

If you’re looking for more COVID-19 resources, you can check out MASSCreative’s COVID-19 pages, including updates, resources, advocacy, policy recommendations, and policy & action updates.

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