You can use this toolkit to encourage your audiences, members, networks and friends to join you or your organization in support of the Cultural Future Act.
Key Messages: Economy
The Arts and Cultural sector is key to Massachusetts’ economic health:
- In Massachusetts, cultural nonprofits support more than 73,000 full time jobs, generate over $2.3B in total spending, and bring in nearly $100M in state tax revenues.
- Every dollar spent by an arts and cultural organization generates $2.30 in sales for nearby businesses.
- In 2018, there were more than 21 million attendees for art and cultural events in the Greater Boston area, which is more than four times that for all major Boston sporting events combined.
The Arts and Cultural sector is key to local economies throughout the state:
- In Lowell, arts and cultural nonprofits support 500 full time jobs, generate over $12M in total spending, and bring in $478,000 in local tax revenue and $469,000 in state tax revenue.
- In Springfield, arts and cultural nonprofits support 1,857 full time jobs, generate nearly $50M in total spending, and bring in $2.2 in local tax revenue and $2.2 in state tax revenue.
- In Worcester, arts and cultural nonprofits support 4,062 full time jobs, generate over $125M in total spending, and bring in $4.4M in local tax revenue and $5.4M in state tax revenue.
- In Boston, arts and cultural nonprofits support 45,889 full time jobs, generate over $1.3B in total spending, and bring in $34.9M in local tax revenue and $52.4M in state tax revenue.
Since March 2020 and the pandemic-related closure of arts and cultural venues in Massachusetts…
- Cultural nonprofit organizations have reported $588.3 million in pandemic-related losses.
- Individual creative workers in Massachusetts lost over $30 million during that same time
Without bold, comprehensive public funding to stabilize the cultural sector through full reopening, Massachusetts will not have the vibrant arts and cultural community it counts on as an economic engine.
Key Messages: Community Connection
Community-based arts and cultural organizations bring people together
- Community-based arts activities build bridges across neighborhood, ethnic, and class divides in ways that many other forms of civic engagement do not.
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Throughout the pandemic, arts organizations have found creative ways to keep people connected.
- Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, arts and cultural organizations have been vital to sustaining personal and community connections. The Makanda Project, a 13-piece jazz ensemble, carefully choreographed live events for small audiences that were streamed online to a wider audience of fans at home. In the fall, the Worcester Chamber Music Society live streamed six concerts drawing 100 people per performance. The organization also maintained its program of free lessons in violin, viola, and cello to youth from impoverished neighborhoods by building online portals for parents and students. The Theatre Offensive wrote and staged two original plays and live streamed them to audiences. The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus harnessed their love for music into musical collections that celebrate and reconnect audiences and communities. Over the past year, the chorus has released over 10 original videos that have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and positive comments across social media. #culturalfutureact #mapoli
- The Mass Cultural Council supports 45 cultural districts across the state. These districts are managed and maintained with significant involvement from local business, civic, education, and arts leaders, creating connections between and among community groups that would otherwise not occur.
Organizations: Here is a Sample email to be sent by orgs supporting Cultural Futures Act
Dear <<first name>>
Throughout the pandemic, we [insert activities that organization has done to stay connected with audiences and bring people together].
We are grateful that we’ve been able to keep these connections throughout the pandemic, and we can’t wait until we can see you again in person.
To ensure that arts and cultural organizations throughout the Commonwealth like ours are able to re-open once it is safe to do so, we ask you to support the “Commonwealth Cultural Future Act.”
This Massachusetts bill would set aside $200 million of the more than $8 billion that Massachusetts will receive from the American Rescue Plan, the new federal COVID-19 relief bill passed into law in March, for stabilization grants for arts and cultural organizations throughout the state. These grants will prioritize economic recovery by focusing on job retention and creation. They can be used for technological innovations needed to safely reopen. And they will consider racial diversity and equity, diversity of programming and geography to ensure that vibrant, community-based organizations of smaller size endure.
Last March, arts and cultural organizations were among the first businesses to close and we will be among the last to fully re-open. But art, culture, and creativity is essential the state’s economic recovery. In 2018, there were more than 21 million attendees for art and cultural events in the Greater Boston area, which is more than four times that for all major Boston sporting events combined. Before the pandemic, the state’s arts sector employed over 73,000 people, generating over $2.5 billion in spending and bringing in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues.
[organizational sign-off]
Sample email message to send to your members:
WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS
We are advocating for $200 million of newly appropriate Federal dollars to the Commonwealth to be used to support Arts & Culture funding. Please consider clicking through and filling out the form to encourage your MA legislator to support the bill.
Follow the link https://www.mass-creative.org/sd2105ccfa and click on the big red button “Write your Legislators NOW Ask Them to Support SD.2105.” The system will ask for some information to make sure the communication goes to the right legislators. You can click and send or add some custom commentary if you want. It should take only a few minutes of your time.
Social Media Content
Hashtags:
#ArtsAndCultureForMass
#culturalfutureact
#mapoli
#bosart
Assets:
Sample social media posts on economic impact:
- The creative sector is an economic anchor in MA, driving $25.8 billion of activity. To drive economy post-pandemic arts sector needs public investment. Support #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
- Arts orgs were first to shut down in March 2020 & will be last to reopen. We need a bold response from MA leaders to stabilize the cultural sector until it can fully reopen. Support #culturalfutureact https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
- Tourism is MA’s 3rd largest economic driver w arts/culture arts organizations as 30% of their funding. Art/culture needs a balance of funding, from federal, state, and private sectors to come back post pandemic. Support #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
- Mass Cultural Council has collected detailed financial data from nonprofit and municipal cultural organizations documenting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020 cultural nonprofit organizations reported $588.3 million in pandemic-related losses, while the Commonwealth’s working creatives: individual artists, teaching artists, and scientists/humanists have lost $30 million in personal income. Support #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://massculturalcouncil.org/blog/survey-shows-continued-staggering-impacts-of-covid-19-on-states-cultural-sector/
- How do we build back the $25.8B that #art #entertainment & #culture contribute to MA economy? Public investment. Support the #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
- Since March 2020, arts orgs have lost >$588M in revenue. Support the #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
- Since March 2020, artists have lost >$30M in income. Support the #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://bit.ly/MACulturalFuture
Sample social media posts on connection
- Social isolation and disconnection is devastating & the loss of cultural connections have demonstrated just how much they matter. Support the #culturalfutureact #mapoli https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20200622.253235/full/
- The Boston Gay Mens Chorus created a 30 minute virtual “Home for the Holidays” special to bring their annual holiday concert to its audience during #COVID19 Support the #culturalfutureact & help the orgs that have helped you through the pandemic. #mapoli https://www.mass-creative.org/covid19_artsimpactbgmc
- The Makanda Project, a 13-piece jazz ensemble, carefully choreographed live events for small audiences that were streamed online to a wider audience of fans at home. Support the #culturalfutureact & help the orgs that have helped you through the pandemic. #mapoli https://www.mass-creative.org/makandaproject
- The Worcester Chamber Music Society live streamed six concerts and maintained its program of free lessons in violin, viola& cello to youth from impoverished neighborhoods by building online portals for parents and students. Support the #culturalfutureact & help the orgs that have helped you through the pandemic #mapoli https://www.mass-creative.org/worcchammusicsoc https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20200622.253235/full/
Sample Letter to the Editor
To The Editor,
It has been nearly one year since the pandemic pushed communities to shelter in their homes and closed the doors of local businesses.
Last March, arts and cultural organizations were among the first businesses to close and this year will be among the last to re-open. But art, culture, and creativity is essential the state’s economic recovery. In 2018, there were more than 21 million attendees for art and cultural events in the Greater Boston area, which is more than four times that for all major Boston sporting events combined.
Before the pandemic, the state’s entertainment businesses employed over 63,000 people each month, totaling over $2.5 billion in annual compensation. on-profit arts and cultural organizations also generate over $2.3 billion in total spending, bringing in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues.
That is why I support the “Commonwealth Cultural Future Act” which would set aside $200 million of the more than $8 billion that Massachusetts will receive from the American Rescue Plan, the new federal COVID-19 relief bill passed into law in March.
Sincerely,
