EdTA Advocacy Update
June 16, 2020
The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.
STATE/PROVINCE NEWS
Do you have state or province theatre or arts education news you want to share? Send it to Leah at lball@schooltheate.org
Alabama: More arts education is coming to rural students in North Alabama (WHNT News 19)
Alaska: $1,500 Arts & Culture Emergency Relief COVID-19 Grant For Alaska Artists (Anchorage Press)
Arizona: Arizona Citizens for the Arts Urges Governor Ducey to Restore Arts Funding to Budget (BroadwayWorld Arizona)
British Columbia: Funding aimed at providing more support for Island arts, culture during COVID-19 (My Campbell River Now)
Colorado: 24 Colorado arts organizations receive more than $3 million in arts grants (Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade)
Delaware: Delaware Div. of the Arts hands out COVID-19 relief funding (Delaware Public Media)
Illinois: Art Alliance Illinois Updates on State Funding for the Arts (Chicago Morning Star)
Indiana: National Endowment For The Arts Awards $1,049,800 To Indiana Arts Providers (WBIW)
New Jersey: NJ Student Learning Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Overhauled to Refine How Arts are Taught in Schools (Benzinga)
NJ Governor’s Awards in Arts Education announces winners (Essex News Daily)
Pennsylvania: Loss of Philadelphia Cultural Fund would hit arts organizations — and neighborhoods — hard (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
State freezes $1 million in arts funding to 53 Western Pa. groups (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Rhode Island: RISCA Thanks Arts Endowment for Close to $1 Million in Federal Funding to Rhode Island Arts Organizations (Rhode Island State Council on the Arts)
Texas: Survey Shows Arts Organizations Doubt Pandemic Survival (Spectrum News)
Vermont: John Killacky: The arts are essential businesses (VTDigger)
Vermont art organizations to receive nearly $1 million (Vermont Business Magazine)
Wyoming: Wyoming Arts Council announces CARES Act funding recipients (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
NATIONAL NEWS
National Endowment for Arts Announces Second Round of Fiscal Year 2020 Funding - As a part of its regular grantmaking, the National Endowment for the Arts announces over $84 million for 1,144 new awards to organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and each of the five U.S. territories. (National Endowment for the Arts)
Actors’ Equity Says Encouraging Jobs Report Should Not Delay Legislation To Aid Arts & Entertainment Workers - Actors’ Equity has said that while the Department of Labor’s latest jobs report is encouraging, it should not delay passage of legislation pending in Congress that would help record levels of unemployed arts and entertainment workers. (Deadline)
‘First To Close. Last To Open.’ Covid-19’s Impact On The Arts: Research Update - Americans for the Arts leads four national studies tracking the human and financial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the arts. These are the highlights of the impact findings between when the first case was reported in the U.S. and June 15, 2020. (Americans for the Arts)
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
New Zealand: Government spends $4m to boost creative learning programme and hire 300 art teachers - The Government is spending an extra $4 million on boosting the creative learning programme for kids in schools, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says will provide jobs for 300 artists. (New Zealand Herald)
WORTH READING
Brain research shows the arts promote mental health - The arts offer an evidence-based solution for promoting mental health - there’s enough evidence to support prioritizing arts in our own lives at home as well as in our education systems. (The Conversation)
Seven Students Awarded First-Ever Diversity Grant for International Thespian Festival - Seven students who are members of the International Thespian Society received awards to attend this year's Virtual International Thespian Festival thanks to the newly created Broadway Licensing's Send a Leader Diversity Grant. These scholarships are awarded to student Thespians who are traditionally underrepresented in student leadership and who have experience in diversity-based leadership, service, and social justice activities. (BroadwayWorld)