TESTIMONY
Coco Killingsworth, Vice President of Creative Social Impact at BAM, on Restoring Funding for Cultural Institutions Group (CIGs) and the Cultural Development Fund (CDF)
3:59:06
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150 sec
Killingsworth advocates for the full restoration of FY24 budget cuts and an additional $53 million in baseline funding for FY25 for the Cultural Institutions Group (CIGs) and Cultural Development Fund (CDF) partners in New York City's cultural sector.
- The CIGs comprise 34 non-profit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanic gardens across the city.
- The cuts have severely impacted the cultural sector, which generates $110 billion in annual economic activity and provides nearly 16,000 jobs.
- Investing in culture provides safe public spaces and is vital for New York City's economy and communities.
- Killingsworth calls on the City Council's continued support to prioritize cultural funding as an investment in the city's artists and cultural institutions.
Coco Killingsworth
3:59:06
Thank you.
3:59:07
Of course, I forgot my glasses today.
3:59:09
So Thank you, chairs, Rivera, and Brandon and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify.
3:59:18
I'm Coco Kilingsworth from Bam.
3:59:20
And also chair the CIGs.
3:59:23
I'm here to per provide testimony on behalf of all the CIGs in the culture sector which includes 34 non profit museums, performing arts center, historical societies, zoos, botanic gardens all throughout the city.
3:59:35
We are here to support.
3:59:37
We're here today for to support culture for all and ask for a full restoration of FY 24 cuts.
3:59:43
And for $53,000,000 in baseline funding for CIGs and the CDF for FY 25.
3:59:51
55,000,000, 53,000 in funding would fully reverse all the cuts imposed on culture and baseline the one time edition for all of us.
4:00:01
I testified back in March about the devastation of the November and the preliminary budget cuts.
4:00:06
I am back today to thank council for prioritizing culture in your budget response and for your advocacy and securing the restoration in January for just the CIGs, unfortunately.
4:00:17
However, as you all know, the work is far from over.
4:00:21
The CIGs and our CDF partners are facing baseline cuts That would put us back to FY 23, and we can't go back.
4:00:31
We have not increased, as you know, since 2009.
4:00:34
This is an unprecedented disinvestment in what makes our city great.
4:00:38
Arts And Culture continue to generate a $110,000,000,000 in economic activity annually.
4:00:43
And we are a vital part of the city's economy.
4:00:46
We provide job.
4:00:47
The CIGs alone provide almost 16,000 full and part time jobs.
4:00:52
Almost 6000 of those are union members.
4:00:54
And in addition, our CDF partners provide thousands of jobs in every borough throughout the city.
4:01:01
Culture is a lifeline for our communities and should be accessible for all New Yorkers.
4:01:05
Investing in culture is investing in safe, public spaces for all new Yorkers of all ages.
4:01:12
I'm gonna skip a lot.
4:01:13
The council has been a real champion for culture, and we ask that your continued support as we call for the restoration.
4:01:20
We eventually will get to a place where we are no longer talking about cuts to to the economic drivers and the community uplifters, but not but how to invest further in artists and culture for the benefit of all New Yorkers.
4:01:33
Investment in culture is an investment in New York City.
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Lucy Sexton, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, on the Crisis in New York City's Cultural Sector Due to Budget Cuts
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Fran Garber-Cohen, President of Regina Opera Company, on the Impact of Budget Cuts on Regina Opera's Services for Senior Citizens and Low-Income Communities in Brooklyn
