TESTIMONY
Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the New York City Arts And Education Roundtable on the Importance of Arts Education and Funding for Cultural Organizations Partnering with NYC Schools
4:42:27
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172 sec
Olsen emphasizes the critical role of arts and cultural organizations in providing arts instruction and resources to NYC schools.
- Over 600 arts and cultural organizations partnered with schools last year to fill instructional gaps
- Funding cuts to the Department of Cultural Affairs have hindered these organizations' ability to partner with schools
- Only 74% of schools reported partnering with an arts organization last year, down 10% from 5 years ago
- Transparent, system-wide data is needed to understand where arts education is being provided in schools
- Sustainable funding for arts and cultural organizations is essential to prevent widening the access gap to arts education
Kimberly Olsen
4:42:27
Thank you so much, chair Rivera and chair Brennan, council member Brewer, as well as the city council staff for hosting today's hearing and for your and support for arts education in our schools.
4:42:37
My name is Kimberly Olson, Kim.
4:42:39
And I am proud to be the executive director of the New York City Arts And Education roundtable.
4:42:44
We are a grassroots service organization that works with more than 300 arts and cultural organizations each year and more than 4000 arts education practitioners.
4:42:53
I'm here testifying as part of art starts with the arts coalition calling on our city to prioritize funding for arts education in New York City Schools And Communities.
4:43:02
In the FY 25 budget, as well as in partnership with our the culture for all coalition calling for a city to restore all cuts both FY 20 4 25 to arts and culture totaling $76,000,000.
4:43:15
At last week's education hearing, chancellor David Banks noted that cultural organizations fill the gap for more than 300 schools that do not have a certified arts and they also ensure that our city students have access to arts instruction.
4:43:29
We know that at least 600 arts and cultural organizations partnered with schools last year alone the most ever owned record.
4:43:36
It should be no surprise that this spike in service coincided with an add on in funds to the Department of Cultural Affairs and the establishment in the support for arts instruction initiative.
4:43:46
Yet in this interconnected ecosystem, this year we are seeing firsthand how cut to the Department of Cultural Affairs deeply harms organizations abilities to provide resources and partner with schools.
4:43:57
Cultural organizations help students meet state instructional requirements, especially at the elementary school level, and enrich school communities with resources, with 36% of schools reporting, they receive funding for arts instructions from arts and cultural partners.
4:44:13
Despite the uptick in the number of organizations partnering with our schools, Only 74% of schools reported partner reported partnering with an arts organization last year.
4:44:22
This is down 10% from 5 years ago.
4:44:26
Council member Brewer, to your point earlier in questioning, we need transparent system wide reporting to understand where organizations and in school arts teachers are present.
4:44:35
Right now, only about 80% of schools are completing our annual art survey.
4:44:39
And in reviewing that data myself, schools are citing the Apple Store and simply the word dance as cultural partners.
4:44:46
That is unacceptable.
4:44:48
I look forward to hopefully working with the council to establish to do something, essentially,
Beth Allen
4:44:57
Because I believe
Kimberly Olsen
4:44:57
that there's potential to leverage data from DCLA, as well as work with the DOE so that we can understand where is their great arts education happening?
4:45:05
And where do the gaps exist.
4:45:07
In closing, arts teachers and cultural organizations are essential partners in the delivery of arts instruction, but they cannot do that without sustainable fundering.
4:45:15
Otherwise, we only stand to widely access gap for years to come.
4:45:18
Thank you so much.
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Kate Madigan, Government Affairs Coordinator for the Public Theater, on the Financial Challenges Facing Cultural Institutions and the Need for Increased City Support
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David Freudenthal, Director of Government Relations at Carnegie Hall, on Funding for Carnegie Hall and the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG)
