PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lindsey Maliekel, Vice President of Education and Public Engagement at New 42 and New Victory Theater
2:11:44
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128 sec
Lindsey Maliekel from New 42 and New Victory Theater testified about their New 42 Youth Corps program, which provides paid workforce development opportunities for young New Yorkers in the performing arts sector. She emphasized the importance of diverse representation in cultural fields and the program's success in creating career pathways.
- The New 42 Youth Corps has served over 1500 young people since 1995, with many alumni now working in various cultural institutions across New York City.
- The program expanded to include partnerships with CUNY and fellowships for alumni.
- Maliekel called for continued support from the City Council, noting recent funding losses and suggesting a cultural job fair and impact study to track career progress of program participants.
Lindsey Maliekel
2:11:44
Thank you.
2:11:44
Appreciate it.
2:11:46
Better.
2:11:47
I'm Lindsay Malyackel, vice president of education and public engagement at New 42 and New Victory Theater, where our mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone's life from the earliest years onward.
2:11:59
And since we opened the New Victory's doors in 1995, our entire front of house department has always been young New Yorkers in a paid workforce development program called the New 42 Youth Corps.
2:12:12
It is important that we welcome our student and family audiences into a theater with staff who reflect New York City, but it has been a long uphill battle to welcome those same youth corps staff members into a cultural field that reflects them.
2:12:26
Recent research has shown that economic progress can be drastically influenced by a few things, early mentorship, pursuing and completing a degree, and a first job that has opportunities for advancement.
2:12:37
Commissioner Kumbaugh's, introduction of her own background was a perfect example of that research, actually.
2:12:43
These kinds of programs that we have run for all these years have a really proven track record.
2:12:47
And if we want the creative heart of New York City to beat with the full spectrum of New Yorkers, we have to support these pathway programs.
2:12:55
The over 1500 young people who have taken part in the new 42 youth course since 1995 now work all over the city, from Disney to Roundabout to Saint Ann's to New Group and beyond.
2:13:05
And almost 20% of our own current full time staff started their first cultural job in the youth corps program.
2:13:13
About 10 years ago, we expanded the program from serving mostly high school students to creating a dedicated partnership with CUNY.
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We hire community college students and support their college success.
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We also added a full time fellowship for our own alumni and alumni of the CUNY Cultural Corps.
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We are committed to a creative economy filled with all New Yorkers, and we hope that city council will continue to be a partner toward that goal.
2:13:35
We have lost a large portion of our dedicated funding for these programs over the last few years.
2:13:41
We would love that cultural job fair, and we would also love an impact study that helps all of us understand where our young people grow and go in their cultural careers.
2:13:51
Thank you.