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DCLA's strategy for engaging with foundations and corporations to support cultural funding
2:48:21
ยท
120 sec
Commissioner Laurie Cumbo outlines DCLA's approach to engaging with foundations and corporations to address funding challenges in the cultural sector:
- Scheduling roundtable discussions with foundation and corporate leaders
- Working with grantmakers for the arts
- Aiming to 'sound the alarm' about the importance of consistent funding for the cultural sector
- Emphasizing that the viability of New York City depends on cultural activity
- Cumbo stresses the need for foundations, corporations, and individuals to recognize the critical role of the cultural sector
- She highlights the irresponsibility of changing funding priorities after fostering such a vibrant cultural industry
- The commissioner expresses hope that this hearing and ongoing discussions will reinforce the message that the cultural sector in New York City cannot be allowed to fail
Gale A. Brewer
2:48:21
Finally, in your testimony, I think you mentioned that it's hard with corporations and foundations.
2:48:27
They have a new, you know, topic du jour every year.
2:48:32
So my question is, how do you deal with them?
2:48:35
How do you help the, corporations understand the need, blah blah blah?
2:48:39
Is there something that does does that go on or is that just a separate everybody's on their own?
Laurie Cumbo
2:48:43
I thank you so much for that question because something that I'm working on, we are scheduling roundtable discussions with many of our foundations and corporate leaders so that we can start to have more in-depth conversations collaboratively versus one off conversations that have been held previously.
2:49:01
So in the next month, I'm going to be gathering with foundation leaders.
2:49:06
We are working with grant makers for the arts.
2:49:08
We want to sound the alarm, and I hope that part of the sounding can happen at this hearing to say that we need foundations, corporations, and individuals to recognize that we have created a sector that is so powerful to the viability of New York City that we cannot change our funding priorities once we've created this incredible sector and industry that whether people realize it or not, the entire viability of New York City rests upon the cultural activity of New York City.
2:49:41
And it is irresponsible on so many levels to bring forward and to birth all of this excitement, and then to change mid course, and to leave an industry stranded.
2:49:53
So I'm hoping that this hearing, I'm hoping that many of the meetings and discussions that we are having, I hope the discussions that we're having with our labor unions are sounding the alarm that we cannot allow this sector in New York City to fail.
Gale A. Brewer
2:50:09
Okay.
2:50:09
I appreciate that obviously.
2:50:10
And I think we can do to help.
2:50:11
It does seem to me that freedom of expression, which is obviously a challenge today, should start with the arts.
2:50:17
And that would be a great beginning.
2:50:19
So thank you very much.
2:50:21
Thank you.