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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Coco Killingsworth, Chief Experience Impact Officer at Brooklyn Academy of Music and Chair of the Cultural Institutions Group
4:25:15
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173 sec
Coco Killingsworth, representing the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), testified in support of a $75 million baseline increase to the DCLA budget for FY 2026. She emphasized the critical role of cultural institutions in New York City's economy, tourism, and education, despite facing challenges due to stagnant funding.
- CIGs employ 15,700 staff and offer career pathways for 6,000 New Yorkers annually
- Arts and culture generate $110 billion in economic activity yearly
- Over 20 million people attend performances and museums, with 2.5 million students participating in educational programs
Coco Killingsworth
4:25:15
Good afternoon Chair Rivera and members of the committee.
4:25:18
Thank you so much for this opportunity to testify.
4:25:20
My name is Coco Killingsworth.
4:25:22
I'm the chief experience impact officer at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and I'm the chair of the cultural institutions group.
4:25:29
I'm here to testify on behalf of the CIGS, a coalition of 34 cultural organizations across all five boroughs.
4:25:37
We are here today to support culture for all and to say with my full chest a request for 75,000,000 in baseline increase to the DCLA budget in FY twenty six.
4:25:48
I wanna thank the council for prioritizing culture and for your advocacy and securing a restoration for institutions in FY '25.
4:25:57
However, our cultural institutions continue to face challenges and the FY 2726 preliminary budget again falls short of ensuring that our institutions have what they need in order to fully serve New Yorkers and attract tourists to our great city.
4:26:13
Baseline support for the CIGS and the whole sector has long been stagnant.
4:26:18
This flat funding is effectively a cut as costs continue to rise.
4:26:24
I'm gonna say that again.
4:26:25
This flat funding is effectively a cut as our costs continue to rise.
4:26:30
Furthermore, the ongoing budget dance to secure one time funding each year creates an incredibly unpredictable environment, limiting full time employment and resulting in sporadic time limited public programming over dependable consistent access for New Yorkers.
4:26:47
Arts and culture generates $110,000,000,000 in economic activity annually, and we are vital to the city's economy economy.
4:26:56
Our cultural sector is also central to the success of city's tourism, industry, and workforce.
4:27:02
The cultural the CIGs alone employ 15,700 full and part time staff, of which almost 6,000 are union members.
4:27:11
Furthermore, CIGs offer career pathways and training opportunities for more than 6,000 New Yorkers each year.
4:27:17
Investing in culture is investing in safe public spaces for all New Yorkers of all walks of life.
4:27:24
More than a 20,000,000 people attend performances and go to museums each year.
4:27:29
2,500,000 students participate in our educational programs every year.
4:27:33
I'm saying million, billion.
4:27:35
These are the numbers that we're doing all the time.
4:27:37
Our institutions position New York City as the world as a world class cultural hub and as a leader in STEAM education.
4:27:45
We provide lifelong learning opportunities for older adults and accessible programming for neurodivergent audiences and audiences with disabilities.
4:27:53
Investing in culture is investing in New York, period.
4:27:57
We ask, although I'm gonna say more, we ask for the council to baseline 75,000,000 in culture to ensure our sector can survive and thrive.
4:28:06
Thank you for this opportunity.
4:28:07
Thank you for your support.