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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Aya Esther Hayashi, Development Director of People's Theatre
5:58:35
ยท
123 sec
Dr. Aya Esther Hayashi, Development Director of People's Theatre, testified about the importance of increasing funding for the Coalition of Theaters of Color (CTC) Initiative. She advocated for a baseline increase of $75 million in the city's cultural budget, with a specific focus on the CTC Initiative.
- People's Theatre is building the People's Theater Central Cultural Immigrante, the largest Latine-operated theater in the state, with a $25.7 million investment from the city.
- The CTC Initiative, established in 2004, supports 66 organizations with a budget of $5.7 million, but hasn't seen an increase since 2020.
- Dr. Hayashi emphasized the crucial role of CTC members in serving diverse communities and urged for increased funding in the FY26 budget.
Dr. Aya Esther Hayashi
5:58:35
Chair Rivera, thank you for your steadfast commitment to ensuring that arts and culture remain accessible to all communities.
5:58:41
My name is doctor Aya Esther Hayashi, and I am the development director at the People's Theatre, formerly known as People's Theatre Project.
5:58:48
We create theater with and for immigrant communities to build a more just and equitable world.
5:58:53
Thanks in part to an investment of 25,700,000.0 by the city of New York, the council, and borough president Levine, we are building the people's theater central cultural immigrante, which will be the largest Latine operated theater in the state.
5:59:07
With my colleagues, am here today to advocate for a baseline 75,000,000.
5:59:11
More specifically, I advocate for an increase in the coalition of theaters of Color Initiative, also known as CTC.
5:59:18
The CTC initiative was established in 02/2004 to address inequities for theaters and cultural organizations that serve communities of color, and it is the only city council initiative that supports cultural organizations of color across our city's demographics, Latine, black, Asian, indigenous, and immigrant.
5:59:35
The f y twenty five budget allocation for CTC stands at 5,700,000.0, supporting 66 organizations.
5:59:42
However, it has not seen an increase since 2020.
5:59:45
Funding increases and new additions to the coalition result in proportional increases for all member organizations maintaining equity within the initiative.
5:59:54
Like all of the CTC members, the People's Theatre is uniquely positioned within our community, serving as a hub of artistic excellence and beacon of trust and community care.
6:00:03
Together, we serve millions of New Yorkers of all ages, ability, races, and ethnicities, and immigration status.
6:00:10
Yet so many of us who lead them are directly threatened by the current federal administration.
6:00:14
An increase in the CTC budget will benefit individual organizations and uplift the entire network of theaters of color that serve as lifelines for our communities.
6:00:23
We urge this committee and city council to recognize the essential role that the CTC plays in our city and to increase its funding in the f y twenty six budget.
6:00:33
Thank you for your time, leadership, and dedication to cultivating an equitable cultural sector.