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Q&A
Discussion on Cultural Development Fund (CDF) grants for arts education
1:14:33
ยท
3 min
Council Member Rivera and Audrey St. Clair, Assistant Commissioner for Program Services, discuss the details of Cultural Development Fund (CDF) grants for arts education. They cover the total funding, types of education services, and the consistency of arts education components in CDF grants.
- 422 out of 1,078 CDF grants (about 40%) had an arts education component for FY 2025
- Total funding for these 422 organizations was $27,139,035
- Three types of education services: arts exposure, art skills, and arts and education
- The percentage of CDF grants with an arts education component has been consistent at 35-40% over the last three years
- Providing arts programming in public schools is confirmed as an important priority for CDF grant making
Carlina Rivera
1:14:33
Well, we know that grants are absolutely critical.
1:14:37
In the latest round of CDF grant making, which is for fiscal year 2025, '4 hundred and '20 '2 of the 1,078 CDF grants awarded or just about 40% were identified as having an arts education component.
1:14:54
207 listed their type of education services arts and education, a hundred and eight as art skills, and a hundred and seven as arts exposure.
1:15:03
What was the total amount of funding they received, and can you explain those three types of education services?
1:15:10
Arts and education, art skills, and art exposure.
Audrey St. Clair
1:15:14
So the FY '25 CDF award total for the 422 organizations that offer arts education programming is $27,139,035, and the education program categories that we track are arts exposure.
1:15:33
These are projects that define a specific number of performances, lectures, demonstrations, installations, exhibitions.
1:15:44
We also track art skills, which are projects that emphasize sustained and regular training, including developing mastering of skills and competencies and artistic disciplines, as well as arts and education.
1:16:00
These are projects that schedule regular cultural activities to promote intellectual awareness and growth.
1:16:07
This can look like hiring a teaching artist or a community based organization coming into the school to collaborate with classroom teachers and the staff to provide high quality and robust arts educational experiences to students.
Carlina Rivera
1:16:23
Could you say the 40% is a fairly consistent percentage from year to year that is of the number of CDF grants that include an arts education component?
Audrey St. Clair
1:16:34
Yes.
1:16:35
Over the last three years, that percentage is fairly steady, between 35 to 40%.
1:16:42
And just to note that we do not dictate what organizations submit in their applications, but yes, that percentage is fairly the same.
Carlina Rivera
1:16:51
And would you say that providing arts programming in public schools is an important priority of CDF grant making?
Audrey St. Clair
1:16:59
Absolutely.
1:17:01
Equity is really the bedrock value of DCLA, and is built into how we administer the CDF at every level, and so this year we were proud to include the new equity fund in our CDF awards, and through this fund 264 organizations operating in areas of New York City with the lowest median incomes and highest poverty rates received 2,000,000 in additional funding, and CASA is another great driver of equity.
1:17:32
Every council member gets to make CASA designations in their communities, and no one knows your districts better than you do.
1:17:40
So this ensures that these funds are reaching deep into NYC communities and neighborhoods.