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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Akia Squitieri, Executive Director of Bronx River Art Center
4:50:55
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136 sec
Akia Squitieri, the new Executive Director of Bronx River Art Center (BRAC), urges the NYC Council to increase funding for arts and cultural programs, emphasizing their critical role in underserved communities and youth development. She highlights BRAC's impact in The Bronx and the increasing demand for arts programming despite funding cuts.
- BRAC serves four neighborhoods identified as disproportionately affected by racial, social, economic, and health factors
- The organization has seen attendance and participation numbers triple in the past year
- Squitieri emphasizes the importance of arts education in developing critical life skills, especially in areas where school arts programs have been defunded
Akia Squitieri
4:50:55
Hello council members.
4:50:57
Thank you for your time and for this opportunity.
4:50:59
My name is Akia Skwatiri.
4:51:01
I am the brand new executive director of the Bronx River Art Cellar.
4:51:06
I am also a proud member of living in The Bronx and a resident of District 11.
4:51:11
For thirty seven years, BRAC's central location to four neighborhoods identified by the New York City's Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity as Disproportionately Affected by Racial, Social, Economic and Health Factors.
4:51:28
These have been deeply impactful to these neighborhoods which we serve, and BRAC has been a channel for DCLA, CASA, SU CASA and the CIA initiative funding, and we have brought world class performances, contemporary art, and arts education directly to these historically underserved communities where the arts and more have been defunded in schools and community sellers for years.
4:51:52
We strongly urge the council to keep fighting for more funding in this budget.
4:51:56
As I'm sure you all know and many of us have already said that studies have proven time and time again that arts help youth develop not only their technical skills but their communication skills, identity and sense of empathy and self worth.
4:52:11
We've seen firsthand how the youth of our city develop critical life skills thanks only to access to the arts and culture which is supported by this council and DCLA.
4:52:21
Often these students, their only arts programming is provided within their community from our organization.
4:52:27
We've also seen firsthand how New Yorkers are desperate for more of the arts.
4:52:31
In the past year alone while city and federal cuts have increased, our attendance and participation numbers have tripled.
4:52:38
We are welcoming more and more people than ever looking for a place to celebrate the vast representation of cultural identity and artistic expression, multiple perspectives, mediums, and for them to try new creative pursuits.
4:52:51
As we face political climate, a federal political climate that devalues the power of the arts and culture in our communities with cuts to LEA and beyond, I urge this council to fight to ensure that New York City remains a sanctuary city for the arts, which is so integral to the vibrant fabric of our city's multi ethnic culture of identity.
4:53:11
Thank you.