New research study – State of NYC Nonprofit Dance

“The industry is reinventing itself, both out of necessity and because of new opportunities.” Such was Lane Harwell’s opening remarks at last week’s Dance/NYC Town Hall, which unveiled preliminary findings of Dance/NYC’s current research project – State of NYC Nonprofit Dance. And it was a fitting way to set the scene, embracing both reality and hope in the face of our current economic challenges and the research that illuminated those challenges.

The preliminary analysis was quite interesting. Data was collected through the New York State Cultural Data Project (CDP), with a focus on dance organizations with budgets of at least $25,000. In some cases, the study put numbers on things most people in the field already knew, like how larger budget organizations can spend a higher percentage on general operating needs and fundraising while lower budget orgs put most of their income into program support.

Other findings were more revealing. For example, the study showed that money raised by boards of directors made up the grand majority of contributed income for small budget organizations, more than foundation or government support. This information can help organizations to understand how important it is to cultivate an effective board. And it can also send a message to funders that even a small contribution to such an organization can make a large impact.

Other figures from the study:
• ¾ of the 104 organizations studied are located in Manhattan; most of the rest are in Brooklyn, with a few spread among the other 3 boroughs.
• 1,276 performances presented per year in New York City; 1,039 presented outside of the city (on tour).
• Smaller budget organizations rely mostly on earned income sources (tickets sales, class tuition, space rentals, merchandise sales, etc.) rather than contributed income (grants, donations, government support).
• New York City government funding, through the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), is the largest government funding source across all budget sizes (over state (NYSCA) and federal (NEA) funding).
• All organizations spend over 70% of income on their programs.
• Workforce breakdown: 35% full-time, 40% part-time, 14% independent contractors, 11% volunteers.
• Smaller budget organizations present more new works/premieres per year than larger budget organizations.
(Powerpoint presentation of all figures will soon be released on the Dance/NYC website.)

After the presentation of data, the floor was opened to questions and comments from the audience. With a diverse crowd gathered – government officials, funders, advocates, administrators, educators, artists, patrons, et al. – it was very interesting to hear the variety of remarks. Mostly, though, the questions and ideas offered from the audience served to show just how much more needs to be done to reach a fuller understanding of dance in New York. What about organizations with budgets under $25,000? What about those without nonprofit status? How does dance compare to other art forms? How does New York compare to other cities around the world? What about a similarly unified study of New York dance audiences? These and other concerns raised suggest that more analysis is needed of the CDP data and perhaps even more research needs to be done in other areas.

The full report of the Dance/NYC study will be published later this fall. As said by Lane Harwell, Director of Dance/NYC, “We are on a hunt for opportunity.” Though this study may indicate grim realities of dance in New York, hopefully it will also help to inform the dance community and lead to smarter decisions and healthier organizations in the future.

How Would You Respond? In Defense of the Arts?

CALLING OUT TO FELLOW DANCE/ARTS ADVOCATES: If you had the opportunity to speak directly to an arts naysayer, what would you say to convince them that art is important and should be financially supported?

For example, how would YOU respond to this comment I received on my blog: “If Margie Gillis is that good, ordinary people would pay to see her. We are retired Canadians who worked for a living and we love Sun News. I know you’re scared of what will happen when more people like us see what is going on. We knew about Arts Grants but to see what we are paying for ridiculous.” (copied as is, in response to my post on the Sun News Margie Gillis interview)

I have various arguments and boiler points of my own, but I’m interested in hearing what others would say. Is there one specific statement or argument that gets to the heart of the matter? Are there some arguments that you have found successful? How do you think we should be responding to such people to try to change their hearts and minds and get more individuals to embrace and experience art?

And it doesn’t have to be brilliant or profound. Any and all comments are welcome.

(And in case you’re wondering what this is in reference to please view this video of Margie Gillis being grilled about why she received government funding by a Sun News reporter A Lack of Compassion )

-Meagan Bruskewicz

On Money

Or why we, as artists, shouldn’t sell ourselves short.

Money is a touchy subject.  I’ve never been good with it. When I was younger, my brother was the one my family members would ask for 10 bucks.  He always had it.  Now he’s an electrical engineer, paid about four-times-as-much annually as I make as a dancer/writer/Artist Representative/Dance Advocate.  And I’m the one with the college degree.

Ask a dancer what their annual salary is and they probably don’t have a clear idea.  Artists have lots of jobs-paid and unpaid, performance and teaching, day and night.  Why is the subject of money in dance taboo?  Are we embarrassed to be paid for doing a job we love?  Why is compensation never clearly discussed in an audition?  Why do dancers keep working for free?  We create art.  Art is valuable to culture and human nature.  We should be paid accordingly.

I recently learned about a grant that awards choreographers with $10,000.  The proposal asks applicants to “describe how you would use $10,000 to shape a sustainable future for your dance company.”  One artist’s response was:

In order to shape a sustainable future for my company I will open a 401k.

Brilliant!  This is how we should be thinking about money.  Dancers should not be shy about asking for it in exchange for their services.  Choreographers should not be afraid to put an appropriate price tag on their work, one that provides them with sufficient livable wages.  One needs a job in order to eat, jobs strengthen the community and the economy.  Dance is our job.  We should be paid to live by doing a job we love.

This is the video that inspired this blog post:   Made Here

-Angela Leum