One of the biggest parts of being an effective advocate, whether it is for the arts or any other cause, is to be informed. Through our Advocacy Toolkit and other information we are able to provide you with some of the information you will find useful in becoming an active Arts Advocate. Keeping up to date with news about arts advocacy on a local, regional and national level, is just one more step you can take in helping us to give the arts a continued and recognizable voice in politics.
What is Arts Advocacy?
Simply put: Arts Advocacy is our collective voice for the support of the Arts.
The aim of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City’s Arts Advocacy program is to create awareness of the benefit of the arts and arts education to communities in the Kansas City Metropolitan region, both in enriching culture and building economies, and to ultimately secure public funding for the Arts.
Why support the arts?
The arts create jobs and produce tax revenue. A strong arts sector is an economic asset that stimulates business activity, attracts tourism revenue, retains high quality work force and stabilizes property values.
The arts contribute to the productivity, innovation and quality of life in Missouri. The excellence and diversity of Kansas City’s arts and cultural offerings – our theatre, dance, jazz, art museums, and festivals -- are among the reasons people and businesses look to Kansas City when they are deciding where to locate. KC is a good place to live because of the arts and culture in our region.
In these tough economic times, the issue of whether the Arts should receive any public funding at all has been called into question. Those who argue that spending government money on Arts funding is frivolous simply fail to realize that for every $1 spent on the Arts, $5 or more is generated for the local economy1.
In the state of Missouri, non-profit Arts organizations generate $1.1bn in direct economic impact, including local government revenue of $19m and state government revenue of $26m2. This means over 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs, local economic activity by arts audiences, and tax dollars returning to the government. It is clear that the Arts have a vital economic impact on our community.
This says nothing of the impact of the Arts in creating vibrant cultural legacies that in turn attract talented professionals and ensure communities growth and economic viability into the future.
For more reasons to support the Arts, see our Factsheet.
1 example source: the City of Indianapolis’ Arts Council report
2 Missouri Arts Council Arts & Economic Prosperity III Survey
Advocacy 1-2-3
The Arts Council has developed a simple 3-step process to equip advocates with everything they need to effect change and help achieve the mission of arts advocacy.
1. Get informed
In order to be effective, an arts advocate must know the facts. We have developed knowledge resources that can provide simple talking points or allow for much more in-depth research.
2. Create your message
Your message is unique, and online templates and examples will help you to define what it is that you specifically want to say.
3. Engage your officials
Identify your local elected official or legislator and convey your thoughts, or join in current campaigns run on state and national levels.
Click here to view/download Arts Advocacy 1-2-3 as a one-page PDF
Further reading . . .
Have a look at some other organizations’ take on Arts Advocacy:
Missouri Arts Council
https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/page/87
Missouri Citizens for the Arts
http://mo4arts.org/
Kansas Citizens for the Arts
http://www.kansasarts.org/
Americans for the Arts
http://www.artsusa.org/
The Arts Council of Indianapolis
http://www.whattheartsmean.org/
New York Foundation for the Arts
http://www.nyfa.org/level2.asp?id=162&fid=1
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
http://www.nasaa-arts.org/
International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
http://www.ifacca.org/