ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: AN ASSESSMENTAN ASSESSMENT

SURVEY RESULTS

Survey Design by the Survey Results by

Irini Neofotistos Senior Program Officer Union Square AwardsIrini Neofotistos, Senior Program Officer, Union Square AwardsAmanda Warco, Research Intern, Union Square Awards

This survey was released by the Social Justice Artists’This survey was released by the Social Justice Artists Collaborative (SJAC) and received 157 responses between October 11 and 31, 2012.

O h d b SJAC k bOutreach was done by SJAC work group members who shared it with others through social media, the SJAC outreach email list, and their networks.

About SJAC:SJAC is a collective of progressive artists, practitioners, and funders that focuses on both individual artists and small to mid-size organizations reflective of NYC’ssmall to mid size organizations reflective of NYC s diverse communities. We come together as a network that supports and shares best practices for social justice work through the sustainability of our arts, culture, artists,

d i tiand organizations.

KEY FINDINGSBridging Arts and Social Justicedg g ts a d Soc a Just ceArts and social justice work raises visibility, gives voice and creates engagement and interaction.

Important to those doing this work is uniting communities, empowering individuals, developing opportunities to create and express, and providing access to the arts.

Resources and NetworksBeing connected to others with similar values is important. A vast majority confirm they are connected to others that share their values.

While most respondents have the tools needed to be effective and know where to turn to for needed resources, a significant number do not have a support network they can rely on.support network they can rely on.

KEY FINDINGSFinancial Resourcesa c a esou cesRespondents found skills or resource sharing, individual donor engagement and grassroots fundraising to be effective sustainability approaches.

70% of respondents have accessed grants to support their work. Of those, half report they no longer have access to resources they have relied on in the past.

Top 4 Challenges

Accessing Financial Resources Reliable Support NetworksTime and CapacityFraming and Promoting Work

THE RESULTSTHE RESULTS

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF WITHIN THE ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY?

80%

ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY?32% of respondents chose more than one

60%

70% response

40%

50%

20%

30%

0%

10%

artist arts administrator other service provider funderartist arts administrator other service provider funder

157 responses

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF WITHIN THE ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY?

9Other Identities

6789

2345

012

activist organizer educator

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE:

50%

60%

30%

40%

0%

10%

20%

46% of respondents Other Disciplines

0%Visual Arts Media/

New mediaTheater Literature/

Creative writing

Conceptual/Performance

Art

Music Dance Other

pchose more than one response

2%

4%

6%Ot e sc p es

0%

2%

Multi-Disciplinary Poetry157 responses

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH YOUR PRACTICE, IF ANY? MOST IDENTIFY WITH YOUR PRACTICE, IF ANY? I.E., YOU WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE USING THEM TO DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE.

Social Change

C it A t

-3% 93%

Community Arts

Social Justice -5%

-7%

85%

89%

Public Art

Social Practice-10%

-14%

76%

79%

Other

10%

12%

76%

-0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Disagree Agree

130 responses

I USE MY PRACTICE AS A WAY OF CREATING:

Mostly Agree:

The top two areas of agreement are that respondents use their practice as a way of community building and responses to social issues.

Mostly Agree:

80%

100%

60%

80%

20%

40%

0%Community

BuildingResponses

to Social Issues

A Broader Definition of

the Arts

Civic Engagement

Call to Action

Beauty Visibility for Myself and

Others

Agree Somewhat Disagree

130 responses

I USE MY PRACTICE AS A WAY OF CREATING: Split Opinion:

Healing

Outreach Tools

Split Opinion:

-16%

-14%

80%

88%

Political Expression

Organizing Tools

Training Opportunities -25%

-24%

-24%

68%

68%

70%

Political Education

Political Engagement

Rehabilitative Tools -34%

-24%

-25%

56%

68%

69%

Other -4%12%

-40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Disagree Agree

Political Education, Political Engagement and Rehabilitative Tools were the most contested terms with larger numbers of respondents choosing “Somewhat Agree” or “Disagree.”

“Other” responses included conversations, dialogue, attention, connection, and expression.

130 responses

PLEASE ELABORATE ON YOUR CHOICES ABOVE OR SHARE OTHER LANGUAGE YOU USE TO CHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICECHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICE.

PLEASE ELABORATE ON YOUR CHOICES ABOVE OR SHARE OTHER LANGUAGE YOU USE TO CHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICECHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICE.

Individual responses that were especially interesting, challenging or representative:

“Our mission is to celebrate our culture through the arts and educate people about our diversity. Cultural identity is very important to an individual formation in life. The arts can give people a great motivation in other fields.”

“Feel that it is important to manage artist currently incarcerated, to help motivate and prepare them to be self sufficient and come come to make legal money to support their families.”

“The choices seem to frame publicly presented/socially engaged work within a binary frame of either "romantic" art practice that occurs in the public sphere (beauty, sublime, grandeur, ego, et al) v. the social practice school. Both are problematic. I would like to see categories from another set of questions, like the categories one would ask bankers or lawyers or deep sea divers.”

PLEASE ELABORATE ON YOUR CHOICES ABOVE OR SHARE OTHER LANGUAGE YOU USE TO CHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICECHARACTERIZE EITHER YOUR WORK OR PRACTICE.

“I prefer the concept of community engagement to outreach to reflect mutually beneficial collaborations I also think of my work as part of broader efforts to engage people in the decision collaborations. I also think of my work as part of broader efforts to engage people in the decision making that has in impact on their lives. And I think of my work as cross sector and holistic -recognizing how culture is integrated throughout our communities.”

“Art responds to social, community, and personal issues but is also responsiveness to the needs of communities and individuals. Arts practices and outlets created cultivate a more equitable and just society, particularly where those resources do not otherwise exist. I have some resistance to the terms healing, therapeutic or rehabilitative in the traditional sense. As a conscious person, I feel responsible to name, connect, and address what is not right, but also in a way that is productive, engages, and visions/creates something new, effective, and just. That process by its nature creates personal and collective healing. Lastly, while it is true that arts can create powerful tools for outreach, organizing, education, etc. they are not a means to an end. If the art is meant to produce those outcomes then some of its power is lost. Connection to community and the process of creating or sharing in a collective way is important.”

DESCRIBE THE COMMUNITIES YOU WORK IN AND/OR IDENTIFY WITH. IDENTIFY WITH.

African-American, 6

Immigrants, 4

Youth, 18

LBGTQ, 13

L ti 6

,

Latinos, 6People of Color, 11

Seniors, 5Artists, 15

Asian, 3 Women, 11

DESCRIBE THE COMMUNITIES YOU WORK IN AND/OR IDENTIFY WITH. IDENTIFY WITH.

International, 3

Specified Need or Issue Area

Incarcerated/ Families of

Educators, 2International, 3

Low-income/Underserved

Communities, 22

AIDS/HIV, 4

Incarcerated, 3

Homeless, 6

Other nonprofits,

Local Neighborhoods,

13

Occupy Movement, 2

Other nonprofits, 2

Disabled, 2SurvivorsAbuse,

1

13

WHAT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS OR NETWORKS ARE YOU CONNECTED TO WITHIN IN YOUR COMMUNITY? E.G. COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD, BLOCK OR CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, FAITH BASED INSTITUTIONS, ETC.

Arts Councils CBOs Churches

Many answers including:

Community Boards Community Gardens Elected Officials GalleriesGalleries Grassroots Organizations Libraries Museums N fi S A di A f li tNon-profits Schools Senior Centers Social Service Agencies

See Appendix A for list of specific organizations cited.

Social Service Agencies Union Organizers YMCAs

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR WORK AND HOW IT BRIDGES ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

Main Theme #1: “To raise visibility and give a voice to those without one.”

Main Theme #2: “To create engagement and interaction.”

Other prevalent themes were – uniting communities, empowering individuals, opportunities to create and express, providing access to art for those who might not have it.

To see specific quotes related to these themes see Appendix BTo see specific quotes related to these themes, see Appendix B.

ARE THERE SHARED CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE WORK THAT HAPPENS AT THE INTERSECTION OF ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE? IF SO BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SOME SOCIAL JUSTICE? IF SO, BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SOME COMMONALITIES.

There was a wide range of answers to this question with similar g qthemes emerging as in the previous question, such as

• Creating a voice for the voiceless• Offering new perspectives• Offering new perspectives• Bringing together people within and across communities• Sparking conversations• Creating respect, empathy and understanding• Advocating for change• Self determination and expression• Tell a story• Educate• Educate

RANGING FROM "OFTEN" TO "RARELY" PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW:

80%

100%

20%

40%

60%

0%

20%

I am connected to others that

I have opportunities to

I have the tools needed to be

I know where to turn to for

I have a support network(s) that I

It i i t t f l ki t thi i t ti t t ith th h i th i

share my valuespp

grow and develop

effective needed resources

( )can rely on

Often Sometimes Rarely

It is important for people working at this intersection to connect with others sharing their values. The vast majority of respondents report being connected to others that share their values.

While most respondents report that they have the tools needed to be effective and they p p y yknow where to turn to for needed resources, a significant number report that they rarely have a support network to rely on.

84 responses

DESCRIBE OR LIST ANY ACTIVITIES THAT YOU UNDERTAKE FOR YOUR OWN WELL-BEING OR SELF-CARE.

Eating well and making home cooked meals.

Exercise

Yoga“It is a constant struggle ” Yoga

Prayer/Mediation Creating art.

“It is a constant struggle.”

Ti ith F il d F i d

Reading/Writing

Time with Family and Friends

Connecting with like-minded individualsindividuals

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT YOUR PRACTICE IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES?

70%

80%

50%

60%

70%

20%

30%

40%

0%

10%

20%

Grants Artist Fees/ Residencies Sales/ Donors Consultations Employment Commissions Employment OtherG a ts t st ees/Honoraria

es de c esto

Develop Work

Sa es/Earned Income

o o s Co su tat o sand Services

p oy e tRelated to Practice

Co ss o s p oy e tUnrelated to

Practice

Ot e

Often/Sometimes Rarely

80 responses

ARE THERE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO YOU?

60%51% of those responding to this question reported losing foundation support

50%

reported losing foundation support.

30%

40%

51%

10%

20%

12% 12% 12%

0%

10%

Foundation Lost Job/Income Government Individual Support Grants Donors

41 responses

EFFECTIVENESS OF SUSTAINABILITY APPROACHES.

Most Effective:

• Skill or Resource Sharing – A third of respondents indicate this as the most effective 33% or respondents found it effective and 29%the most effective. 33% or respondents found it effective and 29% found it somewhat effective.

• Individual Donor Engagement was found effective for 23% of respondents and somewhat effective for about 40% or respondents.

• Grassroots Fundraising was found effective for 13% of respondents and somewhat effective for 40%and somewhat effective for 40%.

Under Utilized or With Mixed Reviews:

O li C df di t d t b th l t d ll d• Online Crowdfunding was reported to be the least used over all and only 4% of respondents found it effective, 25% found it somewhat effective and 17% found it not effective.

WHAT ARE SPECIFIC ISSUES OR CHALLENGES YOU FACE THAT CURRENT NETWORKS ARE UNABLE TO FACE THAT CURRENT NETWORKS ARE UNABLE TO RESPOND TO?1) Funding –

By far the most frequently mentioned challenge was sustainable financial support. Many respondents mentioned not having health care as a specific financial concern and several respondents spoke about the burden of applying for grants and meeting their administrative requirements. Several respondents spoke about the misunderstanding of their work and the reluctance of artists and funders to get involved in work with a political/social justice dimensionwork with a political/social justice dimension.

2) Network/Community –

f fThe second most frequently mentioned concern was a lack of a network to turn to for advice, resource sharing and support.

WHAT ARE SPECIFIC ISSUES OR CHALLENGES YOU FACE THAT CURRENT NETWORKS ARE UNABLE TO FACE THAT CURRENT NETWORKS ARE UNABLE TO RESPOND TO?

3) Lack of Time –)

Several people mentioned not having adequate time and being stretched too thin to accomplish all the necessary work.

4) Publicity/Promotion –

A number of respondents struggle with publicizing and promoting their events especially when they often have to reframe their work for various audiences.

OtherOther Shared rehearsal and performance space and shared legal assistance.

SJAC IS GROWING. WHAT CAN WE COUNT ON YOU FOR?

• 26 respondents said they could offer resources to the collaborative or its participants including –

• Leading workshops about food politics environment animal and peopleLeading workshops about food politics, environment, animal and people communities, the politics of transportation or the politics of the built environment, etc.

• Resources from Arts & Democracy and NOCD-NY - not financial, but materials approaches workshops and lessons learnedmaterials, approaches, workshops, and lessons learned

• Sharing information with social networks• Collaborating on projects.• Providing event/meeting space.

• 19 respondents said they could act as a potential host space for future events

29 d i d i j i i h k f h• 29 respondents are interested in joining the work group to further shape the collaborative

• 54 respondents said that they would be interested in participating in54 respondents said that they would be interested in participating in future networking opportunities

WORK GROUP MEMBERSInitial conveners are the Union Square AwardsInitial conveners are the Union Square Awards, Maysles Institute, The Laundromat Project, Lambent Foundation, NYFA Immigrant Artist Project, Hip-Hop Theater Festival, Global Action Project (GAP),Hip Hop Theater Festival, Global Action Project (GAP), Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), and Art for Change.

They were joined in 2012 by the Lower ManhattanThey were joined in 2012 by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), Crown Heights Film Festival, and artists Beatriz Gil, Leenda Bonilla, Elizabeth Hamby Carlos Martinez and Hatuey Ramos FerminHamby, Carlos Martinez, and Hatuey Ramos Fermin.

APPENDIX A: WHAT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS OR NETWORKS ARE YOU CONNECTED TO WITHIN IN YOUR COMMUNITY?COMMUNITY?

50/50 in 2020ACNYActors Equity AssociationAstraea Foundation

Columbia UniversityCommunity Services SocietyCooper UnionDi t i t C itt f P ti i t B d tiAstraea Foundation

Barnard CollegeBella Abzug Leadership InstituteBetty Shabazz CenterBRIC

District Committee for Participatory BudgetingDiversity Council at Kean UniversityDoors YouthEcology Station BrooklynEldert Street Community GardenBRIC

Broadway Housing CommunitiesBronx AIDS ServicesBronx Artisan's InitiativeBronx Arts Group

Eldert Street Community GardenFeminist PressFlomenhaft GalleryFresh Ground PepperGay Men's ChorusBronx Arts Group

Bronx Council on the ArtsBronx Economic DevelopmentBronx Non Profit CoalitionB P i

yGreenlight District El PuenteGroundswell Community MuralHarlem Arts AllianceHendricks Martin Institute

Bronx PriceBrooklyn Food ConferenceBrooklyn FriendsCampaign to End the Death Penalty

HERE Arts CenterHispanic AIDS ForumHumans Rights AssociationIndependent School Diversity NetworkINSPIRITCatskills Heritage Alliance

Center for Urban PedagogyChoral Consortium of NYC

INSPIRITJewish Genealogy Society

Slide 1 of 2

APPENDIX A: WHAT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS OR NETWORKS ARE YOU CONNECTED TO WITHIN IN YOUR COMMUNITY?COMMUNITY?

Jewish Voice for PeaceJustseedsLa UnionLavender Light

NOMAANorthern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant RightsOdyssey House

Third Wave FoundationUnited Palace for Cultural ArtsVoice Male MagazineLavender Light

Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay Contemporary ArtLIC ArtistsLongwood Arts Gallery

On the Issues MagazinePark Slope Food CoopPeople's Institute for Survival and BeyondPepatian

Voice Male MagazineWest End Collegiate ChurchWest Village Society for Historic PreservationWomen of Color Policy o g ood ts Ga e y

Make the RoadMan Up CampaignMen Can Stop RapeMental Health Association of New JerseyM t lit C it Ch h

PepatianPergones TheaterPipeline Theater CompanyQueer Urban OrchestraSAG-AFTRA

yNetworkWomen's EnewsWord Up Bookstore

WOW Café TheaterMetropolitan Community ChurchMorris Jumel MansionMotel Room StudiosMothers on the MoveMountain Keepers

SAGESocial Justice High School Bushwick CampusStart Small Think BigStudio 889Mountain Keepers

Mural ArtsNational Council for Research on WomenNational Organization for Men Against Sexism

Studio 889The DreamYard ProjectThe Feminist Art ProjectThe House of Spoof CollectiveThe LGBT Center

New Brooklyn TheaterNew York Foundation for the ArtsNOCD-NY

The LGBT CenterThe New Jim CrowThe Point CDCThe Tank Slide 2 of 2

APPENDIX B: BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR WORK AND HOW IT BRIDGES ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

“Working as an art therapist with under represented persons allows for communities to be heard. Themes for the artwork includes communities perceptions (how they are being seen and how they want to be seen) and advocacy. We exhibit artwork in the community (e.g., pop up galleries, court buildings, and small shows amongst peers) as a way to practice sharing their knowledge with others.”

“With each of our free programs, we strive to offer safe and creative platform for our community members to share their voice and struggles As a community they now havecommunity members to share their voice and struggles. As a community, they now have a space where they can share with the world their own stories through the creation of original social justice theatre that brings focus and attention to issues they are affected by.”

“Work with "At-Risk-Young People" using art to build a connection between them and their community. Created Intergenarational art programs where young people and elders work together to create an art project, in a effort to close the gap between the generations so that they can talk to each other Once they can hear and share whatgenerations, so that they can talk to each other. Once they can hear and share what the other's needs are, we can begin to work towards removing the social illnesses running through our communities.”

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APPENDIX B: BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR WORK AND HOW IT BRIDGES ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

“We give educators tools to engage in conversations about race with their students in kindergarten through fifth grade. We use role-play to allow the participants to practice what they would say if they were in certain real life scenarios ”what they would say if they were in certain real-life scenarios.

“The location and time of my media/performances is intended to intersect with demographics that may be at that location at that time; I find people who might not be culture vultures to be a more interesting viewer than the galleristas.”

“Social Practice, is the utilization of an artist's art form welded with an intellectual, research and experiment based production which seeks to make work that is relevant in the social realm. p pHistorically, I have vehemently asserted that artists need to regain their position at the forefront of social, critical, and technological innovation, right alongside scientists and academics. I feel it is critically important to reinvest our intellectual practice within the art realm, in order to dovetail the innovation that art allows with the critically important aspects of the scientific and academic realms.

Without the innovation possible within the art mindset, science can be stifled by restrictive academic dogma. Without the intellectual heft of science and academic importance, I feel art can be doomed to social irrelevance. In this critical time in world history, without a concerted effort to unite innovators across disciplines, I feel the incredibly complex issues and problems we are facing as a nation, as a people, and as a planet will not be adequately addressed or properly and comprehensively solved.”

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