Cultural Solidarity Fund (CSF), a coalition of cultural institutions administered by the IndieSpace/Indie Theater Fund with leadership from LEIMAY, organized during the pandemic in 2020 to provide support to the arts community at a time when its very survival was in question. The coalition is proud to announce it has now granted $1,005,000 to 2,010 arts workers in need in the form of $500 microgrants for housing, food, medical expenses, and family care.
When the COVID19 pandemic hit NYC, 66% of arts workers lost their only source of income. Like many creative fields, they had little to no reserves to support them during a crisis, revealing the lack of any financial safety net comparable to those afforded to people in other professions.
A group of artists and institutions, each facing their own challenges, responded to this crisis by forming the Cultural Solidarity Fund (CSF) to raise essential funds for arts workers facing financial insecurities. Members of the CSF understood that these workers represent the backbone of our cultural ecology, and organized for collective action.
“We are so thrilled to have been able to put solidarity to action and provide such significant resources to our community during this incredibly difficult time.” said Randi Berry, Executive Director, IndieSpace. “The continued support and desire to uplift our fellow artists during times of need is a true testament to the strength of our community, and what’s possible when we work together.”
Support for these artists-in-need remains an important part of our economic revitalization as a whole. According to the State Comptroller’s recent report on the impact of Covid-19, NYC’s creative sector accounts for 13 percent of the city’s total economic output, with 12 percent of all U.S. creative industry jobs located in NYC.
While CSF is no longer accepting applications and is focusing on funding as many current applicants as possible right now, both individuals and organizations can still sponsor a grant at culturalsolidarityfund.org. There are 225 artists waiting for support.
The Cultural Solidarity Fund, administered by the IndieSpace/Indie Theater Fund with leadership by LEIMAY, provided relief microgrants of $500 to artists and cultural workers – prioritizing Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrant, undocumented, disabled/deaf, and trans and gender-nonconforming individuals who have been most severely impacted by the pandemic both epidemiologically and economically.
Cultural Solidarity Fund grants were open to artists and cultural workers who resided within the five boroughs of New York City on April 1, 2020. These include: Actors, Administrators, Choreographers, Custodians, Curators, Dancers, Designers, Directors, Drivers, Dramaturgs, Front of House, Guards, Janitors, Installers, Musicians, Playwrights, Production Managers, Receptionists, Technical Crew and Art Handlers, Stage Managers, Teaching Artists, Technicians, Ushers, Visual Artists, and anyone working in any capacity in the arts/cultural non-profit or community-based sector.
The Cultural Solidarity Fund aims to direct funds specifically to artists and cultural workers in most urgent need of assistance with rent, groceries, medical expenses, and other essential services.
In the spirit of coalition and resource sharing, NYC arts and cultural organizations of all sizes and structures come together to grow a joint Cultural Solidarity Fund. This coalition both envisions and provides an interim model of a sustainable economic system for cultural workers in NYC. In the absence of a safety net, over 250 organizations and individuals have helped CSF raise $1,069,504, including generous donations from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($550,000), The Howard Gilman Foundation ($100,000) and The Tow Foundation ($100,000).
The current Organizing Group of the Cultural Solidarity Fund emerged out of the Culture@3 daily calls and comprises 17 organizations that meet weekly in collective decision making and idea implementation processes. These organizations include: Dancewave, Dance Parade, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Elevator Repair Service, HERE, Hi-Arts, LEIMAY, Mark Morris Dance Group, National Dance Institute, NYC & Company, New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, Performance Space New York, Theater for a New Audience, The Bushwick Starr, and IndieSpace/The Indie Theater Fund with additional support from ADVANCE/MORE Opera and Bronx Arts Ensemble.
Sponsoring organizations include:
Learn more at culturalsolidarityfund.org.
