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Some Arts Advocacy Hints

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1. Think of yourself as a conduit for the FLOW of information. To be effective information must flow both up and down the line, to the top and to the bottom. Often organizations spend so much of their energies informing each other that the public gets left out of the loop! NEVER miss an opportunity to share your information with members of the public at large. Then share what you learn with your colleagues. Power is in the FLOW of information....it's just like blood in the body. Stop the flow and you stop the host!
2. To make the case of the arts as a valuable COMMUNITY resource then the ARTIST too must be a community resource. Miss no opportunity to attend and participate in community events Become a vital part of the community and then perhaps the community will come to respect other contributions you may make thru your art. Never miss an opportunity to share information on how the arts can be used as a tool to build families and communities.
3. Keep a notebook of arts related material at work and at any organizations you may be associated with (schools, church etc). Materials that can be included: Schedules of events, announcements, job information and opportunities, legislative information, contact information, newsletters, journals, etc. Most of the ARTS community is unaware of the myriad of arts activities and initiatives that surround us. If WE are uninformed, then can we expect the public at large to be otherwise?
4. Start an Arts Advocacy Bulletin Board. You know, the OLD type, the ones with thumb tacks! Post current announcements, advocacy materials, contact info and the like. Your best advocate may be silent simply because they have no idea of the need!
5. We need to inform our children! We live in a sophisticated world. Children today are certainly not stupid. In fact they have quite a bit of political savvy! Prepare them for the future by sharing with them the process of building community support and coalitions. Certainly by highschool age, a student is prepared to be involved in the legislative process and in understanding how the community operates. If you are a teacher, involve your students! We need to be training the NEXT GENERATION of advocates!
6. Start a network of your own! That's how the BIG lobby efforts get so far! If every individual can quickly pass on information to 10 individuals below them, think of how quickly the world can change. Alas, the other side has a BIG head start! Your "network" could be thru meetings, phone calls, Fax, or e-mail!
7. Join and/or attend arts meetings in your community and in your disciplines. There are SOOOO many to choose from. Every arts discipline has at least one "support group" in the area. Find out what they have to offer. Encourage others to attend meetings. Even meetings of The Colorado Commission for the Arts are by law open to the public. While you are at it, attend legislative and executive government meetings and hearings. Even if you say nothing, it is important for artists to be seen as ACTIVE members of the community.
8. Maintain a contact sheet of local and area arts resources. This can include support organizations, arts venue, theatre and dance companies, art galleries, publications, teachers, etc. Post the info for the public to see. Share the info. We need to help people know of the resources available.
9. Newspapers are for NEWS! When Choosing activities or a season for your organization, remember that the successful arts venture will make a clear connection with the dreams, anxieties, and pulse of the public. We attend arts events to be informed! If the event can explore issues in a way that offers a new insight, the public will be empowered, energized and will come back for more! If you succeed, your venture will be true "news" and will earn its coverage. Success of your venture lies in large part with your basic choices!
10. Let no public challenge go unanswered. Talk shows are NOT just for extreme conservatives. They are just the current PARTICIPANTS!
11. Involve your family, church, and associates from the community in these issues. See that they are informed. Urge them to write their OWN letters.
12. If you want to encourage the community to support the arts, then you yourself must be an ACTIVE supporter of the COMMUNITY! Do you regularly attend church, synagogues, or other places of worship? Do you attend community meetings and functions. Artists these days seem to be "too busy" for such stuff. No wonder that communities are becoming "too busy" to support the arts!
13. In communicating to congresspersons the order of effectiveness starts with letters followed by FAX, then phone, and last, e-mail communication.
14. If you get a response to letters or communication with your representative, please share it with the arts advocacy community. It is important that we be coordinated in our efforts.
15. Letters etc. ALWAYS count. Most reps. actually keep running tallies on various issues.
16. Form letters are not particularly effective as lobbying tools.
17. Try to spend some time watching C-SPAN and listening to programs on NPR such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. These will help you learn more about the legislative process and arts news.
18. Over 25,000,000 people are now "on-line" are you? THIS is where decisions are REALLY being made. Are you engaging in "dumbing down" in your fear of computers? The internet by estimates is 80% arch conservative. If you are happy with this status quo, fine, but if not you can either be part of the solution or part of the problem. If you think Rush Limbaugh is stupid, consider this: He has been on Compuserve since 1984! Are you active on line at all????? Help IS available and as students you get the service for FREE! Now is the BEST time to take advantage of this wonderful service.
19. Remember "all politics are local" This year your State Assembly is likely considering many laws with impact on the arts. Some proposals may VERY damaging. Without your involvement your interests may NOT be served. Learn more about STATE issues. The war is being fought on MANY fronts!