Strength in Numbers: How National Data Can Build the Local Case for the Arts

Tuesday, October 16, 9:30am – 11:00am

Organized by Tom Kaiden, president, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

Presented by Lane Harwell, director, Dance/NYC; Arin Sullivan, senior associate, state-based activities and New York State, Cultural Data Project.

Session attendees will actively explore the ways in which national data (from the Cultural Data Project and other sources) can be used to advance the local research, advocacy, and grantmaking that ultimately leads to increased public and private funding for the arts. Advocacy organizations Dance/NYC and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance will illustrate their experience using the Cultural Data Project to create compelling reports (Dance/NYC’s State of NYC Dance and the Alliance’s Portfolio) which have sparked headlines and ignited important policy conversations about culture’s capacity to lead civic change. This will serve as a jumping off point for a group discussion about how to exploit national data tools for advocacy and pragmatically deploy research that leads to action.