Arts Advocacy: Inside the Process and Beyond the Individual
Rachel Bell
Mentor: Molly Lynch
As a student of dance and future advocate for the performing arts, I set out to discover the intricate details and necessary steps to the advocacy process as it exists today in support of the arts. This project first began last summer when I had the opportunity to serve as an administrative intern with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance in Washington DC. Here, I was first exposed to the concept of arts advocacy and the internal structure of a nationally and internationally recognized non-profit organization. Focusing mainly on the development of advocacy from the grassroots level to the federal level, this study examines the contributions and processes of advocating as an individual cohesively through organizations and the significance of doing so. In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of arts advocacy, my research continued throughout the year as I set new goals to gain experience and exposure to the field. I discovered that advocacy involves a great amount of educating, and the role of a well spoken educator weighs greatly in determining the response of your audience, whether members of the local community, a grant foundation, or legislators. After attending Arts Advocacy Day, hosted by Americans for the Arts in Washington DC, I was made aware of the importance of the arts standing together strongly in agreement with one another to further the common goal of support and further convince legislators of our significant contributions to society. If we do not advocate for and educate on the magnitude of the arts, who will?