Dance/NYC to Host Fifth Week of #ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers Facebook Live Conversations

Dance/NYC moves into its fifth week of hosting a twelve part Facebook Live Conversation Series with arts workers from across the arts and culture sector. These discussions highlight the importance of the arts ecology, point to current challenges and offer considerations on our way forward as a field. Beginning May 21, 2020, this series is a part of #ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers, a new online and social media campaign dedicated to the acknowledgement, representation and integration of dance and arts workers into the decision-making processes that will envision the future for New York City post-pandemic.

The series launched successfully on Thursday, May 21, 2020, and will continue to take place every Tuesday from 5:30 - 7pm ET through August 4, 2020 on Dance/NYC's Facebook Page.

Upcoming dates include:
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | 5:30pm - 7pm
Tuesday June 23, 2020 | 5:30pm - 7pm

Disability Justice as the Vanguard of Recovery Thinking | June 16, 2020, 5:30pm-7:00pm

Join Dance/NYC in a discussion with disabled artists and activists about the values of disability justice as a framework for building our new reality with Alice Sheppard, Artistic Director, Kinetic Light; Christopher Unpezverde Núñez, Visually Impaired Choreographer, Performance Artist, Educator & Accessibility Consultant; Dustin Gibson, Co-Founder, Disability Advocate for Rights and Transition, Founding Member, Harriet Tubman Collective; and Simi Linton, Arts Consultant, Author, Filmmaker and Activist.

The Future of Performance Venues | June 23, 2020, 5:30pm-7:00pm

Join Dance/NYC in a discussion with large-scale presenters and representatives as they think about the future of dance and performing arts presentation in the metropolitan area with Cathy Hung, Executive Director, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning; Fred Dixon, President and CEO, NYC & Company; Jonelle Procope, President and CEO, Apollo Theater; and Linda Shelton, Executive Director, The Joyce Theater Foundation.

"Thus far, the conversations have been important meeting grounds for the dance field to discuss crucial issues that aren't often addressed on other forums," said Candace Thompson-Zachery, manager of justice, equity and inclusion initiatives at Dance/NYC. "The feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive and we hope to amplify the perspectives offered through our advocacy efforts."

#ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers Campaign Video

More than 150 videos were received from a cross-section of dance workers in all disciplines from choreographer to educator to administrator to fundraiser to be used in the campaign, including Alice Sheppard, Andrea Miller, Donald Borror, Eduardo Vilaro, Ephrat Asherie, Herman Cornejo, Josh Prince, Lane Harwell, Maleek Washington, Marjani Forté-Saunders, Mark Morris, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, among many others. Full list available here.

Artists serve New York City at every level: leading tourism, strengthening education, fueling the economy, and ensuring our health, wellness and imaginations. With this in mind, Dance/NYC has initiated a series of actions to highlight the importance of arts workers; build and amplify solidarity as a dance community and across the arts sector; and reimagine a world that is just, equitable, inclusive, and abundant.

For reimagining our world
For moving toward an equitable future
For celebrating our diverse cultures
For maintaining our humanity
For strengthening education
For caring for our families
For fueling our economy
For showing the beauty of movement
For sustaining our emotional health
For demanding justice
For rebuilding New York City
As a dignified workforce
#ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers.

To learn more about why Dance/NYC is advocating for arts workers visit: bit.ly/ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers

For more information, visit www.dance.nyc.