Audience development and arts advocacy!

After many more articles about the arts funding cuts proposals, I feel it is time to take some action.  We, the arts lovers of this world need to do our own personal audience development and attempt to reach out to our representatives, our senators, our media, our personal circle of friends to increase the efforts.

The National Arts Advocacy Day is scheduled for April 4-5, 2011, but I think this might be a little too late to address an issue that is hot on the table currently.  Each state has their own arts advocacy day, but today I would like to put out there that every day needs to be arts advocacy day.  We need to take action now and do whatever we are able to in order to prove once and for all that the arts are too valuable to cut funding.

Here is a list of action items:

1. Write to your Representative: http://bit.ly/fIQsbC
2. Write to your Senator: http://bit.ly/fIQsbC
3. Write to your local media:
   • Newspapers by State: http://www.newslink.org/statnews.html
   • Radio Stations by State: http://www.newslink.org/statradi.html or http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/page?page=states
   • Television Stations by State: http://www.newslink.org/stattele.html

4.  Write a blog and send it out using all the social media networks you use.

5.  Donate to a local arts organization and let people know why you supported an arts organization.

6.  Start a local letter to the editor campaign to pack more of a punch!

7.  Discuss the issue with your friends and family.

8.  Create an event with the intention to show your support for the arts.  This could be a house party, local party,  or a local arts showcase.

9.  Write to your Board of Education letting them know how you feel about arts education.

10. Use the #artsadvoc twitter tag in your tweets to let people know you are a supporter of the #arts.

11.  Use your Facebook Status to show your support for the arts.

12. Write a Facebook note to tell all your friends why the arts are worth supporting.

What are your ideas?  Please feel free to comment and add to this list.

All the reports about how the arts benefit our society are being ignored.  People don’t seem to realize that the arts are a major part of our lives.  Ask people to start looking around their world.  Artists contribute to our society in a variety of ways, and without the arts, life would not be worth living and no one would be able to think creatively.  Everyone would suffer.  So, take action today!

It is time to have a stronger voice in support for the arts. Lend your voice!

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,

Shoshana

Shoshana Fanizza
Audience Development Specialists
http://www.buildmyaudience.com

“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”
~James Stewart

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