ADVOCACY

TCG advocates for federal policies that strengthen the performing arts, by educating elected officials and policy makers in Washington, DC, on issues of importance to the theatre field. Through distribution of Action Alerts to the field, TCG mobilizes theatre leaders to express their support for the NEA and other important issues during the annual appropriations cycle, generating scores of grassroots letters and phone calls to elected officials. Highlights of the past year included:

As a founding member of the American Arts Alliance, TCG continued its work with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA and OPERA America in Washington, DC, to advocate for favorable legislation for the performing arts. American Arts Alliance launched its new website (www.americanartsalliance.org) providing member theatres, opera companies, dance companies, presenters and the public access to an easy-to-use action-oriented resource. The new website includes information on a range of issues that affect performing arts organizations, as well as actions to be taken on these issues.

TCG announced a new partnership with Americans for the Arts, which encompasses a membership of local arts councils and united arts funds. Americans for the Arts is well known for its economic impact studies, "Art: Ask for More" public service announcement campaign, and annual Arts Advocacy Day. Benefits for TCG theatres now automatically include membership with the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, a dynamic new 501(c)(4) membership organization that utilizes state-of-the-art advocacy tools to educate and mobilize thousands of grassroots arts organizations and concerned citizens to advance arts-friendly legislation and support arts-friendly candidates running for federal office.

On March 14 & 15, 2005, TCG representatives and other arts advocates converged in Washington, DC, for Arts Advocacy Day. Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker, delivered the 18th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture, which kicked off Arts Advocacy Day events. TCG board vice president Gary Anderson joined TCG staff for visits to "the Hill", which included meetings with Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), as well as arts staffers in the offices of Congressman Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) and Congressman John Dingell (D-MI).

TCG advocated for the following issues during the past year: NEA appropriations, arts education funding, charitable tax incentives, improving the visa process for international artists and funding for cultural exchange.