01
19%
NYC's dancers since 2019
04
1/4
Community arts spaces lost
02
8%
NYC's actors in the city
05
48%
NYC performing-arts jobs
03
64%
Operating costs increase
06
$8.5M
Federal grants pulled
The Three Blows
First
The pandemic took their audiences. Independent theaters and community dance spaces were forced to lock their doors permanently, halting production and revenue.
Then
Rising costs took their margins. Operating expenses surged 64% while median revenue only rose 2.2%, leaving organizations with no choice but to cut essential staff.
Now
The government took their grants. Federal funding was abruptly pulled from 326 NYC arts groups, leaving the sector with no safety net for its most vulnerable members.
"Funding is being allocated in a new direction." — The Arts Emergency Fund
The New York You See
Record-breaking seasons and packed houses. Broadway continues to thrive, showcasing the resilience of our city's most visible cultural institutions.
- 1.8 million tickets sold in 2023
- 100+ new productions annually
- 100% occupancy at major venues
The New York Disappearing
Quietly folding a few blocks away. Community arts organizations face systemic collapse due to rising costs and federal withdrawal of support.
- 19% staff cuts at The Public
- 13% cuts at Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 1 in 4 community spaces lost
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Same city. Two completely different stories. We're building the platform that saves the second one.
We are building the answer.
The Arts Emergency Fund is dedicated to halting the systemic decline of the live and performing arts by serving as a dual-engine clearinghouse for critical funding and long-term organizational resilience. We are building a first-of-its-kind digital platform that unites every theater, dance company, gallery, and community arts program across all five boroughs. Our mission is to deliver immediate emergency grants and long-term business advisement to make live and performing arts companies permanently self-sufficient and culturally impactful.
HOW YOU SAVE IT
DONATE
Every dollar goes directly to building the platform and supporting the organizations that can't wait another season.
UPDATES
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ADVOCATE
Share this. Tag your council member, your state rep, your network. The arts don't have a lobby. You are the lobby.
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The pandemic was a setback. Silence is the end.
A Result-Oriented Exit Strategy
We measure success by self-sufficiency
01
Stabilization
Immediate financial injections via the clearinghouse to halt immediate venue closure.
02
Modernization
Execution of AI automation, digital marketing overhauls, and financial planning.
03
Autonomy
Reaching full operational self-sufficiency without the need for future bailout grants.
04
Ecosystem Pay-Forward
Graduating to become mentorship hubs that help lift up newer or smaller local arts projects.