[Music] this is councilman Justin Brannon it is a little after six o'clock on Thursday June 8th 2023. tonight we want to we want to focus on the culturals and what does that mean and you know why are they so important why are our arts and culture organizations our museums why are they all so important to the to the city of New York and to the people of New York and why do they deserve to have um the funding that they need to succeed New York City is one of the world's cultural capitals I would argue that it's the world's cultural capital and people come to New York City from all over the world because of our cultural institutions because of our museums and and Broadway and our performing arts and and right down to the local Arts and Cultural organizations in the neighborhoods in the outer boroughs and really a common theme that we heard through those countless hours of testimony was about the the role that the the role of cultural institutions and art and music play uh in New York City and in New York City in the economy and what does it mean for the economy the jobs that come along with folks that work in this industry and the tourism and and the tax dollars that that come in the exponential value of investing in our cultural institutions and what that means for the entire ecosystem that is uh our economy but it's also important that the same way that we're looking at our bigger cultural institutions and the ones that you imagine you know like the Museum of Modern Art or the met or whatever you know American Natural History whatever it may be also our local cultural institutions and and the folks that are really doing the work on the ground um and that's what we want to we want to talk about tonight as well um and as we approach um you know the next month of budget negotiations uh with the mayor you know making sure and really getting our point across and why cultural institutions are so important to this Council and why they're excuse me such a priority uh for this Council and why the council is going to fight hard to make sure that all these cultural institutions have the funding that they need the support that they need to succeed to thrive it's personally important to me I know it's personally important to our culturals chair um Chi osei and I want to introduce him now um to talk a bit about the role of of culture the role that culture and arts play in New York City's community and why it's so important to this Council so uh councilman Jose chair Jose are you there do you want to chime in thank you so much councilmember Brennan and good evening everyone who is on this Twitter spaces hope everyone is staying safe and breathing some clean air within their apartments or in an indoor space if they have arrived there I'm New York City council member chioce and chair of the committee on cultural Affairs libraries and international Intergroup relations and while it's always hard to follow up after councilmember Brennan in Sharing um and advocating for how important our our culture sector here is new and here it here in New York City is uh New York City is the cultural capital not only of the United States of America but I would argue uh the world uh people come here for our culture not only are larger cultural institutions like the Madden Moma as the council member said but also our local organizations that do the groundwork and also provide a culture across every single community in the five boroughs of New York City um of course of course culture is is there to to provide us with entertainment enjoy Joy an entertainment you know as we we live in the city but it provides the city with a multitude of of things whether it's uh you know adding to our our economic output the New York state comptroller's office you know conducted a study and found that the cultural sector in New York City um is a multi-billion dollar uh sector uh within within this state and the fact that New York City um invests under one percent over 106 billion dollar budget into culture um yet it provides the output uh the economic output that it that it that it has it just shows how impactful culture is not only uh in our in our hearts but um within the wallets of of hundreds of thousands um of New Yorkers so uh throughout this budget season you know the city council has been uh filled with Fierce Advocates that have been pushing for a deeper investment um into our cultural sector I'm hoping that we will we will work on continuing to fight for um you know a 50 million dollar uh investment within culture as well as baselining within the culture budget um I know that the culture sector is very thankful for um the record investment of the that the city council invested into culture last year uh but there are so many cultural institutions and organizations uh who are still struggling with um you know audience levels who are still struggling to to keep their doors open um and we can do that with the budget that we have as big as we do here in the city of New York um we have to do right by our cultural sectors so I'm happy to be on this call and and and continuing this push and making sure that our cultural organizations and institutions uh receive the funding that they deserve and I'm also so happy that I'm I'm in a council and a body of government uh where there are many folks who agree uh with the amount of investment that is needed for our cultural sector I guess I'll I'll pass it Justin to councilmember Brandon or councilman Hudson he may have gotten he may have gotten uh lost in the sauce right here in the Twitter spaces um I guess I I'll just introduce myself um I'm council member Crystal Hudson I represent many of the amazing cultural institutions in Brooklyn um in my district which includes the neighborhoods of Crown Heights Prospect Heights Fort Greene Clinton Hill and a sliver of Bed Stuy neighboring um council member osei so um you know I think from my perspective I'm also chair of the Aging Committee in the city council and um not only did I you know of course like my colleagues grow up going to and learning from and picking up um Hobbies from a lot of these different cultural institutions but when I was a caregiver for my mother who had Alzheimer's disease I also took her to many of these these cultural institutions that have programming specifically for people with Alzheimer's and Dementia and brain injuries which most people probably don't know there's an amazing program called connect to culture that is at many of the cultural institutions across the city everything from Lincoln Center to the Brooklyn Museum to the Brooklyn botanic garden to the met and everything in between and so we know you know the the real value of these cultural institutions goes so much further than just simply um the art and the culture that they're known for but for the local programming um the services that they provide to so many of our neighbors of all ages um and so I just wanted to to mention that and share that because I think um sometimes we don't realize how much of our cultural institutions actually do that they do so much more than just putting on the sort of traditional um you know exhibits and and presentations but a lot of them have amazing programs that dip into so many different areas I'll leave it there I think council member Brennan is back maybe not well Crystal I guess we can move ahead to your special singing performance that you prepared for tonight Oh I thought we were going to yours first oh okay um Perhaps Perhaps yeah we could we could we can do it for sure um I guess I can I can continue and uh you know I'm talking about culture until uh council member Brennan uh returns is that is that you council member um I I also do want to shout out Solo solo oh there we go there we go let me in let me in all right I'm back she was about to get she was about to start her solo performance oh my God that's do they need me on here all right so who came in the nick of time I think we it was Saved by the Bell I think we're going to talk to The Advocates now correct let's do that um I want to um I want to bring in um some of the Advocates who are really on the ground and doing a lot of great and meaningful and important work and can talk a little bit about um you know their groups and and what this funding really means sort of exponentially for the City of New York and why um it's so important that we make sure uh that our local our local groups and not just the big guys um get the support and the funding they need and um really coming out of covid um you know I think we've seen the importance of uh arts and culture and and why it's so important to make sure that we expand access so that art and culture and music and it's not just for fancy people it's not just for rich people in museums and buying paintings our arts and culture is really for everybody and it's about breaking down those barriers um and I think all of us I mean me and and council members Jose and councilman Hudson I think we all all share those same values in that you know we want to expand access so that everyone can appreciate all of the arts and culture that New York City has to offer um and that it's not just for uh you know people that that have access to it and that's why it's important that we're you know fighting to get expanded money for uh arts and culture education and public schools uh and I think that's why we're overall we're fighting to to make sure that arts and culture is not seen as extra so that it's seen as essential that it's essential to the city it's essential to the development of kids and early childhood education and it's it's so much of the vibrant fabric of New York City um that it cannot be to be seen as extra or something that can just be um you know added on if we've got the money it needs to be essential it needs to be part of uh really the Crux of everything we do so I'd like to um invite Lucy Sexton who's the executive director for New Yorkers for culture and arts to talk a little bit about her organization and uh why this space is so important Lucy you there thanks so much very very happy to be here New Yorkers for Cultural Arts is a coalition it includes individual artists culture workers small organizations large institutions across the five boroughs of New York City and I really was drawn both by what councilmember Hudson was saying about how it affected her mom when she was struggling with Alzheimer's and also what you were talking about you know it being for everyone and it being so important um you know in education to kids Etc we know the city is struggling with mental health problems we know our students are struggling with mental health problems and I will just tell one story the cultural groups that we work with you know they are engaged with the the students they they have what's called through the council Casa programs creative after school adventures and they work also directly with the doe in the schools well Queens World Film Festival uh was doing a program with fifth graders in a public school in Queens and they had a boy who was a Selective mute and they did a whole you know series and he engaged in the the film and he got involved in it and when it came time to show the film he got up on stage he picked up the microphone and started talking about how great it was to finally engage and connect with his uh fellow classmates the principal burst into tears she said in five years she had never heard him speak so when we say that culture really impacts kids mental health people's mental health the mental health of our elders it is real it is effective it is provides an Avenue for kids to express themselves to connect with each other to connect with community so it is critical to so many of the things that are facing the city right now I'm going to swing to the other end of it which is council member Brown and you talked about the economy you know we know that the city is facing so many critical issues that it needs to fund and spend money on and what I have to say about arts and culture is that we actually generate Revenue right we bring 54 billion dollars in tourism dollars to the city every year of those 54 billion dollars the New York State Controller dinapoli's report said that 12 percent of it went to arts and entertainment 88 of it went to restaurants and Retail and hotels and Local transportation so people come for the culture they spend money across the city and in individual you know when you go right down to the small uh neighborhood what brings people out into the street they're going to come out and see a show and then they're going to go across the street and stop and have something to eat in the restaurant maybe they'll stop down the street and get a something on the deli on the way home so we generate the local economy we generate the massive economy we bring in a hundred we generate 110 billion dollars in economic activity through the creative economy so we're a major driver so we should not be seen as something that's like oh it's another draw on it no we are actually going to be part of what's going to keep people living in New York keep our tax base here keep people visiting New York and actually lead us back into a thriving vibrant future for this city so um I'll stop it there but uh thanks so much thanks Lucy could you could you talk a little bit about it in the council's um response we called for and council member Jose mentioned as well we called for 50 million dollars to support uh cultural uh institution groups and the cultural Development Fund recipients a significant part um of which would be baselined could you talk about how that funding would support the budgets of organized organizations like yours and organization Citywide sure uh you know if for those who aren't familiar with you know budget speak what we talked about the Baseline is how much is in the you know every year goes in and says that's the Baseline funding for the Department of cultural Affairs right and then every year the council looks and and they say well we're going to add a little bit more to that when we adopt the budget the truth is the Baseline funding for the Department of cultural Affairs hasn't been increased in 10 years this means that the sector is constantly waiting to hear how much will the council give us this year can I hire that extra teaching artist do I have to lay off that extra teaching artist I'll give you one exact example um you know we have we're talking about hip-hop and you know we didn't I I don't think we ever invested enough in you know the the dance studios and music studios that that would create the next generation of hip-hop artists in this city Rockefeller who's one of the lead uh hip-hop dancers leaders and and activists and she started a program a few years ago working with give me dance to actually get Street choreographers people who engage in Street dance to come in and learn about you know stage technology and projections and lighting design so that they could start to choreograph for the stage as well as for the street and the subway that program existed and then it went away and now she's struggling to go and get more money for it so when you Baseline it means that yes this is a good program we wanted to develop the workforce we want to invest in it we want to know that it's going to be there for many years and not have to struggle every year to find out if it has funding right so for those listening at home just a little uh lingo check what baselining means is that when you Baseline something in the budget that means that every year that money is going to be there so a lot of what we have to fight for every year unfortunately in the council um is what we call one shots and a One-Shot means we fight to get that money just for that budget and then we have to start that fight in that campaign all over again the following year for the next budget so baselining is really the Holy Grail uh for us in the city council for things that really matter because um for one shots it's for some things maybe it works for things that that are are currently um you know a crisis or something that we're currently dealing with in the city that maybe hopefully is not a temporary concern but for something like arts and culture it's something that's going to be important every year so having to fight for those one shots over and over and over again and having to you know organizing campaign for what we know should be baselined and built into the budget every year is really what we fight for so when you hear people tonight talking about baselining um that that's what they're they're talking about so um I want to call in now uh Talia coren who is the co-executive co-executive director for Art New York art and why um to talk a little bit uh about their organization um and uh maybe talk a little bit about what would happen to the the the cultural sector in this budget um if it didn't include this level of funding or if we didn't see it baselined Dahlia there I believe we're missing her okay okay is that nikisha Hamilton there yes hi hey nikisha um nakisha Hamilton is the executive director and the founder of affini Studios uh and member of the Museum of Contemporary African diaspora Arts um do you wanna do you want to chime in on that but first talk about your organization but tell us what would happen uh if we didn't get this funding this year okay hi everybody thank you so much for having me on my name is nakisha Hamilton and I organize um my business is called Fanny Craig Studios and we are a cultural advocacy organization that really actually focused mostly on black culture and ways that we can preserve and develop black culture and so for me I started off any creative Studios after working with Lucy um and a bunch of others on the coltrad 3 call as I was the the chair of the data working group and after I saw I basically had a privilege and um an honor to see numbers from the mat to artsy's New York and seeing the the in the inequity and what happens and and actually the the need that these organizations budget have on the city on on the city government especially because city council and just local level actually gives the most amount of money to a lot of these organizations and that's not saying a lot right because we're fighting for Baseline funding and so understanding the dependency and then also understanding the importance that black culture is for me and making sure that these organizations are whole I create a funny creative Studios to help organizations of color go through the budget process understand it how to engage government and whatnot so working with these organizations um they need this funding if they don't have this funding they face closure they face um as Lucy highlighted earlier the programs being ended um actually kids feeling dissipranchised young people people in the community feeling dis further disenfranchised because what my culture my organization was not worthy of investment and so that for me like to answer your question more directly um council member Brandon um when we don't have the Baseline funding that means that organizations are susceptible to closure to ending programs and to you know discontinue whatever services that they provide the community I think that a lot of people see arts and culture as just a tourism thing arts and culture is not a tourism thing arts and culture helps serve under is largely most of them are in underserved communities and they serve these communities and creative colors to utilize arts and culture to Foster identity social cohesion cultural preservation public health and most importantly Public Safety I live in the hood I don't know how much of y'all live in the hood but a lot of people need these programs and these support so that they're not all out on the streets facing danger and trouble so the moment that our organization closed guess what more kids have nothing to do more people had nothing to do and so we have it's it's a quality of life issue it's a public health issue when you don't support arts and culture so I'll stop there because you know I can I can go we appreciate that um okay let's I want to go back to Lucy for a second um could you talk about the the state you know everyone wants covet to be over and and further in the rear view mirror then unfortunately it actually is could you talk a little bit about the state of culturals right now given the pandemic and and how things have changed yeah I mean uh culture was the first to close right we We Gather people together so that we were one of the first sectors that the city said no you got to shut down the museums the theaters Etc we were also the last to reopen and we knew because exactly that because we gather people together we knew that recovering from this was going to be a ramp it was going to take us a while to to bring ourselves up out of this well we are still on that ramp and the relief that was coming from the federal relief and from different sources has ended so a lot of cultural loads or organizations right now are looking at falling off a cliff the uh we are not up to uh the levels of earned income and donated income that we had in 2019. so we are out there doing our work we are putting on shows we are putting on street festivals and Celebrate Brooklyn is about to open and do music in Prospect Park so we're there and we are revitalizing the city but we are doing it at a deficit we still have not recouped the money that we lost and we are still not up to to where we should be in terms of you know next year's uh budget that we're working on we're looking at budgeting deficits so this is really a critical time and the city has faced critical you know hard financial times before and we're asking them to do something different you invest in culture just like nikisha was saying you invest in an organization you know Arts East New York closed during the pandemic right that means that neighbors and and families in in East New York don't have a place to send their kid to dance class or to go down and see some music so that means that that neighborhood is is further behind so we're asking the city to invest in arts and culture it is a modest amount of money what it does is it makes the neighborhood safer gives people activities like nikisha was saying but it also gives us a reason to live in New York right we're working from home now we can we'll live anywhere we want to live somewhere where we can send our kids to really good music classes down the street where we can go see a show at night where we can go see to the museum or the Garden or the zoos on the weekends that's the reason we are here so I just think that it's it's a really really tricky time we are not recovered and we need the increased investment from the city in order to maintain this in the neighborhoods and for the city at Large um council member yeah nakisha you want to chime in there yeah I just wanted to hop in with Lucy um kind of pig back off of what Lucy's saying um basically we've been operating in a deficit since forever um and our funding levels in the 70s from the federal level all the way down to State local level it was much higher than it is currently so in some aspects it's like we're working backwards because we used to have Arts education in the school we still have funding for that we used to have funding through actually and the the crime bill in 1994 on the federal level they had money allocated to Arts so in order to do Public Safety even though that crime bill is controversial even then they had some sort of understanding how arts and culture is critical to supporting Public Safety and to supporting the quality of life um you know for me personally I'm tired of making artists out of struggle we want to order these people so that they can flourish and so the fact that we we are fighting for Baseline funding which um for the arts and culture sector where you know as many of the council members have identified on this on this call that we are the cultural capital of of the world however we do not make even um the same levels of uh of the City of Paris does and so that is something that is key to understand and like the great late John Wright said arts and culture is one of the few things one of the only Public Safety tool Public Health tools that you can invest in and see a return out of and so when you're investing into arts and culture you know we're trying to mitigate so many different crises but there's cultural organizations like mokata that has an urban farm that's developing almost 300 pounds of food every six weeks that can be given out to the community there's been organizations like Brooklyn Museum like WCS and and so many others that became ope um the ope Center and also was giving food to the community even when we're closed down and on top of that managing a virtual world with no money and fear of of of the fact that we may not have money arts and culture has been developing through a scarcity mindset and it shouldn't have to but it does and the community develop the community depends upon it so for me when we even talk about Baseline funding and talking about Equity distribution you know we're always often struggling because why folks we're struggling because folks are like hey why is this person getting this money why is that person getting this money so then we create tension in our own field when we're all just trying to feed our community so it's not only about okay yes where we we need the funding to for General operating funds and for um up like just programs and whatnot it's about quality of life in our community quality of life for our staff it's about being that place that um continues to to to amplify New York City's soft power and in that America's soft power because soft power is how we are able to be known all around the world and New York City is the reason part of the reason that is so that when we're talking about Baseline funding when we're talking about that investment we're investing in soft power Public Safety a plethora of things that I just highlighted that's I mean you touched on a lot of great points nikisha and I don't know that there is another space other than arts and culture and music that um the the the exponential value of investing um it touches so many so many I mean it's it's mental health it's it's building Community it's it's the economy it's jobs it's tourism um you know it's it it's early childhood education it's it's expanding people's Horizons it's giving access to folks who um may feel that you know arts and culture are are sort of beyond their reach for whatever reason it's breaking down those barriers I think it's important to really um you know to really emphasize that that I think unfortunately um you know we're we're still battling with folks who feel that the arts and culture are um extra and I think it's it's super important to always bring it back to um you know you know you know back to the the true value of investing in in arts and culture um council member Jose or council member Hudson do you want to chime in on that yeah I mean every single point that Lucy and nakisha noted is is facts and truth right there was a study done that I always referenced last year at the University of Pennsylvania where they saw a direct correlation and an investment in cultural organizations and institutions and decline in crime and especially violent crime uh within um some of the more rougher areas of of Philly and um you know we know that this is something that we are consistently say and speak about as advocates for the culture cultural Community not only again is it something that that adds to our economy but it is Public Safety it's mental health care it's child care it's education um you know I do see arts and education Roundtable on this call as well which is a you know great organization that is advocating for there to be arts and all of our our New York City Schools but um you know the the drop of investment that we put into culture just adds to to so much within our city as a whole and I just do one uplift a lot of the sentiments and facts again that that Lucy and nikisha brought up on this call I could guys remember Hudson but it's like Chris you want to jump in I yeah um thanks I was I was gonna say essentially the same thing that um council member osei said which is just that Arts is so much more than just that you know and I think that's what you've heard everybody say so far is um you know and I don't want to repeat exactly what councilor Jose said but it's our it's our mental health and wellness um it is like the very fabric of the communities in which we all live it's what brings us um so many of us here to New York into specific neighborhoods um and you know it's for younger people and older people um and all different types of people and people who speak different languages and people who come from different places and so I think it's understanding and realizing as far as the budget is concerned what the arts and culture sector has been through over the last few years and as Lucy said they were the first to close the last to open they're still reeling from everything that's been going on people don't have as much disposable income to give to Arts organizations or to spend on performance as live performances and shows and such um and so whatever we can do in the city council and I know we're all fighting um hard to ensure that our cultural institutions are funded but whatever we can do as Government to ensure that these gems continue to thrive and aren't struggling year after year to give us all of the the joy that they give us um you know I just want to impress upon folks that um you know the council gets it and that's exactly why we're having this Twitter spaces conversation tonight absolutely Chris I mean I think what we're really trying to get at here is that while some people might think that that arts and culture is sort of you know the dessert it's it's it's it's it's Superfluous in some ways it's the opposite right it's actually the the whole damn meal um it's actually the most important thing and it touches so many um you know so many areas that are so important to so many New Yorkers and I think it'd be interesting to hear a little bit from nikisha and Lucy about you know the the the economic impact of cultural organizations and supporting um Asylum Seekers so obviously you know we spoke about how strong levels of Tourism are absolutely crucial to New York City's economy and our recovery um so how do Arts and Cultural organizations attract tourists to their events and and and how does that all lead to the the compounding economic benefits and and job growth for our City and then also if there are ways that cultural organizations have shown up for local communities and moments of Crisis before as they are now as as the city struggles to support uh tens of thousands of people seeking Asylum could you talk a little bit about that a little bit about you know the meaningful impact um that some of these organizations have had there that's Lucy Sexton here from New Yorkers for culture and arts I will jump in um you know uh it's been said many times we know you know uh arts and culture so much of arts and culture comes from immigrants right but we're talking the gershwins whether we're talking you know afro-latin Jazz so much of it comes from it what has to happen though first is we have to make sure that newly arrived immigrants are safe and sane and feel uh you know connected and what can connect you what connects you to community the music that you're familiar with getting to a drum circle doing some dance that you are connected with I know that some of the schools right here in in downtown Manhattan are filled with um newly arrived Venezuelan immigrants and so they don't speak the language and all of a sudden the school is overwhelmed but what they do understand is connecting with dads and playing some music and that is that first of all getting those kids engaged in school so it is you know that when when uh arts and education Roundtable talks about the uh you know a connected ecosystem you have cultural groups that provide these Services provide culturally appropriate Services into schools who have whatever population and at this point it is a lot of newly arrived immigrants you're also seeing mental health struggles among people who are living long-term in shelter and newly arrived and they've been through a lot of trauma so again being able to go to the Clemente Center in the Lower East Side and connect with the all-day Festival of a culture that you can connect with and understand and then meet people and meet people in that community and then be connected and be integrated into our city so you know I I have said before you know housing and and feeding people is so important and culture is what makes a place home culture is what makes community so this is also critical services that need to be provided and that we can do and we can help the city we realize the city is struggling with this but culture has a role to play cultural centers cultural groups in schools in centers is in different neighborhoods really make a difference and you know we talked and I I loved you talking about all the different areas that we intersect with you know I like to talk about Community safety there's you know mind Builders there's an art center up in the Bronx and they were on a dance program and Saturday night they gather teens so Saturday night they have teenagers coming to learn hip-hop dance moves to show off to each other to do battles and guess what those kids are also now getting agents so it's not only providing a safe space for the teenagers in one of the lowest wealth communities in the Bronx and one of those that was hardest hit by covid so those kids are also traumatized it's giving them a place of Joy a place of to master their skill and a place to enter the creative economy by getting an agent and maybe being able to work in the creative sector in New York City which does so much I want to also talk about you know one of those you you referred to the UPenn study uh council member Jose and you know it even improves aging outcomes and I'd worked in a senior center in Chinatown teaching dance there and and we would do different games and I had one game where I asked people you know when were they the happiest in their life and to talk about that and to make a story and this older gentleman started crying and he said you know I have been working in factories since I was 14. in this class today in this Senior Center is when I have been the happiest in my life because I'm enjoying myself I'm connecting with people I'm doing something besides working in a factory and believe me that Senior Center uh in Chinatown it's an amazing the open door Center and those people live past 100 because they are connected they're enjoying themselves they're singing together they're dancing together so um my last last thing I just want to say is which uh nikisha touched on earlier which is that we have to look at all of New York City right we have to look at at Brownsville and East New York and Mont Haven and uh Staten Island and every neighborhood every neighborhood can benefit from the power of culture and art and to do that it's going to take a bigger pie we don't have enough in the budget now we should really be working towards spending one percent of the city Budget on culture to really fully fund culture in every community and then we have picture of the that we want to show the world right that we always do when we're saying New York New York tourism we're putting out these pictures of people playing music and dancing and being in the street and going to the theater this is what we want for every community in New York City and it's time to make that investment and it's not a big investment and it pays off many times over I I would love to hop in on this um so one of the things I love most about me is that I'm first generation New Yorker um my my father's from Jamaica and my mother's from Trinidad and Tobago and um I was born right here and raised in Crown Heights and then I moved to Flatbush but my parents met right here in Crown Heights because it's largely a Caribbean neighborhood Central Brooklyn is largely a Caribbean or was a Caribbean neighborhood um Center and actually possibly the capital of the Caribbean diaspora New York City is the capital of the black guy African diaspora and so when my parents from two different countries were able to come here and meet and create a life here because of cultural institutions like Sesame Flyers like riyadka like a fatayo like all these different Kati all these different organizations that have cultivated like Lucy highlighted a home for these people because they have come here because of various because of economic reason for Economic Opportunity and a better life to raise a family and so even now as we welcome new New Yorkers like Lucy saying these migrants are coming in you know they're coming in and they're going to go to any organization that speaks to them any neighborhood that speaks to them and the organizations that are home in those spaces that keep the culture and preserve it and develop it to make sure that New York City is seen as a place that is home and that anybody can be here and make it for better for for whatever reason that could be and so when we're talking about um when we're talking about even largely economic generator we're talking about immigrant groups who have thrown and I'm going to say specifically the West Indian carnival we have organizations that like Sesame flies that do programs in schools I'm a child of Sesame flies I did Saturday programs I went to predominantly white schools all my life I went to ps21 I went to Trevor Day School already okay and Lucy's in the club wow [Laughter] yeah and so for for me to be able to participate in programs and play steel pan and to dance um Caribbean dance it it it it it helped me develop into the person I am to be strong in who I am as a first generation child and imagine that feeling for a migrant immigrant and a person who has to raise their children here who came like immigrant families are coming here every day in New York City and so in that sense they have come here they made a home here and they make money because New York City the carnival the West Indian Day carnival um uh I'm wrestling American Day carnival parade on Labor Day used to generate 300 million dollars a weekend in four days for New York City Carnival from the Caribbean to Latin America alone is 125 billion dollar industry and because New York City is not investing in that oh more close to home New Orleans makes a billion one billion dollars off of Carnival our our community our organizations like Sesame like Rialto like um Juve City they make they were they were able to help and butcher other bands were able to help make New York City in four days 300 million dollars with New York City giving an investment of less than one percent of the budget so imagine if New York City was able to invest more so not only immigrants come here not only they're these organizations make a community and push forward even when they had a lack of investment Sesame Flyers they had a lack of investment they helped put 15 bands on the road for Carnival just because they know how important it is to micro entrepreneurs to small businesses in the community to um the MTA to to New New Jersey New York Transit whatever it is Sesame flies and other bands understood how important it is for their representation to be here even if they didn't get the amount of investment that they deserved and Equitable divestment investment that they deserve but they keep on making money so how what kind of relationship are we having are we having a generative relationship or are we having an exploitive relationship if we're not investing in in culture that's I mean you really nailed it there um nakisha I mean I think you know art and culture are really what makes a place a home and I think you know if the beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people then having that um familiarity with you know you know recognizing um you know recognizing your culture and recognizing that it what it's what makes people belong it's what makes people feel like they they finally arrive someplace where where they belong and I think that's where really um you know the beauty is not to get to uh too too philosophical on it um council member Hudson do you want to chime in a little bit about about arts and culture as it relates to folks who who are coming here looking for a better life sure I think you know this is what everybody has already said which is that arts and culture is quite literally for everyone people come here with their own culture their own um you know practices their own gifts and talents and then we create opportunities for people to Showcase that I think our arts and culture scene is as vibrant as it is here in New York City because it includes people from all over the world um and you know who bring their own flavor you want to jump in I'm just speechless by nikisha and Lucy and all of the advocacy on this on this call but um I think everything that was said or that needed to be said was said this evening right on well I think we'll we'll wrap it up there Lucy nikisha thank you so much thanks for all that you do thank you for your advocacy um look you have allies in this Council you have folks who um really live and and breathe this stuff and and this is important to us this was important to us before we were elected officials and it's going to be important to us after but it's certainly important to us now um and and you know thinking about Brandon yes go ahead loose sorry Lucy I just was just going to say you know we have the Tony's coming up this weekend I just want to leave everyone with with one last thought which is that no fewer than nine shows on Broadway were developed in our non-profit theater system right from national black theater from the public um you know from small organizations you must fund the non-profit system in order to feed Broadway which generates so much money and especially if you want those Broadway jobs going to New York artists so very proud of it very very happy to be involved in this conversation very very grateful for your support in the council and God willing we'll uh we'll see see some investment in culture in in the budget but thanks so much that was well said and councilman Brandon if I could just jump into and just the feedback off of what we should have said make a small little plug for also those those small organizations and non-profits like Urban glass which is in my district if anyone has seen or heard of the reality show Blown Away um that's you know so many of the artists featured on that show started and are still artists at Urban glass and so like Lucy said everything starts right here and we need to make sure that these organizations particularly the smaller ones have the Deep Investments that they deserve thank you councilmember Hudson hey I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight especially Lucy and nikisha for having this conversation with us and the city council is going to be fighting for our arts and culture organizations completely understanding the economic impact of cultural organizations the emotional impact um and and how important they are to the vitality and and really what makes New York City New York City so I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight on Thursday night and we look forward to talking with you all again soon signing off from the right side of City Hall this is council member Justin Brennan thank you so much good night good night thank you good night thank you take care everyone