Arts for LA is excited to unveil its 2025-27 Policy and Advocacy Agenda: Roots, Recovery, and Regeneration.
The creative economy in Los Angeles County stands at a critical juncture. For decades, the nonprofit arts sector has struggled with historic undercapitalization. Low wages and evasive employment have left many creatives without the financial security to sustain their practice or their livelihood. These systemic issues were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in closed venues, job losses, and an unprecedented decline in public engagement with the arts.
Today, the crisis has deepened. Recent wildfires have left a trail of destruction, burning homes, schools, and arts organizations to the ground. Families have been displaced, income has become more unpredictable, and the recovery process—already daunting—is expected to take years, once again highlighting the urgent need for robust support.
Arts for LA has worked hard to develop a forward looking agenda in collaboration with the arts and culture community that aims to deepen connections across the sector, share knowledge to strengthen capacity and preparedness, and drive grassroots and grasstops organizing for equitable recovery and growth.
Together, through mutual support and bold, visionary actions that reimagine the future, we can transform crisis into opportunity.
Our Process
1
Four Advocacy Areas
In 2019, Arts for LA began to have conversations with our network of advocates about the most pressing challenges facing creative communities across the region. Four distinct issue areas emerged as a result of this process: 1) affordable space 2) equitable arts education 2) creative jobs, and 4) resources + capital. The pandemic, labor strikes, and recent wildfires have intensified adverse effects on the creative sector, reinforcing the centrality of these challenges.
2
Laura Zucker Fellowship for Policy and Research
A policy fellow conducts research into an under-explored topic of interest in one of four advocacy areas (E.g. Prop 28).
3
Community Listening Sessions
AFLA’s organizational members and ACTIVATE alumni engage in open dialogue about current barriers and potential solutions.
4
Policy Working Groups
Field experts review recurring themes from listening sessions and develop actionable responses to key concerns.
5
State of the Arts Summit
In October, Arts for LA hosts its annual State of the Arts Summit. This day-long conference serves as an essential community touchpoint, updating stakeholders on proposed policy and advocacy directions, soliciting community feedback, and engaging cross-sector experts to lend a broader context to the policy development process.
6
Community Survey
The Arts for LA team works to roll-up concerns and ideas expressed during listening sessions, working groups, the State of the Arts Summit, and ongoing conversations with community members to develop a survey that is distributed to 75,000+ subscribers.
