Following a record 25-hour debate that went through the night, the Senate passed its amended version of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan for COVID relief along party line votes on Saturday, March 6.
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He came up with the idea of using red roses, the national flower of the United States and a symbol of courage and valor, to stand in for the mothers, fathers, friends and other loved ones lost to the coronavirus.
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Here’s how it’ll work: Starting as soon as Monday, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals may apply for a PPP loan equivalent to the figure listed on line 7 of their Schedule C form--that is, their gross income. Previously, businesses needed to list their net income, or line 31 on the form, which removes taxes and other expenses from the calculation.
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On February 28, the Small Business Administration (SBA) posted a substantially updated set of Frequently Asked Questions, outlining information about eligibility for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) program. The newest FAQ states that declines in gross revenue will determine an applicant's eligibility for the priority grant award periods. Following are several related excerpts:
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to add unnecessary confusion to the rollout of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG). Last Friday, the SBA updated SVOG guidelines on their website to reflect that a loss of “earned” revenue would be the measurement for determining Priority Grants Distribution. I’m sorry to report that the SBA has now removed the word “earned” in this Priority Grants Distribution section. The language returned to the generic word “revenue.” This does not necessarily mean that they won’t use the “earned” revenue definition, but it has brought us back to the original ambiguity.
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She added that the surveys had found racial disparities in loss of income and access to federal money: All of those who identified as Black or African-American indicated a loss of income, while an average of 12 percent of those in all other ethnic groups identified a similar loss.
And 18 percent of Black, Indigenous or people of color individuals or organizations said they were denied funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The report added that 5 percent of other people and organizations said they were denied.
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This document includes key takeaways, highlights the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to BIPOC workers and organizations, quantifies layoffs and closures, and concludes with actionable policy recommendations that are centered in racial and cultural equity.
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To assess the impacts of the pandemic, Californians for the Arts (CFTA) conducted two online surveys of creative sector workers as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations between October 6 and November 27, 2020. Surveys were available online in English and in Spanish. CFTA engaged Victoria Plettner-Saunders, a Principal with the arts research and consulting firm WolfBrown, to design, implement and provide analysis of the surveys.
Organizations that have as a primary mission to serve the BIPOC community reported disproportionate access to CARES Act funding than those that reported having a different primary mission. It is unclear why organizations were denied funding or why they did not apply.
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Between October 6 and November 27, 2020, Californians for the Arts (CFTA) conducted an online survey of creative sector workers, to assess the personal and professional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was available online in English and Spanish. CFTA engaged Victoria Plettner-Saunders, a Principal with the arts research and consulting firm WolfBrown to design, implement and provide analysis of the surveys.
Of those who indicated the need for mortgage or rent relief for their place of residence (with either employment status), 29% identified as White compared to 49% who identified as part of the BIPOC community.
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This post contains updates about how the Small Business Administration (SBA) awards Shuttered Venue Grants.
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The agreement reflects a four-fold increase – from $500 million to more than $2 billion– for grants up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and also allocates $50 million for cultural institutions.
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This post contains updates about current federal COVID-19 funding and new federal legislation being considered by Congress now.
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The German government has doubled the amount of emergency pandemic aid for the arts, adding an extra €1bn to help cultural organisations and workers survive the second coronavirus lockdown, which was imposed last year in stages starting in the autumn.
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The narrative Baker wants to put forth is that artists are “second responders.”
“We’re not running into a burning building pulling someone out, but we’re right there right as they come out and rebuilding a life and rebuilding a community,” she says. “That’s what the arts do.”
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“It’s interesting that people who have had no connection to art are suddenly asking questions,” he says. “And it’s good for artists to leave the art bubble and go into a public space to confront people with things that are funny or different from what they are used to. There will be tens of thousands of visitors to this centre.”
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Recognizing the essential roles of “artists as second responders,” who help us recover, reflect and rebuild following times of crisis, and the equally vital role that the broader arts community plays in the local and regional creative economy, the San Benito County Arts Council’s COVID Arts Relief Grant Program was designed to uplift the local arts sector through direct funding. Grant funds will be applied to rent, salaries, internet services and other overhead costs.
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The National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) is launching a new program that will provide health care workers the type of release and self-care they need to help them fight COVID-19 burnout and manage their stress during this critical time. […]
Programs like NOAH’s are much needed as hospitals and their art programs suffer financial losses during the pandemic. All non-emergency surgeries were canceled and many people avoided hospitalization, at least in the early months of COVID.
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But if Hollywood is going to continue reaping the creative benefits of the theater — the actors’ training, the ambitious storytelling, the characters fleshed out over countless rewrites — it bears an obligation, artistic and moral, to assist the theater in its time of need.
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The budget for 2021 allocates funding to preserve Berlin museum buildings, renovate the Bayreuth Festival theatre, boost provenance research and grant free admission to the Jewish Museum Berlin
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At first, the calls for a New Deal for the arts, or a new Federal Theatre Project, were sparse. But since the summer, an array of theater executives — including Ybarra, Eustis, Oregon Shakespeare Festival artistic director Nataki Garrett and Woolly Mammoth Theatre artistic director Maria Manuela Goyanes in Washington — have formed a nationwide coalition. Their goal? Much like the first iteration of the Federal Theatre Project, it’s to get Congress, the White House and the country to see performing artists as workers.
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