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          11:00am - 1:30pm

          Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport

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          Read More
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          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Partnership with Boston Public Schools 

          The Chamber Foundation invites the business community to engage with Boston Public Schools leaders and their students to help build the future workforce.

          Read More
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          arrow-go
          Read More
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          Explore our key priorities and strategic efforts.

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Chamber joins letter to support relief for Arts, Culture & Creative sectors

May 4, 2021

April 26, 2021

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is one of 113 chambers of commerce from 46 states to sign a letter in support of relief for the arts, culture, and creative sectors. The Chambers signed onto the letter collectively working with over 33 million employers, employees, and businesses of all sizes and industries to respond to our national public health and economic crisis.

The 2020 CARES Act and the new American Rescue Plan Act provided much-needed relief to many of our members, however, there are critical gaps in the aid that fail to meet the needs of the creative economy and cultural infrastructure. A report from the Brookings Institution [1] found that the country’s 670,000 creative economy businesses (which generate $919.7 billion each year towards the GDP) [2] have collectively lost at least $150 billion, and that over half of all workers in the creative sector remain unemployed.

Johns Hopkins University and the international Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development warn [3] that the creative sector is among the most impacted industries in the country— with damaging ripple effects to restaurants, tourism, travel, and local businesses. Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows that the sector contracted by 59% between the end of 2019 and mid-2020 — twice the rate of other highly impacted industries— and is rebounding at a slower rate.[4]

We request that the U.S. Congress work swiftly to enact the following provisions within the infrastructure and recovery package known as the American Jobs Plan. These proposals echo the Put Creative Workers to Work policy platform endorsed by over 2,300 creative businesses and creative workers in all 50 states.[5]

  • Allocate $14 billion to incentivize local, state, and tribal businesses and governments to put creative workers to work and activate cultural infrastructure, including hiring or tax credits to incentivize businesses and local and state agencies to accelerate hiring, re-hiring, or retention of creative workers; funds to incentivize financial institutions to invest in small creative businesses and creative entrepreneurs; grants to cover restart costs for small creative businesses and provide capital for the creation of new creative product to be sold; and support for local and state creative workforce programs.
  • Allocate $3 billion to spark an American cultural renaissance via the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and other federal agencies, including through creative jobs, fellowships, residencies, and commissions designed to drive local economic growth and community cohesion, produce free entertainment to encourage local spending, and incentivize local and state workforce development and infrastructure programs.
  • Allocate $1 billion in arts and creativity-based education for recovery via the Department of Education, including a bridge program to incentivize retention of arts educators within education infrastructure.
  • Direct the Federal Reserve to broaden their nonprofit lending facility under the Main Street Lending Program to specifically benefit mid-size nonprofits to those with more than 500 employees, and a loan forgiveness option.

As we face the road to economic recovery, we must prioritize creative infrastructure and the sector of creative and cultural institutions, particularly because they will help drive the recovery of local small businesses and economies of all types. With key investments and funding, cultural institutions can push the recovery forward across the country.

Download the letter here.

[1] Brookings Institution, Lost Art, 2020.

[2] U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2020.

[3] Johns Hopkins University and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

[4] U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2020.

[5] Put Creative Workers to Work.

Carolyn Ryan

Senior Vice President, Policy & Research

[email protected]
617-557-7310

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