Informal Town Hall: Urgent Issues Facing Independent Contractors, Employers, and Venue Operators
Calling all Independent Contractors, Producers, Studio and Venue Operators, Theater, Dance, Musicians, Circus, and Working Artists.
When: Wednesday, October 18, 4pm EDT
Where: We’ll be meeting on Zoom using this link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89766665145?pwd=b3BEbFcrRHVZeUNtSVo3M1FicDdJdz09
We have been hearing from the field and colleagues that several new issues are coming to a head, threatening our community of artists and organization's ability to continue working.
During the height of the pandemic, independent contractors were able to access unemployment for the first time. While this has inspired deeper work in philanthropy and government to think about policies that would allow for this on an ongoing basis, it has also left the State with a new awareness of the level that our field is driven by and depends on gig-based workers.
In order to recoup funds, New York State is implementing tactics that will significantly compromise independent artists' ability to work. In addition, it is impacting venues, companies, and hiring agents' ability to employ artists. A magnifying glass has been placed on this type of worker, and the Dept. of Labor is coming after artists and orgs with fines. In some cases, they are retroactively implementing these policies.
In addition, General Liability coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and many providers are pulling out from offering coverage in New York State altogether.
We will gather to assess the level at which we've all been impacted by these two issues. We will talk in community first and then determine if a joint action is possible and necessary, bringing in elected officials and others to help move the conversation forward.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 18, 4pm EST via Zoom for an informal primary conversation led by Angela Buccinni Butch, The Muse; Randi Berry, IndieSpace; Talia Corren, A.R.T./New York; and Aimee Todoroff, The League of Independent Theater.
We look forward to hearing from you and discussing possible actions and steps to prevent the collapse of our industry and community.
If you have questions, please send a note to hello@indiespace.org or themuseevents@gmail.com.