Power of Culture Blog
A Holiday Message from Michael J. Bobbitt
The Year Behind, The Path Ahead
Michael Ibrahim, Program Manager
Mass Cultural Council has completed several surveys with the cultural community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and so far, results have illustrated devastating economic impact of closures, job losses and lost revenue.
As we begin our work to support the field in moving from response to recovery strategies, it is important that we understand what guidance, knowledge, equipment, and overall financial investment organizations will need to create their path towards full recovery.
We’re launching a COVID-19 Recovery Survey to gather this data from cultural organizations across the Commonwealth so that we can better communicate the necessary financial, human, intellectual, and social capital needed to fully recover. We intend to collect data on our field’s existing recovery timelines and strategies, identify specific implementation needs, and determine the total financial investment required to bring our sector back to pre-COVID-19 levels.
This survey will be used as a critical advocacy tool to inform legislators on the specific cultural economic needs in Massachusetts – what programs, services, and financial assistance our organizations will require to safely reopen and what it would cost the Commonwealth in the long run if that public investment is not made.
In addition to recovery forecasts, the survey will also collect up-to-date economic loss data going back to March 1, 2020 so that we can get a full picture of the real-time losses the cultural community has suffered.
To assist in data analysis, Mass Cultural Council is partnering with the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
The survey will be open through June 30, 2020. Findings will be available in early July 2020.
Please share it with your networks.
Complete the COVID-19 Recovery Survey
Questions? Contact Cultural Investment Portfolio staff.
