ADVOCACY

Austin Creative Alliance engages in Policy research, data analysis and community organizing to address the structural challenges shared by all cultural workers, venues and arts organizations.

Method

ACA’s steady, long term advocacy commitment has spurred millions of new dollars for public investment in Austin culture since 2018. Our advocacy begins with research into successful policies used by other cities facing challenges similar to Austin. We then study data gathered locally and from our national network of partners and affiliated organizations to determine what factors lead to successful policy outcomes. Finally, we evangelize for an idea as widely as possible, citing precedents, data and statistics, with the goal of the broadest possible community ownership of an advocacy priority.

enacted proposals:

• 2018 Creative Spaces Bond - ACA worked directly with former Councilmember Ann Kitchen to secure $12m on the 2018 Bond Election, which was approved by voters

• Austin Cultural Trust - ACA proposed a nonprofit real estate holding company for creative spaces in 2016; City Council established this in 2020, assigning it to Rally Austin,formerly the Austin Economic Development Corporation, ACA had also advocated for the creation of the AEDC and recommended Matthew Kwatinetz, the consultant who structured the LGC

• Iconic Venue Fund - $15m over 6 years, passed by Council in 2020; proposed to Councilmember Kitchen by ACA in 2018

• Artist Access Program - ACA interfaced between cultural center staff and Councilmembers during the 2017 Budget process to locate funds to keep the Carver, MACC, Dougherty and AARC open and accessible to more arts groups

Current Priorities

1. Transparency, accountability, best practices and community collaboration in the City of Austin’s cultural sector investment programs.

2. Building a new pipeline of private and corporate cultural philanthropy.

3. Preserving and creating permanently affordable, community owned cultural spaces.