MACT Logo. Upper portion is comedy/drama masks with comedy mask in yellow and drama mask in blue. Lower portion has the acronym "MACT" and below it the description MN Association of Community Theatres.MACT

MACT

Minnesota Association of Community Theatres

We are Minnesota’s Community Theatres

Arts Advocacy

We all need to be advocating for the arts all the time. Our school leaders, community leaders, state legislators and national legislators all need to be reminded repeatedly of how important the arts are to our quality of life and economic prosperity. In Minnesota the easiest way to do that is to join Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA). They are a non-profit group that advocates for the arts. If you are an arts organization or an individual that cares about the arts, you need to be a member of MCA. Even if you are not a member, you should join their e-mail list to keep informed about the “state of the arts” in Minnesota. More information on MCA can be found on their website artsmn.org.

There is a lot of helpful information on arts advocacy to be found online.  The list below includes many national organizations that provide some of the most useful basic and detailed explanations of the advocate’s role, how to advocate effectively (and legally), and presenting a clear and effective message.
  • Americans for the Arts advances and leads the network of organizations and individuals who cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in America.
  • Arts & Economic Prosperity is the national economic impact study on the nation’s nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences.
  • Advocacy Toolkit for Individuals and Organizations
  • The State Arts Action Network (SAAN)currently includes 53 members from 42 states, including the District of Columbia. Members independently lead their state’s arts policy initiatives and gather together to share best practices.
  • The pARTnership Movement provides businesses and arts organizations with tools to make meaningful collaborations – partnerships that not only support a healthy, creative, and artistic community, but also give businesses a competitive advantage.
  • Theatre Communications Group is a major advocate for the not-for-profit professional theatre in the United States. TCG represents the theatre field both in Washington, DC, and nationally, to provide timely information for theatres and theatre artists on federal legislation, regulations and other significant government opportunities and issues.
  • The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies links & supports state arts agencies that serve to increase public access to the arts and work to ensure that every community in America enjoys the cultural, civic, economic and educational benefits of a thriving arts sector.
  • Arts Advocacy Basics for Performing Arts Organizations, provided by the Performing Arts Alliance.
  • World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). An international non-governmental organization, ITI was founded in 1948 by UNESCO and the international theatre community. World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on the 27th of March. Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark the occasion, but many events are local with the purpose of drawing attention to theatre and international harmony.