Create your arts organization's business continuity plan, because the unexpected, won't-happen-to-me,
I-don't-want-to-think-about-it
actually does happen.
Be ArtsReady.
What is ArtsReady?
ArtsReady, an online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits, provides arts organizations with customized business continuity plans for post-crisis sustainability. Learn More.
Why do readiness planning?
- To protect community and cultural assets.
- To demonstrate sustainability to investors.
- To show mitigated risk to insurance companies.
- To be able to get up and running after crisis.
Announcing the free Pocket Response Resource
ArtsReady and the Performing Arts Readiness project have released the Pocket Response Resource (“PRR”). The PRR is a free document which prompts organizations to collect critical contact information on one side, and critical action steps such as evacuation, crisis communications, situational assessment, and prioritizing assets to be protected or salvaged on the other. It neatly folds down into a credit card-sized document piece for all staff, crew and volunteers to carry on their person – or have available to view on a device – so they have immediate access to information they’ll need in the first minutes and hours of any type of emergency. Download the PRR and Instructions here. More information here.
September is National Preparedness Month. Create your free Pocket Response Resource now!
Information During the Impact of 2020 Disasters
Resources Updated August 31, 2020
Check out the Library Resources on the right side of this page for updated information.
ArtsReady Basic Membership!
Sign up for a free ArtsReady Basic Membership to make sure you receive the latest information and resources! Please sign up today!
Grants and Webinars
The Performing Arts Readiness Project offers Network Grants. Upcoming free webinars address live-streaming licensing/permissions, crisis communications, safety/security for performing arts organizations, and more. The National Endowment for the Arts states the importance of the arts in the midst of COVID-19, and offers The Road Forward: Best Practices Tips Sheet for Arts Organizations Re-Engaging with Audiences and Visitors. Learn more.
South Arts Statement on Racial Equity
ArtsReady is a national initiative of South Arts. As our communities process the repeated impacts of COVID-19 and the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black Americans, South Arts stands in solidarity with those in grief, mourning and frustration. These killings must stop, and the systemic issues that perpetuate these atrocities must be addressed.
Our mission at South Arts is Advancing Southern vitality through the arts. Integral to that is an understanding that much of our collective Southern identity is rooted in Black communities and culture, and that racial inequity faced by those same communities has shaped many of the artists we call our own.
At South Arts, we actively and consciously address racial equity in our programming and processes. We affirm the power of art and creative expression to challenge, inspire and document important movements. We pledge to continually learn, evolve, and improve to strengthen the Arts and our region.
Black lives matter.
ArtsReady is also a member of the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response, and a signatory to their racial equity statement:
NATIONAL COALITION OF ARTS’ PREPAREDNESS & EMERGENCY RESPONSE STATEMENT OF EQUITY
We stand with the protests and outrage at the wrongful death of George Floyd and the many deaths of black Americans before him. We see and understand that we must face the issue of systemic racism as part of our mission to build resilience in the arts sector.
Our community is hurting, devastated by the impact of COVID-19 and all the racial inequities it has laid bare before us. Our work as a Coalition tells us that communities of color are disproportionately affected by disasters of all kinds.
Therefore, we pledge to improve our outreach to artists and arts organizations of color and engage them more fully in the work we are doing. We need to hear their voices on our Steering Committee and across all programming. We are hopeful for a stronger and more collaborative arts community on the other side of this pain and despair. Artists are agents of change. We commit to being part of the solution of building a more just future for all.
COVID-19 and the Arts Community
The arts community’s response to the COVID-19 public health crisis has been collaborative and in solidarity. Here we offer updated resources to help you operate within an unknown and constantly-changing environment, for artists, managers/agents, funders, and arts organizations.
All decisions should be made with the advice of, and within the context of, your local public health and other governmental officials. The
The CDC also offers advice for your home, workplace and arts venues.These sites maintain updated lists of upcoming and recorded webinars related to COVID-19, the CARES Act, and other crisis resources for the arts:
- APAP maintains a list of COVID-19 Webinars and Events
- Performing Arts Readiness maintains a list of upcoming webinars
Information about the CARES Act and other resources for artists and organizations:
- CERF+: The Artist's Safety Net - American Alliance for Museums: Information for the Museum Field on the COVID-19/Coronavirus - APAP: COVID-19 Resources
Additional Information and Resources
The Performing Arts Readiness Project (PAR) offers free webinars on many aspects of arts preparedness. More are scheduled, and previous webinars have been recorded and are available on demand. See the full list of offerings and register here.
CERF+ offers the new Studio Safety Guide, in addition to its longstanding resource The Studio Protector. Learn more!
