Recorded May 28, 2020. For details on the bills discussed during our town hall please read our explainer on what you need to know about full commercial venue rent forgiveness. #cancelrent #saveourspaces
Featuring Deputy Leader of the City Council Jimmy Van Bramer, State Senator Brad Hoylman, Deputy Public Advocate Delsenia Glover, Assembly Member Robert Carroll, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, National Independent Venue Association's Justin Kantor, IndieSpace's Randi Berry, and the League of Independent Theater's Aimee Todoroff and Guy Yedwab. Testimonials from the Wild Project's Ana Mari de Quesada, Irondale Arts Center's Terry Greiss, Frigid New York's Erez Ziv, the Chain Theater's Christina Perry, and Thalia Spanish Theatre's Angel Gil Orrios.
To learn more about IndieSpace, go to https://http://www.indiespace.org/.
Since the beginning of the PAUSE in New York, small arts venues have been at a standstill, unable to generate any revenue while public events remain on hold for the greater good. Meanwhile, rents are due each month with no relief. As theater space after theater space announces permanent closures, the League of Independent Theater and IndieSpace are calling on elected officials to take action and protect small businesses and performance venues throughout the city.
Independent theaters, defined as venues with 99 seats or less as well as non-traditional venues, produce the majority of live performance in NYC per year, including all of the productions outside of Lower Manhattan, according to a 2019 study by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. The study found that small theaters employ thousands of workers across the city and act as economic tent poles for surrounding small businesses.
The League is calling upon the New York State legislature and New York City Council to suspend commercial rent payments (currently introduced in the State Legislature as S8125A / A10224A) and provide long-term rent stabilization to give arts venues a fighting chance to survive this pause.