Boston Mayor Launches Online Survey To Access The Needs of Performing Arts Community

As previously reported by BroadwayWorld, Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh began 2016 with a commitment to increase his city's arts funding with three programs combining a budget of $1 million.

The programs will provide direct grants to individual artists, expand the city's fledgling artist-in-residence program and establish an artist resource desk at City Hall, which officials said would act as a central information hub for artists working in the city.

"The biggest thing we hear all the time is that local artists living in Boston need funds," says the mayor. "These are specific programs that touch on different types of artists across the spectrum in the city."

In order to help access the needs of Boston's arts community, the city has launched an online survey intended to compare the availability of performing arts venues with the needs of performing arts groups, reports the Boston Globe.

"As the performing arts landscape in Boston continues to evolve, it is important to have a clear understanding of the assets that exist within the city so we can quantify the needs that exist within the performing arts ecosystem," Walsh said in a statement. "We encourage members of the community to share their input regarding the performance and rehearsal space in Boston so together we can start working toward solutions surrounding the complexities of space for Boston's performing artists."

Two of Boston's major theatres have been the subject of concern this year, as Emerson College, for a time, was considering plans to convert its historic Colonial Theatre into a student center and Boston's University's BU Theatre, home of the Huntington Theatre Company was recently sold. The new owner has expressed interest in keeping the venue running as a theatre.

City officials say the survey will allow them to hear directly from Boston's performing arts community, both performers and those who provide, or may be interested in providing, performance and rehearsal venues.

Click here for the survey, which will close at 5pm on Monday, March 28th.

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