Cultural Industry Advocacy Day

It’s been two years and Cultural Industry Advocacy Day is finally BACK in person!! We invite you to participate in this day advocating for a friendly funding and policy environment that enables the creative industry to best transform lives. The cultural industry is rich and varied and UMA is proud to work together with partners representing arts, film, humanities, libraries, entertainment, museums, and STEM to organize this advocacy day.

This is your chance to positively influence the legislature’s funding decisions and advocate for bills that benefit the cultural industry (including museums) and boost K-12 cultural education.

What will attendees do?

1. Foster positive relationship building with elected officials by delivering Cultural Champion Awards to legislators who voted in favor of our policy agenda during the 2022 session.

2. Attend a press conference featuring President Adams and Speaker Wilson to release 2021 cultural industry economic data that demonstrates our industry’s value.

3. Provide or simply experience interactive hands-on activities showcasing our industry in the Capitol Rotunda. 

4. Speak to legislators to build support for our bills and appropriations that positively impact our industry.

Utah’s cultural industry – the business of living – has seen great success with the Utah legislature over the last three sessions due to our collaborative advocacy work:

1. The legislature has increased Arts & Museums grants by 687%.

2. Arts education has grown by $15M.

3. We’ve passed dozens of bills that create a friendly policy environment in which creative workers can best transform lives.

4. We’ve blocked and negotiated harm out of bills that could have hurt our industry.

5. The legislature invested a life-saving $40M rescue to keep this industry alive during the pandemic.

We invite you to be a champion for culture and boost legislative support for the industry. 

Schedule

10:30 am-12:30 pm | Cultural Industry is showcased to legislators [via interactive activities in Rotunda]

10:30 am-10:45 am  | Press Conference with President Adams and Speaker Wilson to release 2021 Cultural Industry Economic Impact Data (time subject to change due to changing nature of the legislative session)

10:00 am-2:30 pm | Delivery of Cultural Champion Awards to legislators [Capitol Building]

How to participate as an individual

Individuals may register as an attendee or captain. 

Attendees will register for a specific shift to deliver awards to legislators and build support for our policy agenda and appropriations requests. This is a great option for those who are new to Advocacy Day or have limited time on February 7. No prior training is needed. 

Captains will attend the entire day, schedule meetings with legislators, and coordinate with attendees to deliver awards. This is a great option for those who have attended Advocacy Day in the past or have time to both contact legislative interns prior to the event and be at the Capitol from 8 am - 5 pm.

How to participate as an organization

If your organization would like to provide an engaging, interactive activity in the Rotunda please fill out this form by January 13. Activities need to be ready by 10:30 am and break down is after 12:30 pm. If you have specific questions please contact Landon Wilkey if you are interested in participating.

Things to keep in mind:

• Visit utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/visitors-tours/directions-parking for directions and parking. Please obey all posted parking regulations. 

• Please wear professional attire with comfortable shoes (there is a lot of walking on hard marble floors). 

• There are limited food and beverage options on Capitol Hill. At check out, you can select to purchase a boxed lunch that we will provide.

• There may be waiting time between activities and appointments. Internet access is available.

• Please bring your phones! We will be communicating with you during the day mainly via text message. And it is also great to get a photo with each legislator as you deliver the award.

Learn more about UCA’s legislative priorities for this year here.

If you have any questions please contact Ruth White.