The House Hearing of the Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy

On January 19, 2022, for the first time in United States history, Congress held a house hearing on the whole of the Creative Economy, titled: “The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy” through the Small Business Committee.

Be An #ArtsHero /Arts Workers United successfully organized this hearing collaboratively with both the Republican and Democratic committee leaders and were selected to be among the 4 witnesses brought to testify before Congress.

”Representing nearly 5.2 million American workers, the arts sector is a major component of the economy. Unfortunately, this industry has been exceptionally hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery has been slower than many others. The hearing will provide recommendations for investments in key infrastructure and provide a roadmap for bringing arts, culture, and creativity into the center of long-term recovery. Members will hear from experts alongside creative entrepreneurs to demonstrate the power of the creative economy and its importance to a robust recovery.”

While only four witnesses were permitted to testify live, Be An #ArtsHero/Arts Workers United launched a 50-state campaign collecting testimony from Arts Workers across the United States. This testimony was submitted to Congress and selected testimony was highlighted in the House Hearing packet, a visual informational packet for members of the Small Business committee. We welcome folks to access our House Hearing packet that has been edited to remove hyperlinks to the testimony of private citizens, in order to protect their privacy and contact information.