On May 2, Actors’ Equity Association, the national union representing professional actors and stage managers, declared it will fight renewed efforts to abolish the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). A budget proposal to the chair of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) listed the NEA as one of many programs the office is seeking to eliminate. The NEA is currently funded at $207 million.
“Federal arts funding survived the last Trump administration with bipartisan support because Congress understands that the live arts are a huge economic job creator across the country,” said Al Vincent, Jr., executive director of Actors’ Equity Association. “The National Endowment for the Arts supports arts programs in every congressional district in the country, including many underserved rural communities. The economic value is huge — when someone goes to see a live arts show, they generate another $38.46 in economic activity per show — often spending at local restaurants, and on everything from parking to childcare. We will fight to protect this critical funding that generates a huge return on investment in local communities.”
Additionally, the NEA has support from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE), the union representing stagehands in the U.S. and Canada. In an email sent on May 2, IATSE wrote: “Today, we are asking members and allies to contact their members of Congress and urge them to sign the arts appropriations request letters supporting $209 million for both the NEA and NEH [National Endowment for the Humanities] in FY26.”
Americans for the Arts’ most recent survey, from 2022, found that nationally, the arts and entertainment sector generated $151.7 billion of economic activity in 2022 – $73.3 billion in spending by arts and culture organizations and an additional $78.4 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences. The sector supported 2.6 million jobs.
Update: On May 3, the president of Local 802, the New York chapter of the American Federation of Musicians issued a statement about the cancellation of NEA grants which followed the above announcement. “This is a dark day for the independence of the arts and musicians across the country — and it is an attack on American excellence and creativity,” said Bob Suttmann, president of Local 802. “NEA grants have been crucial in establishing the American artistic sector as the premier in the world, providing predictable funding for employers in a world of unpredictability. Communities across our nation will be worse off with dwindling resources for musicals, plays, and other performances that were made possible with NEA funding. Importantly, the elimination of these grants is going to hurt arts workers the most, and ultimately, it’s going to mean fewer shows, jobs and economic activity. The arts at their best can heal and bring people together; hurting them only creates more hate and division. We call on our national leaders to guarantee funding of the NEA at $1 per capita, and to ensure stability for our arts organizations by keeping politics out of their funding.”
