Creatives Rebuild New York
HR&A Advisors partnered with Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) to strengthen the economic security and long-term sustainability of New York’s creative workforce. Through policy analysis, strategic advising, and institutional design, HR&A helped CRNY shape a statewide advocacy agenda aimed at advancing equitable conditions for artists and cultural workers. The engagement culminated in the creation of a Policy Playbook and an Organizational Blueprint to guide long-term action and investment.
Building on CRNY’s three-year, $125 million initiative that provided guaranteed income and employment opportunities to artists across New York State, HR&A identified opportunities to embed creative workers more deeply into New York’s economic and community development systems long-term. This work included assessing and advancing policies that supported economic mobility—such as artist employment programs tied to community revitalization—and strengthening safety nets through expanded access to benefits, unemployment insurance, and livable wages. HR&A also supported CRNY in exploring new models for collective ownership, unionization, and workplace protections to shift power toward artists and creative entrepreneurs.
The team conducted a comprehensive analysis of policy and budget levers at both the state and city levels, paired with a power-mapping effort to identify key stakeholders and reform pathways. The final deliverables provided CRNY with the tools and institutional roadmap to launch a new nonprofit advocacy organization, ensuring that the creative sector has a lasting and empowered role in shaping New York’s economic future.
- CRNY press release announcing release of the Policy Playbook — Creatives Build NY
- New Playbook Recommends Policies to Empower New York Artists — American Theatre
