RUCMA Mission Statement

Rise Up Creative Music and Arts (aka Rise Up or RUCMA) is a grassroots coalition of musicians and music lovers, united to address their creative, political and practical concerns through advocacy and actualization of specific goals.

RUCMA aims to change the role of artists in modern society by changing the role that art plays in the life of the average citizen. To accomplish this we must change the conversation surrounding the arts. Instead of claiming that the arts need the support of the community, it is our contention that the community needs the support of the arts.

RUCMA is beginning its organizing efforts within the avantjazz community and other experimental, innovative musics based in New York City. These experimental artists have been among the hardest hit by the decreasing space and support given to the arts. The goals of the organization are deeply rooted in the crises faced by these musicians. However, it is our long-term goal to include creative practice from all artistic disciplines and genres. Finding flexible, affordable space for creative work and life is crucial to the mission of RUCMA.

Changing the Conversation / Community Outreach

RUCMA aspires to nothing less than transforming the discourse around the role of art and artist in society. In doing so, RUCMA seeks to have a society where art is considered vitally important and where creativity is cherished accordingly. RUCMA will develop a variety of community outreach programs to raise the profile of the arts in our communities and educate the younger generation about the creative work being done throughout the city.

Performance Spaces

The creation of community programming requires the creation of physical spaces in which to create, rehearse, present and teach art in the New York community. The recent closure of Tonic has eliminated yet another crucial center for the artistic community. To this end, RUCMA will strive to obtain and maintain a space in lower Manhattan to serve a variety of roles in the arts community. This will not only mean creating performance venues to present the arts, but a multi-use space which can serve the numerous requirements for building artistic community.

Media Outreach and Reform

In raising the status of the arts in our communities, it is also crucial to change the way the arts are covered in various media outlets. RUCMA will pursue this goal in two crucial directions:

1. By promoting the work of creative artists and organizations in existing media outlets and
2. By creating alternative modes of information dissemination and interpersonal communication

The latter will be pursed through the development of a RUCMA website which will serve a variety of needs for both artists and fans alike.

Artist Housing

The rise of New York real estate prices has forced many musicians out of Manhattan, and often out of the city as a whole. If New York is to maintain its role as a major center of world culture, it is crucial to create affordable housing options in the city for use by creative artists. RUCMA will work toward this goal through political advocacy for dedicated artist housing, as well as by disseminating information about existing programs to subsidize housing for New York artists.

Educational Programming

The creative arts cannot survive without the involvement of a younger generation of fans and artists. To foster interest in the arts among the younger generation, RUCMA will develop a range of educational programming for students of all ages. These efforts will include both workshops presented at schools and other venues, as well as the development of an independent educational program, developed in tandem with the RUCMA performance space.