The Coalition believes that it is essential for artists’ voices and perspectives, as well as the knowledge of artist services providers, to be well represented in policy work at federal, state and local levels to help foster better conditions in which artists can make their work and build their businesses, and to encourage creative problem solving and systemic change across all areas of the policy landscape.

We intend to focus our collective policy/advocacy effort on the following strategies:

1. Develop simple advocacy tools designed by and for artists and Coalition members that will provide effective strategies and best practices on how to share knowledge, gather insights, and mobilize community members around key issues that may include housing justice, small business development, protecting federal resources and services, funding for Mass Cultural Council, and passage of the state’s Creative Sector Agenda. 

2. Mobilize our networks to be more engaged and empowered in cultural policy work, with a near-term focus on building increased participation by (and highlighting of) artists in Creative Sector Advocacy Week, which will support MASSCreative’s statewide policy efforts and Creative Sector Agenda, and generally create more visibility for individual artists' contributions and needs.

3. Support Coalition members to be informed about upcoming and ongoing affordable housing and workforce/business development investments at the state, local, and private sector levels, and equip Coalition members with lists and scripts to identify allied organizations and advocate to appropriate agency personnel about the particular opportunities and needs for serving artists.

In support of the above strategies, we intend to draw on the collective knowledge and relationships of Coalition members to identify individual artists in key regions across the state who could provide compelling testimonials (for example, explaining why artist space challenges need to be given special consideration, and how artists are key to downtown prosperity and vitality).