>>This week on NewsNight Conversations, as Florida lawmakers hammer out how much grant money arts organizations will get for the coming fiscal year., groups in our region are trying to plan for their financial future.

What's been the impact of the governor's veto of arts grants last year?

What strings may be attached to new funding going forward?

How much power will the governor have over funding decisions?

Local leaders from the arts and cultural community in Central Florida join us to discuss way to create, engage, and sustain.

A special edition of NewsNight Conversations starts now.

Hello, I'm Steve Mort and welcome to a special edition of NewsNight Conversations.

We're recording tonight's program in front of a live audience at the Orlando Science Center with a panel of leaders from arts and cultural groups in Central Florida.

It's been a challenging year fo some of those groups following the governor' veto last year of arts funding.

Well, we'll start tonight with a report from NewsNight's Krystel Knowles.

>>Ars gratia artis, or "art for art's sake."

It's a philosophy that art is an experience in and of itself, without needing to have a political agenda or any other kind of motive.

Mauricio Cespedes Rivero principal viola for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, says he plays for the soul and the music itself.

>>I serve, that's my purpose in music.

I serve whether I'm playing principal viola or I'm conducting.

I conduct the Orlando Philharmonic often.

And whenever I get to do that, I'm a servant to the music first, make sure in rehearsal and in concert, I do my best, and then I just have fun with the audience because ultimately everything we do is for them.

>>Just before last year' state budget kicked in, Governor DeSantis vetoed all $32 million in arts and culture grants.

This was over a debate about adu The move blindsided the arts community, sending organizations into crisis mode.

In response, Karina Bharne, Executive Director of the Philharmonic, orchestrated a solution.

>>The Orlando Philharmonic would generally request $150,00 from the state of Florida.

And so because of this each year we receive a portion of that funding.

So for several years we did receive 100%.

For some years we received 75 to 80%.

So for us, that means that we will not be receiving 150,000, for us and for many of the arts organizations here in Orlando, we had a variety of choices that we can make.

So first we could, remove some programing, restructure some programing, taking a look at our costs to see okay, maybe we need to remove a concert or do a concert someplace else that might be a little bit cheaper.

Or we can look at different ways to, increase our revenue.

So we did a mixture of both.

So we took a look at our expenses, saw what we might be able to reduce for the year.

And then we also took a look at our, individuals to see if we might be able to, just have increased suppor from any of our largest donors.

We were very lucky that we received a $35,000 challenge match from one of our donors, and I'm proud to say that we met and exceeded that.

>>According to data from the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, almost 600 arts programs and 33 facilities have been recommended for grant funding in the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Stefanie Diaz, a performer who was once able to pick and choose her gigs, says it forced her to live paycheck to paycheck.

>>It honestly felt like I woke up one day and there was nothin to audition for.

That's what it felt like.

It felt like I was I was gettin ready for audition season.

I knew that, you know, the calls for the theme parks were coming.

I knew that, okay, this is usually when thi theater puts out their season.

And I'm not saying that that didn't happen with a couple of the theaters, but on the whole, I felt like I had so much to audition for when I first moved here that I was actually I wa I had the opportunity to say no because there was so much to audition for, and now it feels like if I don't book this, where's my next paycheck coming from?

>>Art moves people.

>>Despite last year's veto, funding is back on the budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year as lawmakers work on the condition arts should meet to qualify for grants.

>>Oh, come on, baby, you got to come out sometime.

>>Meanwhile, some of the arts community see a silve lining to their recent turmoil.

Diaz says the situation revealed the incredible resilience of the arts community in Central Florida.

Performing was your plan A did you have a plan B?

>>No.

I mean, if I had...I love animals, I would have gone the exact opposite route and gone to be a marine biologist.

If I had felt just as passionate about that as I di about performing, what can I do?

What else am I good at?

That's I that I think kind of started pushing me towards, children's theaters and working with children and realizing that I was good at that, that I could pass on my knowledge to them.

>>The most recent numbers from the National Endowment for the Arts show just how big of an impact the arts have on the nation's wealth.

The NEA finds the arts contribute to some $45 billion to the economy every year, support nearly 300,000 jobs, and attract nearly a third o Americans to live performances.

Another 16% attend art exhibits.

Based on what has happened last year.

When it comes to funding, what are you hoping for this year?

>>We are really hoping that our funding is restored for this year.

It would be very, very important for us, because in the long run for one year, most organizations will be able to figure out a temporary solution.

We are very lucky that we have board members that actually serve as part of the Florida government.

So we're, actively lobbying actively, actively championing all of the arts, not just the symphony, to make sure that it is restored for next year.

>>Meanwhile, Mauricio Cespedes Rivero says the next generation of artists and musicians are witnessing the struggles the community faces from shifting politics to economic challenges.

>>My son Michael, he's only ten years old.

He, he came to me.

He was listening to the conversation I was having with my wife, and he said "Dad, I think I think small art organizations are really going to be impacted, of course.

But you guys have gone through so much."

And he reminded me of 2008, the pandemic.

And he said, you know, I think you guys are going to be fine because that was a really, really impactful, answer.

And that tells you of how much our youth is paying attentio to what is happening around us.

And, well, they are the future.

So I'm glad he's living through this so in the future, we may have a brighter future.

>>Krystel Knowles reporting there.

Well, joining me at the Orlando Science Center to break it all dow and what's going on in the arts community, I'm joined by a panel of five leaders from the arts community here in Central Florida.

Jennifer Evins is President and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida.

Thanks so much for being here Jennifer.

Really appreciate it.

Chris Brown is the leader of the Orlando Family Stage.

Thank you for being here Chris I really appreciate your time.

JoAnn Newman, you're the CEO and President of the Orlando Science Center.

Thank you so much for having us here today.

>>Of course.

>>Really appreciate it.

Marianne Eggleston is the founder of the Orlando Urban Film Festival.

Good to see you, Marion.

Appreciate it.

And also with us today, Melissa Fritzinger, Managing Director of the Orlando Fringe as well.

Good to see you.

You've been in the news a little bit this year so-- >>Just a little bit.

>>It's a good of you to to join us here.

Jennifer, let me start with you and we'll talk about the funding part of this, we should mention that we are recording this for air at a later date.

So things, of course, can change because, lawmakers are in session.

As we all know, the governor X-ed out those state grants, from the 24-25, budget.

The budget version that lawmakers are talking about now has funding back in there, but with some stipulations.

Right.

Can you tell us briefly what the lay of the land is at the moment in Tallahassee, bearing in mind that that might change?

>>Well, currently they're ver narrow stipulations.

To give you an idea, we have 8 applicants that are eligible for state funding through the arts and cultural grants, and only 13 of them are in a position to be funded with the current legislation.

So they're looking at qualifiers that are very limited.

And they're also looking at smaller budgets, smaller amounts of money than what we project that what we requested.

There were over 400 eligible applicants from the entire state of Florida, and it's worth millions of dollars to all of us.

That's for for our total for our television market, it's over $9 million, which is about 10% of our combined budget.

So-- >>When we say television market we mean like a nine county are.

>>Yeah.

So Central Florida, and so we're talking about a substantial impact, almost 10% across the board and, and we're businesses just like any other business we employ people.

And so we're talking about, you know, when you look at all of us have to submit very intensive applications.

They're about 70 pages long.

They look at our governance, our management our - how physically, fiscally sustainable we are.

They look at the impact of our programming, and they also took we all get scored on our grant applications.

And to be eligible you have to receive a score of 80.

And they chose to only fun groups that scored 95 or higher.

So only 13 of our 83 organizations that were eligible scored that 95 or higher, which is a very difficult score to receive in any evaluation.

But it it's it's very narrow.

And, we hope that they'll expand it to be what the eligibility requirements are, as well as really look at at the amount of dollars because we're a huge part of our state's economy.

>>Well, let's go around the horn a little bit on on this one.

I'll come to you.

Chris, do you share some of the concerns and the hopes that that Jennifer voiced there?

>>Concerns, frustrations.

Yeah, absolutely.

Because at the end of the day the the legislature is not seeing the value that we provide.

And it's even more frustrating that we're, that we get in these conversations about state funding and we're we're fighting for every dollar.

And it's such a small piece of the state budget that it's like, why are we even having to go through all of this for the scraps that we're getting?

So we we sor of shifted focus on this grant.

We scored a 94.5, so we will not be receiving any state funding at this moment.

And, we're a children's theater.

Like, we should be supporting these organizations, way more than we already are.

>>Yeah.

JoAnn how does this affect you as the Orlando Science Center?

People might not necessarily immediately think the arts.

What is the impact for an organization like yourself?

>>Yeah.

It's we are a larger budget overall organization like our audited number last year.

We're about an $1 million budget.

The amount that we had hoped to get last year that got cut was about 70 to $75,000.

So it's not a significant piece.

But I think the real issue is something that that really Jennife and Chris, I think both said is how do we, start to get folks to value what's happening in arts and science is a part of that, we're the I guess we're the culture part right now, arts and culture.

And I mean, in terms of the work that we do at the science center and the value and, there's so much there's so much important work that's being done.

I mean, we are trying to, you know, we're really a workforce development, engine.

And we need to inspire more of our youth to go into these amazing careers in science and technology and engineering.

And, I mean, we have board members.

I was just having a conversation with one of our board members from Lockheed Martin.

He's a VP of engineering, and they are desperate for the talent we need to build these pipelines.

And it's a very important part of the work we do.

I think there's a huge economic impact, as Jennifer was saying, of all of this kind of work.

And so how do we I thin the real question is how do we, you know, get that sort of understanding to occur?

At the stat level and honestly, with, with, I would say with the, the audience, you know, with our, with all of our audiences, a general public to, to value the work that's being done.

>>It sounded from what you said at the beginning there that small organizations coul be disproportionately affected.

And Marianne I don't know if you have qualified in the past, for grants from the state, but is that the sense that you get that, that those of you that run smaller organizations are disproportionately impacted by this funding question?

>>This was our first time because we usually jus do what we do and we don't ask for-- >>S last year was the first time-- >>Last year the first time we applied.

And it's so interesting because a lot of the smaller organizations are, in the community per se face to face with the community.

>>Yeah.

>>We're there, talking with the schools, the students and teaching them and helping to train them for, to come into other jobs, the engineering, the science center, so that they can be prepared, to be able to talk fluently, talk about their future, talk about some of their goals and a lot of times, young people, especially in the urban areas, not just black or African American, but all diverse students in the community.

They need to be trained, you know, they need to be taught.

And that's what the arts do.

They help them find their innate talents so that then they can use those talents to, you know, do other things in life.

>>Melissa, let me put this to you.

I mean, the programming a the Fringe was somewhat central, I guess, to to the governor's, decision on on funding in the last budget.

Just talk to us a little bit, if you can, about how that played out and what you're looking to do going forward in terms of funding.

Now, are you going to get any and are you looking at changes to programming as a result?

>>We are not lookin at changes to programing.

We the way that our programming works i we are a lottery based festival.

So if you have a show and you are interested, then you submit to the lottery.

We pull names literally out of a hat.

And if you are in the festival, you're in the festival.

So we have no control over, what shows technically get into the festival.

>>Okay.

>>So we are not going to put any kind of >>So you don't have control over that at all.

>>We do not.

And we abide by the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals Creed, where we ar 100% unjuried, 100% uncensored.

And these are the things that we are very passionate about.

So we are not looking to change any of our programing in that way.

>>Is that the local funding part of this puzzle?

Does it become much more important?

>>I think diversifying your funding is absolutely key in all its forms.

You know, local, state, federal, private, corporate, individuals really trying to diversify their funding as much as you can.

It's it's a and in these times, it's an absolute necessity.

If you are reliant upon just one source.

>>Yeah.

Then you're in trouble.

>>You're in trouble.

>>Well, let's talk about some of those strategies for diversifying funding then.

Melissa, what what does your organization foresee as the future of your funding model?

I mean, are you satisfied that your organization's funding sources are diversified enough?

How do you go about gaining sources of funding from other places?

>>So we are really expanding our focus on funding.

We're looking at making new relationships with folks and organization that we have never done before.

And, you know, we're of the you know, if you we're going to ask and you can say yes, you can say no, but we're still going to ask.

>>If you don't ask you're not gonna get it.

>>Exactly.

So, you know, we're really kind of stepping outside the box and creating new relationships and really cultivating the relationships that we currently have.

Corporate sponsorships are one of those things that a lot of organizations are seeing kind of going by the wayside because of the diversity and the inclusion and that kind of thing.

So-- >>You find corporations are adjusting their behaviors because-- >>Yes.

Yeah.

And that's not just that's not just us here.

>>Of course.

>>In Central Florida, it's been done all over.

So that is one of those things that we are keenly aware of.

But we are really looking at cultivating the relationships that we currently have.

And our private donors have really stepped up for us, because they believe in who we are.

They believe in what we are doing because of our freedom of expression.

We, you know, give everybody that platform to come out and express say who you are, do what you do, what you want to do.

And because of that, we'v gotten a lot of private donors.

>>Interesting.

How does an organizatio like yours, Marianne, diversify or have the time to go out and find - because because you're a very small, organization, how do you go about figuring out that diversity puzzle when it comes to funding, when you just, you know, very few hours in the day?

>>Yeah.

So what we did was, we just partnered with the big concert, promoter.

And even though Orlando Urban Film Festival with Orlando Urban Music now they are Music Fest Orlando they usually have 12 to 15,000.

So we said, well, let's connect and put the music side together, you know, with the film festival.

But as soon as DEI, the executive orders came down, three of our major sponsors backed out.

So that kind of knocked the collaboration with Music Fest out a little bit financially, but we now have to pivot.

And so we're looking for outside investors, you know so your outside investors, your, marketing outside our, local Central Florida marketplace, going national, going global just trying to bring people in.

>>I want to pick up on what yo mentioned about collaboration.

And, Chris, does collaboratio form an important part of trying to, diversify funding sources, sharing funding, sharing resources, that kind of thing.

Is that an important part of the puzzle, do you think?

>>I think absolutely.

You have to be creative, right?

Funding, funding changes every year.

I could get, funding from, I don't know, Disney for ten years.

And then if they change their priorities, that's going to impact me.

And so, you know, working to I think when collaboration comes into the mix, it's more about, creating something exciting, right?

Creating something that multiple groups of people are going to want to engage with because that's ultimately going to build those relationships.

Right.

It's so interesting.

We've had so much, you know, a turnover over the last five years in our, in our arts sector.

It's with turnover goes all of those relationships.

And so you're sort o starting over every time-- >>You mean peopl leaving the area-- >>Absolutely.

People leaving, artists leaving, designers leaving.

>>Ha it been more so in recent years?

>>Since since Covid for sure.

They're starting to, to, come back.

But I also want to say you mentioned our, our local government support.

You know, what they have been able to, do at Orange County is unlike any other community around-- >>In the country.

>>No on has that kind of local support.

So [APPLAUSE] it's really it's really a game changer.

And it does provide phenomenal resources to all these groups.

>>And I just want to add on that because I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, I've been in the music business, hit music business for years.

I don't want to tell my age, but, no other state.

I lived in Chicago and a few other places, but here I find that we have the biggest support with the city city of Orlando, and with United Arts managing those funds to help them.

And I think that's what I think really helps the city and the city government to manage the funds so that they can help the arts organizations.

>>Wel it sounds like local government here is winning some plaudits.

But Jennifer, what about the public?

What about the viewing audiences?

Right?

I mean, nonprofits writ large, it seems, in this community seem to struggle with fundraising when they when they go to the public cap in hand for money.

How do you view that part of the puzzle, and how do you view the whole diversification of, of income writ large?

>>Well, first of all, everyone, all of your guests today have great art, great science experience.

When you come to the science center, it's world class.

When you go to the Orlando Family Stage, they're one of the top leading family, you know, theater companies in the country.

>>Our ballet is in the top 20 in America.

What we have in Central Florida is world class experiences.

We have 13 film festivals and, you know, they're they're creating the next generation of film production, artists and technicians.

So when you look at that, when you're in the private sector we need, the private community, whether it's business leaders or families or an individual that have moved here from some - we have a thousand people moving here a week.

And, we need them to see our local arts community as their local home team for the arts.

If you want to make this community stronger, investing in the arts is one of the quickest, greatest return on your investment.

For for workforce development, for quality of life, for well-being, for mental health and physical health.

So we need our local community to recognize that taking ownership of the success of our local organizations is critical because we raise, within the collaborative campaigns we've got right now, the collaborative campaign for the arts You talked about collaboration.

And when we say arts, we're talking about performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, the science center, the history center, everything about our art and culture that make us strong.

And so when you give to the collaborative campaign, you get to decide you want to give it to some film organizations.

I want to give it to youth development organizations.

I want to give it to all music.

You get to pick those organizations and designate your funds.

At the same time, those all gifts are matched by United Arts and Orange County.

So we really need the private sector.

I mean, our current year, the but the budget that was cut is our current budgets.

We're all living in those right now.

We lost $6.9 million, in our region alone in state funding.

And so, we need the private sector.

We need companies, foundations, families, individuals to please give to the collaborative campaign.

>>And it's and it's so common that people misunderstand that, as if we're like a starving artist and we need the - no.

We need all of these organizations to be thriving because that's the impact, right?

If we're just having to figure out how to replace $150,000 a month before the fiscal year, like any business is going to have a challenge with that.

We got to stop the scarcit mindset for our arts and culture institutions, and we should be shoveling money.

I want to see the day where I'm like, what do I do with all this money?

Right?

>>Don't we all.

>>And you know what-- >>That would be great.

Right?

>>Steve, I think this is really important.

We saw, you know, when we talk about impact the arts in Central Florida are touching 2.5 million people, not 100,000, not 50 people, but 2.5 million people and over 600,000 children.

>>Yeah.

>>So if you want to invest in something that truly touches everyone's lives, we're talking about major impacts, not just a small group her and a small group there, but 2.5 million people are impacted by this.

[MUSIC] >>Well, Chris mentioned, you know, that sort of hardship mindset.

And I wonder I'll come to you on this one, JoAnn whether when you talk to your colleagues in other parts of the country who are in the money raising game as well, do they talk about that as well, or is that something that we experience here in particular?

I often hear that Central Florida is a transient community.

A lot of people move in, a lot of people move out.

It's difficult to find people with the roots to support the arts and cultural organizations.

What do you think about that?

I mean, is that is it is it rougher here than it is elsewhere?

>>It may be somewha I think there are geographical area in the country where there there are major donors and there's a culture of philanthropy that does seem to exist that has existed for many years.

It I mean, I would say, though, in general, when you do talk to colleagues, everybody is saying how do we how do we develop a culture of philanthropy?

And I think it comes down to telling our stories just as as Jennifer's explaining, and we all need to get better at telling our stories.

It's something we talk about all the time at the Science Center.

>>There is an economic imperative here, right?

To to funding the arts, there' a large economic impact to it.

You guys, the arts community qualifies for tourist development tax dollars for that reason.

And I'm wondering how you better demonstrate the economic impact of the arts to policymakers and whether that's part of the puzzle here.

Can you make the case more clearly?

Do it, do you think, to the public and also those who are in charge of the purse strings?

Melissa?

>>I've always thought about this, and this is just, you know, how I think you've got Congressman.

You've got, senators, what do they do in their downtime?

They read a book, they go see a movie, they go see a play, they go see a musical.

Where do they think that's coming from?

>>Yeah.

>>It's coming from us in the grassroots.

When you talk about the Orlando Fringe or Fringe festivals in general, there is a show called Fleabag.

There is a movie called Baby Reindeer.

Both of those pieces of art came from a fringe festival.

They were a fringe show that then got developed into a TV show and a movie.

This is the art that people are watching in their homes.

They're streaming this on their TVs, but they don't come out an they don't come to the theater.

They don't come to the festival.

And I feel that we need to tell that story about why that's important.

And especially, you know, at Orlando Family Stage.

I used to work with Chris many years ago as a stage manager and working with those children and seeing how those children benefit from the discipline of learning how to be on stage, learning stage directions, memorizing lines that affects the rest of their life so positively, and so telling those stories and making sure that we are talking to the right folks about why it's important is the burden that we that we bear.

>>My background is very diverse.

My doctoral degree in, as a professo also is in human communication.

And my study, my, doctoral study, is human communication.

And this is what the arts does.

It develop the person from the inside out, you know, and if we didn' have the arts, you know, people wouldn't even myself, I was on my way to be an accountant.

Ended up in the music business.

So where would people be if they couldn't discover themselves?

>>It' so it's so interesting, though, because I talk to, you know, I talk to parents, every day and, many of those parents are, not nervous.

That's too strong of a word, but maybe hesitant to send their child to a theater camp.

And I always have this moment of, we're not here to turn your chil into a Broadway superstar.

Like that is not the point.

The point is to make sur your child can stand here and talk to people.

>>Public speaking.

>>Right?

We we need the children to be able to be confident.

>>Yes.

>>And be brave and care about their neighbors and have some empathy for the world.

Like that's what these art forms do.

Well, I'm really interested in this, this next generation, question.

And I wonder whether that is also part of the answer to the philanthropy problem.

The earlier that you get kid interested in arts and culture, does that make them future supporters of the arts?

I mean, is it about getting them early?

>>It's eight years old, is a very clear cliff in the research.

By the age of eight years old, if you interact a young person in arts and cultural activities, they will be lifelong patrons of the arts.

But if you miss that window, it's something like 70% harde to get them back into this room.

>>I mean, how do we address that sort of gap in in arts education?

JoAnn especially sort of in young people, but also underrepresented communities as well.

>>Yeah.

Well, I mean, we're big believers in reaching children as young as we possibly can.

We have our own preschool here at the science center.

So we start with three and four year olds.

We're teaching science, we're teaching critical thinking skills.

And, and that's reall I think what we're talking about is trying to build these skills that are so important.

Not that you become a Broadway-- >>No.

>>Actor or actress.

Not that you become necessarily an engineer or scientist, but that the the impact to our youth, the experiences that they're having are very enriching and building skills that will help no matter what you choose to do with your career.

>>Ca I - I would love to add to that.

I think it's so important for people to know that there is absolute research that shows that kindergarten readiness, there are five indicators of kindergarten readiness, that every kindergartener is tested for.

Four of the five indicators for kindergarten readines can be taught through the arts.

So if we want, we have only onl 50 or 51% of our children in the state of Florida are ready for kindergarten.

We have an education crisi and we have a workforce crisis.

So if we're looking at future workforces and only half of our kindergartners are ready for kindergarten, where do you think they're going to be on third grade reading?

What are they going to think we're going to be on fifth grade math.

So it's it's eighth grade math.

So it's critical that we understand that.

And JoAnn's early, early in our preschool program they're teaching science through music.

The children are singing I've seen them.

It's amazing.

They're singing about science.

Where they're learning science by that repetitive song.

And so so if we're really goin to look at the workforce crisis that we have, we need to look at the education crisis.

And the greatest wa to have early wins in preschool and early childhood is through arts education.

>>We're going to take some, questions from the audience in a moment.

But just to to wrap up this portion, I wanted to find out from each of you, what you're excited about, what kind of projects you're working on in your organizations that are innovative, interesting for the public to know about.

And I'll start with you, Melissa.

>>The Fringe Festival, officially opens on May 13th.

With our opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting that will be happening at Orlando Family Stage.

And then we start shows on the 14th of May and run all the way through Memorial Day.

We've got a Kids Fringe component at the Garden Club, which is super fun.

We take all kids.

Doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter if you're 80 years old and you're a kid, you can come hang out, you can paint, you can do all kinds of fun stuff.

We have a visual fringe component as well, where we have a gallery that's at the Orlando Shakespeare, theater.

And we we're really excited.

This is going to be our 34th year, here in Central Florida.

We are the longest runnin fringe festival in the country.

Yes.

[APPLAUSE] And we are really, really proud of that.

We are really proud of that.

And along with the other arts organizations, we've had a pretty tough year financially.

But we are still here.

We are still kicking.

And year 34, it's going to be great.

>>All right.

>>Marianne what are you excited about?

>>Well, Oh, man, I'm excited about so much.

Number one.

Number one is that we just partnered with Music Fest Orlando and one of the things that we need to make sure with grant organizations is that the partnerships with for profit organizations can be okay, because we just realized that, the since the DEI stopped some of our funding, we're looking to partner with for profit organization because they have funding and they can help us.

But, our event is August 28th, 29 and 30.

We're downtown at the CMX movie theater.

We get, right now we have about 70 films that have been submitted.

And then we do our awards program at the Doctor Phillips and that is fantastic.

So we do give community awards.

We let the young people come and perform on stage.

So it's pretty exciting.

And the other thing is everybody should get involved with AI.

It's coming.

The music business.

Kind of dwindled out because of technology.

And it took 20 years and nobody believed that RCA, A&M, Arista record company could go down-- >>Is AI really a good thing in the in the music business, do you think?

>>No.

I'm saying back in the day whe digital came in, digital music.

>>Yeah.

>>But now it's-- >>You mentioned AI.

>>Yeah, but I think it's coming in.

Yeah.

And there's a big fight about that.

But AI in the arts and performing and immersive arts.

So we need to be looking at all of these things to see how we can include them in our programming.

>>Well you'r from the Orlando Science Center, I guess, AI is is something that you guys must have your, your eyes on.

Is that important part of the way that the landscape looks going forward do you reckon?

>>We're certainl we use technology and exhibits, but we don't use i for the sake of the technology.

We're really about the experience.

And how can it enhance the experience.

So that's kind of how we we look at that.

But yeah, things we're excited about.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the life exhibit, which will be open for one year this month, which was our largest and most complex ever [APPLAUSE] made for conservation.

So please check it out.

And the project that we're, hoping to break ground on in August of this year is a full renovation of the Doctor Phillips Cinedome which is our eight story, large format, theater.

And, Marianne, you'll appreciate this it actually run - you talk about film festivals, it actually still runs film.

So that's why we need to renovate.

>>Oh, yes.

>>The large forma film and big platters and people are threading those things and it's amazing.

But we are going to, fully we're going to bring in 8K digital laser projection.

There will be about ten projectors to meet the full dome, a whole new surface, which is a pretty incredible surface.

It's supposed to be the bes projection surface that exists.

So the skin, the interior skin of the dome becomes the new surface.

We'll do, all new seats will it'll be all new sound.

>>How many seats?

>>The seats in there are just over 300.

Yeah, it's the other thing.

You will come to see me.

It's the other theater here at the science center on the other side of the building.

But it's a gorgeous eight story dome, and we will bring back planetarium shows.

And I was so thrilled, so thrilled.

So that the technology is amazing.

>>That's an exciting project.

Yeah, I must say, sometimes the the old school excites me.

I came out cutting quarter inch tape, razor blade, sticking it together.

Okay, Chris, what are you excited about?

>>Well, to your point, that sounds world class.

That theater.

So that's really cool.

I, I have a ton of stuff to be excited about at the moment, but, it is all under the umbrella, and you might not believe this, but our organization is about to celebrate a centennial.

>>Wow.

>>Yeah.

It's hard to believe anything was here 100 years ago.

But, this organization, has had an affinity for children's programing since 1926, and I'm so excited to, tell that stor and pull out all those archives and sho all of the incredible leadership that it takes to survive for that long.

>>Yeah.

>>And that's really exciting.

So that's 2026 Centennial.

>>Last word to you, Jennifer.

>>Well, all of them.

And there are, you know, about 125 arts and science and histor organizations that we work with.

And all of that information i listed at at artsinorlando.com.

And there are thousands of summer camps.

>>Yes.

>>Thousands of summer camps.

There are free over 600 free exhibits and free shows and free festivals.

And there's so much there's so many ways that the arts meet peopl where they are in our community.

And all of these organizations have outreach programs that go into schools and go into neighborhood associations and community centers.

And so I'm excited.

We are in a really exciting time.

Orange County the city of Orlando, they're put they're doing a joint master plan for the arts.

So the public is saying this is our future, which say they're planning for the future, which means we're going to all be around and that they want us and that they can't wait to have more of the arts in their lives.

So that cultural plan is critical to the future.

And us responding to what th community wants for the future.

[MUSIC] >>So let's go ahead and take some questions from the audience here.

And the first one that we have is, how do the theme parks, such as Disney, and SeaWorld, Universal support - it says here United Arts but I guess the arts in general?

Jennifer, put that one to you.

>>Well, they're very supportive because they know that we're workforce development for them.

And we are a core, a core part of the body of workers that have either trained with them and made, our cultural sector stronger or that they're looking for us as a pipeline.

I mean, Universal and Disney support arts educatio because they know that they need more strategic thinkers they need more problem solvers.

They need people that enjoy working backstage and on the stage, and that running the tech, they need people that are constantly looking at the evolution of technology in the entertainment industry, which is what Marianne and and JoAnn do.

So, you know, we've go the Fringe is known for improv, improvizational that that happens at Disney and Universal all the time.

The other thing is we've talked about public funding a lot, but because of those theme parks, we've got just as Chris said, you know, incredible, funding for the arts through the tourism development tax.

>>Well, this next question is somewhat related to that.

How would you envisage or envision, the elimination or potential, I guess, elimination of property taxes affecting theater?

The governor has basically made a point that we should be asking visitors to pay more in our tax base, rather than than taxing local people.

I wonder how you see that tha source of funding going forward.

Will property tax elimination have much of an effect?

What do you think?

>>That might create more disposable income for families to participate or homeowners to donate to the arts because it is still still a tax deduction to contribute to nonprofit organizations.

And so it's very possible that this frees up funding that comes through the private sector.

I know that some of the funding for the arts comes from the general fund of Orange County.

And so that general fund is is funded through various tax revenues.

So that, that is something to consider.

But I, I hope that that people have more disposable income and they'll, they'll either enjoy the arts or they'll give.

>>A question for sure.

The next one we have here, how do smaller arts organization attract the type of philanthropy that is usually going to larger organizations?

We always go into theaters and things, and there are names of foundations up on the wall and all of that kind of stuff.

That's not necessarily something that smaller arts organizations can can benefit from, right?

>>Well we benefit from it through larger organizations like United Art or other larger organizations.

But to have, the larger, other, larger foundations give to us, I think one thing that I've learne is that I have to ask, you know, at first I was, really reluctant.

I wouldn't say reluctant, but just, not putting a lot of effort towards asking.

And now we're going to be asking more, but we need to know who those organizations are.

And one thing on that, last year we were in the, collaborative campaign with United Arts.

We weren't, accepted, but people were giving to us just because they knew who we were.

So those bigger foundations and so forth whether they give directly to us or give to United Arts, the moneys are still going to trickle down to the smaller organizations.

>>And of the 40 organizations that are in the collaborative campaign, only 20 of those organizations have budgets of $1 million or more.

So 20 of them are considered small, very small, and even in America, until you get to the 5 to $18 million or in some, you know, obviously in larger cities.

So a majority of the arts organizations and Central Florida are considered small organizations.

And by participating in the collaborative campaign, somebody might get a letter from the Orlando Family Stage or the Science Center and learn about Fringe or learn about Art Reach or learn about Page 15, or learn about some of our smaller groups because their name is on that big list, for sure.

And that's how we get recognized.

Our name was on the list.

Thank you.

>>All right, next question.

What type of organization or company if brought to the Orlando area, would suppor or benefit the continued growth of the arts in Central Florida?

And how would we know or identify that we have reached our goal in creating a successful and thriving arts culture in, Central Florida?

I guess, you know, the work is never done, right.

But, in terms of what types of organizations or companies would benefit the arts if brought to this area?

Got any thoughts?

>>I think every single company out there needs peopl that have gone through the arts.

I go back to my roots of of creating theater and creating a show.

That means that designer and, actors and, directors and all of these people have to work together to create the thing, and then they have to go through all the rehearsal, they have to go through all the technical rehearsals, and then it's going to open.

That audience is only going t see those actors on that stage.

And so there's three times mor people making all of that work.

And so the process of putting together a show is no different than launching a product or creating a new business, or you need collaboration.

You need creativity.

You need, you know, all of these qualities.

And so that's that's so important to any business.

Businesses need creative people or they're not going to solve hard problems.

>>And I just want to agree with Chris on that, because people that get involved with the Orlando Urban Film Festival, they're the creative people, they're hosts, they're makeup artists, they do all kinds of things, but they work for companies.

They get off work an then they come and volunteer.

And so it help the organization, the company, the corporation, because now they have someone who's doing something creative and learning how to communicate and participate you know?

>>You know, look at look at our space and technology industries.

Look at the health and biotech industry that's here.

If you were to ask employers to ask to survey their employees, how many of them play an instrument how many of them have to write every single day in their jo to creatively to come to, to get someone to do something right?

There is there's not a skill set that the arts provide that employers don't need.

Also, if you're moving your company here you're bringing people with you, or you've got to attract people to fill those jobs.

And you people don't want to live in a communit where the arts are not thriving because they're bringin with them a child that wants to to start to write or be in the theater, a dancer bringing with them a partner or a mate that that works in the arts.

So when you think of all the industries that we're attracting they want to they want to live.

They want their employees to live in a great community where there's education, where there's places to play and green space.

But they also want arts and culture.

And, people come here from all over the world and they want to see their cultures reflected in their community.

And so it's just when you look at any strong economic, you know, community, the arts and culture are strong too, and th nonprofit culture supports that.

>>One final question, what opportunities are there for businesses, large and and small, to support arts organizations?

I guess this goes to if you're a business and you want to begin philanthropic work.

When it comes to the arts what do you do?

Where do you go?

>>Well, if you come to the Fringe.

>>Good answer.

>>Give them my card.

Where's that person?

I got a card right here.

>>Exactly.

>>Box and bag of cards.

>>Yeah, but how do people know where to start?

I think it's.

I think it's just becoming involved in what is happenin in your community.

So if you are, a family that has, you know, a couple of kid and you might own some kind of a well to do company that is here in, in Orlando, and you go to the Orlando Family Stage and you see Diary of a Wimpy Kid and your kids are just overjoyed.

And you see how much fun they're having.

And then maybe you think, gosh, I should make this accessible for everyone.

I should be able to give some money that maybe they can use for outreach to g to these underserved communities and give those kids a chance to experience the same thing.

You know, we always talk about how, you know, we as the Orlando Fringe, we have a two week festival once a year.

We see over 50,000 people in those two weeks.

And the sponsors and the donors all have an opportunity to be recognized, whether it's in our program, on our website, their name is on something that's at the festival, and that gives them a sense of pride knowing that they're giving to an organization that is bringing arts and culture to Loch Haven Park to, you know, for two weeks out of the year, and they get to see how impactful that is to not just our community here in Orlando, but the arts community just in general, because we have national artists that come.

We have international artists that come, and it's an overwhelming impact on just how the arts and culture can affect you as an individual going out into the world.

And so that that is one of those things that, you know, we're really working forward, you know, trying to find these new sponsors and new donors that, you know, may not have ever thought about it and said, wow, an arts organization gives you a peek behind the curtain into so many different types of people.

Those folks that work backstage, those, you know, that kind of thing.

You don't necessarily think about those people when you go to the Doctor Phillips Center and you, you know, see a show, but without those folks, the show doesn't happen, you know, so having the ability to if you are a person that has, you know, some, you know, diversified funds that they can give to an arts organization, there are many ways that we recognize those folks.

And hopefully that is one of the things that, would encourage more people to come forth and become philanthropic to the arts.

>>The other thing is Central Florida is all about hospitality.

So if you're a business and you want to get in front of people, it's really easy because we will collaborate with everybody, right?

So it's really not hard.

As soon as you start peeling back layers and connecting with people, right?

>>They can buy they can buy group tickets.

We have a amazing, unique and diverse meeting spaces.

So if you want to have a team building exercise or you want to bring your clients to something or you want to get your whole company away just to take a break from your company, buy tickets have have unique meeting spaces, but every company, every foundation, every individua can give to all of these groups and more through the collaborative campaign.

It's not just for individuals.

Companies can give also to the through the collaborative campaign and receive a tax deduction.

>>And you have your Orlando Economic Partnership book right there.

So a wonderful example.

Over the holidays in December, we were doing Charlie Brown Christmas and the OEP brought their whole staff for a team building day, and they came to Orlando Family Stage and they load, unloaded all the kids off the bus and moved all their coolers-- >>Volunteered.

Volunteered.

>>All of that volunteer.

And then they get to sit in the theater and watch the show with 300 kids, and they leave with such great energy and feeling like they contributed and and gave back.

It's a great way to be involved as a corporation.

>>Shouldn't have to wait to depend on the government to fund us.

It's the community it's the corporations.

Look at all the businesses here that, 70 million people come in and support every business to support, it directly or indirectly through United Arts or Orange County, every business here, because tourism is big.

We Orlando Urban Film Festival.

We may be mid-sized now, not so much small, but we bring hundreds of people in each year.

Tourists, you know?

>>Well, I think that's a good place to end.

And I feel like we could continue this conversation for hours.

But we do have to wrap it up.

Fascinating discussion.

[APPLAUSE] >>Great questions.

>>Well, thank you so much to our panel here at the Orlando Science Center.

Meanwhile, we'll see you next Friday night at 8:30 here on WUCF from all of us here at NewsNight and also our pane at the Orlando Science Center.

Thank you so much.

And we'll see you next week, bye-bye.