The New York Times: New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was elected on an affordability agenda focused on free buses and child care. On Friday, he extended that agenda to the arts, handing out vouchers for free tickets to a long-running theater festival of experimental work and declaring that culture should be more accessible to the city’s residents.
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In semester 1 it felt like I was reading article after article about how theatre in NYC (Broadway specifically, but I hope that Mamdani’s initiatives can spread to all aspects of theatre in the city) is audaciously expensive. This is an amazing breath of fresh air in the political and arts world that I haven’t felt in quite some time. It’s objectively a very small thing, and it doesn’t impact me in any way, shape, or form, but it feels like the forces that govern us haven’t even cared about our survivability, let alone comfort, in a very very long time. Culture is not culture if those who live in and create it are financially barred from experiencing it. Unfortunately, I think that this could be an alley for some people to accuse Mamdani of frivolity. As such a big theatre enjoyer, I’m biased towards free tickets obviously, but I also think that a government should intervene when class divides become so strong that only the rich can afford to take one night and see a single show.
This piece is incredibly touching. Max A’s comment on concern about the comfort of the people has not been the focus of politics, and I completely agree that this should be a goal. Especially when we are discussing the importance of fostering community, accessibility of the arts is a perfect step. It was amazing to hear from the festival runners who said that not only were they able to give away seats that would otherwise not be filled, but that they actually created extra performance dates for this purpose. Going into reading this article, I was already worried about the implications that theaters might not be able to afford to give out free tickets, and was thinking how capitalism pins people against each other over the survival needs of money. However, this article sort of broke that illusion that people cannot rely on each other outside of that capitalistic mindset. This gave me a lot of hope that we can rely on each other.
This is a great way to create access to the arts espically because of the growing cost of tickets. New York City is a place that has a big art influence on the people and the culture of the city, and because of that, the art should be accessible to the residents of the city. The idea of a New York resident not seeing a Broadway or off- broadway show is wild due to the fact that the theatre and entertainment industry is such a intergaul part of the city. I am a Mamdani fan, and I think it is about time that the mayor, or really any political figure, is speaking up for the arts. I also love the fact that when talking about making the city more affordable, that tickets prices are being accounted for along with the obvious housing and groceries. Giving out free tickets to those who do not really have theatrical exposure is a great way to provide them with that opportunity while also building a sense of connection with the Mayor, along with the artistic side of the city.
I loved the principles of Zohran’s campaign and I was so happy to follow his journey to becoming mayor, and I’m so glad to see him taking this stance. I agree that broadway should not just be a thing wealthy patrons or tourists to NYC get to do. I think that the people who live in New York should be just as able to take advantage of the amazing theater their city has to offer. I’m also really glad that the broadway theaters were able and interesting in participating in this free ticket initiative. Something I really love about Mamdani’s campaign is this “broadening” of the notion of affordability. Affordability doesn’t just mean necessities like housing, groceries, and childcare, but it also means making entertainment and leisure accessible and affordable as well. Everyone deserves to be able to have fun and experience great art, and I’m glad thats part of his mission.
This is really important to me. I think most people’s first thought when it comes to using government budget to improve citizens' lives is to think of basic necessities like access to cheaper food, free housing, free childcare, free healthcare, etc. These are all very important to people‘s quality of life and I think that it’s really good that Mamdani is implementing these campaign promises of making New York City more affordable for people which he has already done with free childcare. I think that what is also important is to remember that part of improving people’s lives is not just the basic necessities. Surviving is not the same as living and I think giving more people access to the arts like this theater festival is a really important part of improving people’s quality of life. I think it is really good that Mamdani recognizes that both making basic necessities and other quality of life improvements is what the people need.
I recently saw this article on social media, and I was beyond enthusiastic because accessible theater has always been such a deep passion of mine, and how theater and art should be available to everyone, not just people who can afford it, and I'm so excited that this initiative is coming from New York’s mayor. Theater truly isn't a luxury, theater is a state of mind, it is a chance to think, it is a chance to fee,l it is a chance to breathe, and take a look into other people's stories and lives and that is the most human thing In this world and denying people who can afford it is just wrong in so many ways. I absolutely love the way he describes the experience of theater of sharing laughter in the audience, and how that's not a privilege should be a right that every New Yorker deserves.
I remember reading an article back in June discussing how Zohran Mamdani’s potential win as the democratic candidate for New York City mayor would affect Broadway. It felt like the article had almost nothing to say about the topic, especially because Mamdani at the time was a lot more focused on spreading his affordability agenda and didn’t discuss the arts. Due to that, the article felt incredibly tone-deaf as it was centered around one of the biggest commercial arts industries, Broadway, and made assumptions about Mamdani while ignoring the main message of his campaign. With that in mind, and Mamdani not having spoken much about Broadway, it brings me immense joy to read this article and hear directly about how his affordability agenda is positively affecting accessibility to arts. Knowing Mamdani’s background, with his family members and wife being incredibly involved in the arts scene, it makes perfect sense that he would extend his agenda to include the arts in such a way. I think it’s good that he’s implementing and discussing his policies about the arts now rather than earlier in his campaign as it still reinforces the fact that his main concern is affordability in New York City and not the commercial Broadway industry.
Art always sits on this incredibly gray line as a form of culture that is meant for the masses but limited to the wealthy. New York is meant to be a city of creation and it is beautiful to see that Mamdani is bringing the art of the city to everyone who lives there. I found it particularly nice that they are working to make new work more affordable rather than the widely known already successful commercial shows. Mamdani's efforts to make art more affordable are then both assisting the community and those who are trying to build their career in the creative industry. I also really respect how his focus on affordability expands past living expenses into what it means to be a part of a community. Overall his efforts to provide people with the opportunity to experience different forms of expression have begun to build up both the community and the artists that want to spread their ideas.
Mamdani came to New York and brought some really incredible initiatives to the city. I saw a news article - not this one - about it and was so interested. To learn from this that it was a festival where independent work was being performed makes this even better! Mamdani gives me hope for not only New York, but the US. I love seeing a world where our leaders care about their communities, big or small, and the enjoyment of those who exist and live ans thrive in the city. It also gives me some positive hope for our country's future, as good ideas spread quickly. I love seeing positive action in politics. It gives me hope. When all this tragedy is happening, the actions of one leader in such a metropolitan and politically important city make me feel as though both the arts and the people who participate it are a cornerstone of change in the political sphere. Art is not a privilege, it is a right.
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