Tennesseans for the Arts (TFTA) & Advocacy

What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy is standing up for your beliefs. Advocacy is persuading others to support your cause. Advocacy is letting your legislators know what you want.

Who Is an Advocate?
The most convincing advocate for the arts is the individual who can talk about a personal experience in the arts, and can explain how the arts can change the lives of people and vitalize the communities in which they live.

Advocating through Public Awareness
Raising public awareness is an integral part of advocating for a cause. As an initial tool and first step in advocating for the arts, Tennesseans for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission have developed a logo and universal tagline that can be utilized by supporting organizations statewide to convey that the arts have a tremendous positive impact on all of us.

According to the National Association of State Arts Agencies, as a matter of public policy, funding for the arts increases when legislators are made aware of the tremendous impact the arts have on the lives of the people who live in the communities they represent.

As an advocate for the arts, you can use an array of facts, statistics and local and statewide examples to make the case for supporting the arts in Tennessee.

We are also committed to helping others become effective arts advocates by providing training, materials and tools. TFTA members can download the Free Arts Advocacy Toolkit for more helpful “how-to’s.” Not a TFTA member? Sign up now.