For NYC Arts: New Donations For Theatre Sets, Costumes To Materials For The Arts From Phantom Of The Opera, Seussical, Other Productions

NYC DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS’ MATERIALS FOR THE ARTS PROGRAM RECEIVES MORE THAN $7 MILLION WORTH OF DONATED ITEMS FROM NYC’S FILM, TV, AND THEATER INDUSTRY AFTER FIRST YEAR OF AN EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP WITH MAYOR’S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

One year after partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment to bolster film, TV, and theater donations, MFTA has received 3.2 million pounds of donations valued at $7.4 million from NYC-based productions like The Marvelous Ms. Maisel , Succession , and American Horror Story

“Film, TV, and theater productions are a huge part of our city’s creative industry and cultural dynamism, tapping into the talents of so many New Yorkers to tell stories rooted in New York. This partnership taps into the incredible resources this sector brings to New York, and showcases the power of collaboration between city agencies and our cultural partners to support NYC’s creative community,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “Through the contributions of New York’s world-class film, television, and theater productions, Materials for the Arts is helping to build a more sustainable and equitable cultural ecosystem—one where resources are shared, and creativity knows no bounds.”

“We are proud of our expanded partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs to support Materials for the Arts across NYC’s creative sectors, including film, TV and theatre,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “NYC is a global hub for film & TV production, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers, and the Materials for the Arts program allows the industry to give back to local communities and promote a circular economy by reducing unnecessary waste.”

“These materials, props, costumes, and furniture are now fueling creativity in classrooms, community spaces, and cultural organizations across the five boroughs,” said Materials for the Arts Executive Director Tara Sansone. “We’re proud to work with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and the film, television, and theater industries who are eager keep these items out of landfill to contribute to a cleaner, greener, more creative NYC.”

While these industries have long donated to and collaborated with MFTA, in 2022, MFTA held its first offsite donation distribution events with film and television production warehouses. Typically, MFTA members visit the program’s warehouse in Long Island City to pick up donated materials. The new offsite distribution events at prop warehouses across the city allowed MFTA to make available the contents of entire production warehouses – where film and television productions store their props, costumes, and other materials between shoots – to its members, while also contributing to zero-waste show wraps, diverting tons of materials from the waste stream and fueling affordable arts programming across the city.

Looking forward, Materials for the Arts is working with MOME to deepen its engagement with the Broadway and off-Broadway community and further strengthen its partnerships with the film and TV industries to continue promoting sustainability and creativity across the city. MFTA’s MOME-positions align with the Adams administration’s Green Economy Action Plan, announced last year, which aims to create over 400,000 “green collar” jobs in NYC by 2040. Through MFTA’s partnership with MOME, MFTA continues to expand its role in fostering a circular economy within the arts.Film, television, and theater productions interested in donating to Materials for the Arts for the Arts can email [email protected]  for inquiries