Guaranteeing every student access to high-quality, sequential instruction in visual arts, music, theater, and dance from K-12.
Arts & Music Education as a Civil Right, Not a Luxury
In too many NYC public schools, especially those serving low-income communities, arts and music programs are the first to be cuttreated as extracurricular luxuries rather than core components of a human education. Zhoran Mamdanis policy establishes arts and music education as a civil right for every student. This mandate guarantees that all students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, receive sequential, high-quality instruction in at least two arts disciplines (e.g., visual arts and music, or theater and dance) taught by certified arts specialists. The arts are integrated into the school day and assessed as seriously as any other subject.
The policy includes massive capital investment to build and repair art studios, music rooms, and theater spaces in every school. It funds partnerships with NYCs world-class cultural institutions to provide residencies and field trips. Mamdani argues that the arts are not a frill but essential for cognitive development, emotional expression, cultural identity, and creative problem-solving. The arts teach us to see, to listen, to feel, and to make something where there was nothing, he says. That is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human capacity we must nurture. Denying a child arts education is denying them a part of their own humanity. In NYC, the cultural capital of the world, this right will be guaranteed.
