Design Delaware: A Five-Year Plan 2011-2015 Delaware State Arts Council March 17, 2010

1. Design Delaware:A Five-Year Plan2011-2015Delaware State Arts CouncilMarch 17, 2010

2. Setting the Course • Delaware State Arts Council adopts Mission Statement and Core Values, 3/09 • Council & Delaware Division of the Arts review current strategic plan and plot course for process to achieve public input and draft new plan.

3. 12/08-5/09: One-on-One Interviews • Division Staff • Council Members (current & former) • Delaware Community & Arts Leaders • Regional & National Arts Leaders

4. Topics Addressed in Interviews • Strengths & weaknesses of current plan • Challenges & opportunities for the Delaware Arts Community • Upcoming trends • Impact of current economic climate • Strengths & weaknesses of the Division • Priorities for the Arts in a time of finite resources

5. 2/09: Brown Bag Lunches with Secretary of State Bullock • One meeting conducted in each county of the state • Cross-section of arts and community leaders represented

6. 9/09 -11/9: Online Surveys • Individual Artists • Arts Organizations • Community Organizations • Arts Educators • Public Survey

7. 9/09-10/09 : Focus Groups • Arts Advocacy • Arts Education • Sustainability of Arts Organizations • Marketing & Promoting the Arts • Organizational Development of Arts Organizations • Individual Artists

8. Focus Group Makeup • Six to eight participants (up to 15 invited per session) with an interest in the topic • At least one Council member present per session • Questions tailored to each session’s subject matter with common themes such as current/ future challenges & opportunities and priorities in time of limited financial resources

9. Public Participation Breakdown • 56 individual Interviews • 60 Brown Bag lunch participants • 46 focus group attendees • 457 survey respondents • 619 total participants to date

10. 12/09: Council Retreat • Council reviewed and discusseddata and public input • Gave direction on drafting new Strategic Plan

11. 1/10 Plan Drafted • Based on the data and public input, a strategic plan for the arts in Delaware for FY2011-FY2015 prepared for public review and comment • Goal: a clear, comprehensive, flexible plan to keep the Division focused on the long-term • Separate operational plans to be developed annually to correspond with plan and states fiscal cycle

12. 2/10: Public Review of Draft Plan • A conversation about the Arts public meetings in Milford and Middletown • Available for review and comment online on Division’s website

13. 3/10: Plan Approval With the results of public review incorporated, the final draft of the strategic plan is to be presented the Delaware State Arts Council at its quarterly meeting in March.

14. What did we hearduring the process?

15. Key Themes... Continued support of access to new and diverse artistic experiences is important. Increased and sustained advocacy and public information role is imperative. More effective effort to have the arts’ economic impact recognized is a key component.

16. Key Themes... Growing need for a more prominent role for the arts community in arts education as part of education reform initiatives. Increased community partnerships and public support and awareness of arts education will bolster success in schools.

17. Key Themes... Need for stronger organizational structure in arts organizations to help ensure their success and longevity. Increased accountability and improved communication of outcomes from funding. (How has the grant made a difference to the public?)

18. Key Themes... Increased public presence of the arts needed within the corporate and foundation communities. Heightened visionary leadership of arts community essential, particularly in these challenging times.

19. Key Themes... More proactive facilitating, convening, collaborating and capacity building with the arts community by the Division is essential. Stronger collaboration needed between state agencies and the Division, especially DEDO and DOE.

20. Key Themes... Stronger role needed by Council/Division as ambassador of the arts. Enhanced branding of the Division: establish what it is/what it does will help it serve its mission.

21. Division of the ArtsStrategic PlanFY2011-FY2015

22. Mission Statement The Delaware Division of the Arts is a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans.

23. Mission Statement Input Very good Gets point across but is vague Nice concise statement As it is, this is not a plan (missing specifics/accountability) Art should include architecture and historic architecture OK…vague, but general Great. Short and to the point Seems focused & to the point “This says it all,” “Succinctly put,” “Clear, broad” Excellent and succinct

24. Vision Statement The Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware State Arts Council envision a day when all Delawareans recognize the arts as vital to education, the economy, and quality of life, resulting in the broadest possible support and participation.  

25. Vision Statement Input Most impressive Lofty, but I would love to see that day Spell out how the arts are fundamental Fine with vision statement Add “culture” wherever “arts” appears This places the Division 20 years behind other arts orgs Two proposed alternate wordings Lofty but worth pursuing Excellent and succinct A worthy goal. Hope I live to see it

26. Core Values Accessto the arts for all Delawareans Advocacyto raise awareness of, and support for, the arts Creativityand innovation in the arts Diversityin programming, services, audiences, and participation Educationin and through the arts for all ages

27. Core Values Excellencein artistic product, process, and service to the community Partnershipsto advance the arts and maximize opportunities Public valueof the arts to impact our lives and develop strong communities, economies, and schools

28. Core Values Input All great values but achieving is an uphill battle Good abstract list, tell me why they are important Like the list, but there are too many and alphabetical(?) Values are reasonable and appropriate Would place excellence higher, perhaps after Access Perhaps add integration of arts into daily lives? Excellent! All good values to include Covers all aspects where arts are critical Each is vital to strategic plan

29. Goal I Strengthen the arts sector’s ability to deliver quality programs and services Objectives • Sustain/cultivate/diversify funding streams • Improve organizational/individual capacity • Improve efficiencies of operations

30. Goal I Input Important goal; consider more funding for artists Funding streams is a great term, better than trickle Needs detail Objectives 1 & 3 seems particularly important What is the implementation plan? Access to funds for education programs outside public schools seems limited or difficult to obtain Well thought out and all critical to sustainability and viability

31. Goal II Broaden and deepen public engagement in the arts Objectives • Increase awareness of arts opportunities • Expand access to the arts • Increase levels of involvement in the arts

32. Goal II Input Access to the arts without engagement is anemic Access for all is the goal; Affordable, easy to get to How can we successfully increase awareness (trying to raise the awareness for arts as a whole has a tendency to get lost in the general marketing noise) Encourage partnering when possible to maximize coverage This is the area where I think all artists should participate This is an important one Excellent well written objectives

33. Goal III Advance lifelong learning in the arts Objectives • Raise public awareness of, and support for, arts education in pre-K–12 • Increase organizations’ and artists’ capacity to serve as arts education resources • Facilitate increased access to arts-based instruction in both arts and non-arts settings

34. Goal III Input Add to Objective 2: “...for out of school hours learning and adult arts education.” Bring these objectives down to the local level Existing education-focused initiatives such as Vision 2015 miss value of arts in education Goal III objs speak to implementation of Goal I objs More master classes needed in DE for working artists Many don’t see link between arts participation and academic achievement Division energy needs to be spent in rural areas Clearly stated and pertinent School administrators must be encouraged to incorporate arts into school day at all levels

35. Goal IV Facilitate enhanced integration of the arts in civic, economic, and community life Objectives • Expand network of arts advocates and their collection of arts advocacy tools • Increase arts participation and profile in: • community and economic development initiatives • policy formation • Expand Division/Council role as leaders in promoting and supporting the arts

36. Goal IV Input Support the networking concept Would hate to see DDOA and DAA duplicate efforts Show me the money! Should Objective 2 be subdivided? Definitely need more advocacy in “hither realms” of state government Need more direct contact with downtown development Consider providing arts-related speakers for civic groups like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions

37. General Comments Input Great work. Go Delaware … Great ideas, hope to see then come to fruition this year Planning has to be concrete to mean anything Goals/Objs are clear and well chosen Like the plan’s clarity and simplicity. Interested to see how the operational plan shapes up The plan does not speak to preservation Funding, funding, funding… What tangible actions are planned to place goals and objectives into action? Very good. Concise and succinct Thank you for providing input for so many Hope necessary resources will be available for full implementation

38. Council Discussion… Questions, comments, or suggested revisions? Motion to accept Design Delaware: 2011-2015