SC Arts Commission Participation Initiative
Statewide Arts Participation Initiative Meetings
What is the Statewide Arts Participation Initiative?
March 2009
The next round of participation grants will be introduced at four regional meetings. The meetings will cover the basics of participation, highlight a local group's particpation work and review the grant guidelines. Organizations interested in applying for a participation grant are strongly encouraged to attend one of these meetings. All meetings run from 10 a.m. until noon. Registration is not required.
Meeting schedule:
- Tuesday, March 17, Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg
- Thursday, March 19, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston - Note: This is a change in venue.
- Thursday, March 26, Arts Council of York County, Rock Hill
- Friday, March 27, Nickelodeon Theatre, Columbia
For more information, contact your county coordinator.
September 2007
The 2007 Statewide Arts Participation Initiative seminar was a two-day learning experience focused on strategic planning to help organizations, artists and independent arts programmers build audiences, creators and stewards. The seminar explored the Participation Model, which focuses on arts participants’ perceptions and experiences, as well as the benefits and barriers they encounter.
Sessions were facilitated by arts leader Eric D'Alessandro of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. These gatherings included time for attendees to consider participation issues particular to their mission, as well as time to explore ideas for participation projects with other arts leaders, facilitators and artists.
Goals
The two-day seminar had the following goals:
- Create a common vocabulary and knowledge of participation concepts for those working in the arts field
- Help arts organizations, artists and arts programmers develop relevant, realistic goals and successful strategies for building participation
- Explore methods for measuring participation over time
Topics
- Planning and goal-setting
- Assessing your audience
- Designing cultural participation strategies
- Integrating marketing and audience development
- Building capacity
- Documentation and evaluation
Facilitator
Eric D’Alessandro is program coordinator for Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Organizational Support Program, where he coordinates grants and service projects in the discipline areas of media arts, arts presenters, arts and culture service organizations, museums, and multidisciplinary organizations. Eric has more than ten years of arts administration experience in theaters and theater service organizations and teaches fundraising at Boston University and Northeastern. Eric holds a B.S. in Speech Communication from Syracuse University and an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.
With support from the Wallace Foundation and in partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the South Carolina Arts Commission offered the two-day seminar free of charge.
Special thanks to Columbia College and the Breed Leadership Center for use of its space.
Learn more about the Statewide Arts Participation initiative grant.