SC Arts Commission Programs

Purpose

To help South Carolina arts providers develop initiatives that will broaden, deepen or diversify public participation in the arts.

History

With support from the Wallace Foundation, the SC Arts Commission began the first phase of this initiative in 2002. It created a statewide learning community that explored the ways people in our state participate in the arts. It created partnerships with local organizations that were engaged in building arts participation that included the Colleton County Arts Council, The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, The Gibbes Museum of Art, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Sandlapper Singers, South Carolina Traditional Arts Network, The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, Spoleto Festival USA, and Workshop Theatre. The first phase of this initiative also included several public gatherings around the topic of arts participation.

Description

A new opportunity...
As part of the second phase of this initiative, the South Carolina Arts Commission will offer arts organizations, individual artists and independent arts programmers* an opportunity to join a statewide dialogue about arts participation in Winter/Spring 2007. Through a competitive grant process that follows, organizations and individuals may apply for funding to support an initiative that will increase participation in a significant way, that creates positive and systemic change in the way an organization, artist or arts programmer operates, and that has a long-term impact on a community, organization or art form.

* An independent arts programmer is any person within the state of South Carolina, who is not employed by any organization, but whose work includes the creation and/or implementation of arts events, art exhibits, and/or arts programs that are open to the general public.

This initiative has three parts:

1. The Introduction to Participation regional workshops
2. The Two-Day Seminar
3. The Participation Initiative grant

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Timeline

February 12-16, 2007	Regional Workshops: Introduction to Participation Choose to attend one of five locations: Aiken, February 12; Greenville, February 13; North Charleston, February 14; Florence, February 15; or Columbia, February 16
April 5, 2007	Seminar Day I: Assessment & Setting Goals (held in Columbia)
April 23, 2007	Seminar Day II: Implementation & Evaluation; Peer exchange of Ideas (held in Columbia)
June 1, 2007	Participation Initiative Grant Applications Due
August 15, 2007	Review Panel Convenes for Grant Applications
September 1, 2007	Participation Projects begin (or as soon as notified of funding)
September 1, 2008	Participation Project Grant period ends; final reports due

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