Process

This has been a particularly exciting planning process because RISCA was able to partner with the City of Providence and its Department of Art, Culture + Tourism (Lynne McCormack, director), which was about to begin a year‐long cultural planning process with Dr. Craig Dreeszen, one of the nation’s preeminent cultural planners. The City and its artists and organizations make up a significant part of our statewide arts community; Rhode Island's unique size allows for an economy of scale in planning and needs assessment; and the work for the City of Providence could be expanded fairly easily in order to produce a City and State report that would then form the basis of the State Arts Council's strategic planning efforts.

Statewide Survey

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism (ACT) conducted a 2008 constituent survey in partnership. RISCA is sampling constituent opinions as the agency updates its strategic plan. AC+T is assessing Providence citizens on behalf of the Creative Providence, city-wide cultural plan.

An excellent response of 2,027 survey replies provides a good sample of constituent opinions. Planners are comparing survey results to focus groups, forums, and other data as survey results do not necessarily reflect opinions of all Rhode Island citizens. Respondents are well balanced by residency across the state and age. Those who completed the survey are more older, often female, better educated, more affluent, more white than the general population. Artists and interested citizens are the largest two groups of survey respondents and core constituents of RISCA and ACT. Nearly two thirds of survey respondents reside outside the City of Providence.

Click here for a copy of the summary report on the survey findings.

Focus Groups

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts convened representative constituents to gather information to inform RISCA strategic planning. Specifically, we sought to hear constituent opinions on two questions: 1) the state of the arts in Rhode Island, opportunities and challenges, and needs of constituents; and 2) advice to RISCA on policies, programs, goals, and strategic priorities. Assessment data from focus groups complement interviews, statewide survey, interviews, and Providence forums. Focus groups (like the group that met in Newport - right) assured that statewide constituents participate in RISCA planning.

Click here for a summary report on focus group findings.

Click here for a list of focus group participants

Board/Staff Retreat

On March 21, 2009 the RISCA board and staff held a planning retreat in the board room of the Providence Performing Arts Center. It was a well-attended and extremely productive work session.

Three "report outs" were generated at this meeting on the topics of "Leadership and Advocacy", "Sustaining Artists and Organizations" and "Communications and Connections." Links to a video record of each presentation can be found below.

3-21-09 RISCA Board/Staff Retreat - Leadership & Advocacy from Randall Rosenbaum on Vimeo.

3-21-09 RISCA Board/Staff Retreat-Sustaining Artists and Organizations from Randall Rosenbaum on Vimeo.

3-21-09 RISCA Board/Staff Retreat - Communications & Connections from Randall Rosenbaum on Vimeo.