Facilitators of the Greater Louisville Master Plan for the Arts Release Initial Community Engagement Report Findings
Louisville, KY (July 20, 2016) – The 14-month planning process to create a Greater Louisville Master Plan for the Arts that will better connect and strengthen our arts and cultural assets is well underway. An extensive community engagement phase that has thus far included an online public survey, free workshops held throughout the Greater Louisville area, and one-on-one interviews with numerous arts and cultural, civic, and business leaders – has resulted in a draft Community Engagement Report.
These initial findings identify what residents believe are the needs to be addressed and the opportunities to be explored as facilitators continue in the planning process. Some of the emerging priorities relate to the region’s transportation and infrastructure, the interconnection of the arts and culture in every aspect of life, and the interest in continued communication with the public and collaboration among art groups. Issues related to inclusion and social cohesion were also raised by many participants. (To see the full draft report of the public engagement process, please visit www.
After reviewing the initial Community Engagement Report, the 25-member Steering Committee observed that participation in the planning process thus far doesn’t adequately reflect the diversity of our community. “We are using the demographic composition of the 12-county area as the baseline for success of diversity and inclusion in the Master Plan,” says Joy Bailey-Bryant, plan facilitator and Managing Director, U.S., at Lord Cultural Resources. “We have not achieved the desired level of inclusion, so we are re-engaging to connect with people from whom we have not yet heard.”
To ensure that not only the final Community Engagement Report to be released in the Fall, but also the final Master Arts Plan to be released at the end of the year, represents the diversity of the Greater Louisville community, facilitators are launching a further community engagement effort to reach the general public, individuals and organizations involved in the arts, to participate and provide input through two surveys:
- A public participation survey, in order to understand how residents define their current level of participation in arts-related events, how they would rate current arts and cultural activities in Greater Louisville, and what they’d like to see here in the future. The short, anonymous online survey, is open now through midnight on August 8, and is available at http://www.
greaterlouisvillearts.com/get- involved.html. - A cultural asset inventory, which will identify existing arts and cultural assets in the diversity of communities across the Greater Louisville area-including individual artists, creative businesses, arts organizations, and informal/grassroots arts organizations-no matter the size. The cultural asset inventory survey is available online at http://www.
greaterlouisvillearts.com/get- involved.html, open now through July 30.
Comments from people living in every part of our community are sought and will help in the development of a plan that represents the diverse perspectives in our community.
Facilitators will be attending community events and visiting places of worship, community centers, places of employment, athletic centers, etc., in various parts of the Greater Louisville area to hear thoughts and ideas on arts and culture in our community. In fact, representatives will be on hand at all of the performances of The Wiz at the Louisville Central Community Center at the end of July to gather input.
Plan facilitators are asking people involved in their places of worship, community center, or nonprofit organization, etc. to contact GreaterLouisvilleArts@
The Master Plan and implementation strategy is expected to be finalized by the end of 2016 and will articulate a common platform of goals and strategies aimed at building alignment, leveraging resources, and positioning the Louisville region’s arts and cultural sector to lead and support the community’s overall vision for the future.
For more information or to sign up to receive project news and updates, visit GreaterLouisvilleArts.com
