Durham Cultural Master Plan Summary August 2004 What You Need to Know about Durham’s Cultural Master Plan Why is Durham’s arts and culture sector a vital asset? - Durham’s cultural organizations and artists add $103 million annually to the economic activity in Durham. That’s a significant boost to our city’s economic development. - Arts and culture is a significant business sector of the current and future Durham. According to a recent state-wide research study on arts economic impact in North Carolina, the average number of non-profit arts and cultural organizations per county in our state is 19. Durham County has more than 150 non-profit arts and cultural organizations, and more than 900 artists. Additionally it has a lively mix of commercial arts and entertainment providers. - A number of Durham’s own cultural assets are known internationally and nationally, including African American Dance Ensemble, American Dance Festival, NCCU Jazz Ensemble, Full Frame Film Festival, The Hayti Heritage Center and its Blues Festival, Durham Arts Council, Mallarmé Chamber Players, and the arts museums of NCCU and Duke. - Ninety percent of respondents to the Durham Cultural Master Plan’s Civic- Community-Business Leaders Survey agreed that arts and culture provide great ways to learn about our various ethnic and racial backgrounds. Ninety-two percent of the survey respondents agreed that “learning art skills is an important way to master other basic skills.” - National studies have proven that arts programs decrease youth delinquency, enhance a child’s development, encourage conflict resolution, build tolerance and self-respect, provide safe havens for youth, reduce criminal activity, teach job skills, improve attitudes, behavior, and academic performance. “…investment in the arts may be among the most innovative workforce development tools at the disposal of state governments… The arts and cultural life of a region are also principal determinants of quality of life, which is widely recognized as a critical factor in location decision making for New Economy workers and companies……Additionally, the arts promote teamwork and team building, advance visual skills, may help increase standardized test scores and encourage problem solving – all necessary elements for a productive and self-sufficient Page 2 What You Should Know about the DCMP workforce. ” “The Role of the Arts in Economic Development” – National Governors Association Center for Best Practices– June 2001 – www.nga.org Why is cultural planning important? - Many cities (like Charlotte, Spartanburg, Birmingham, Austin, Philadelphia, Charleston, Newark and Knoxville to name just a few) have seen significant increases in economic development and improvements in quality of life after developing cultural plans and making significant long term public investment in their cultural communities. - Arts and cultural activities can be critical in building bridges among diverse communities. Arts and culture can provide young people with positive social outlets. And last but not least – arts and cultural activities are fulfilling, life- enriching, entertaining, and fun! - This plan addresses key issues and initiatives to strengthen the existing cultural community. The Durham Cultural Master Plan assessment revealed that many of Durham’s existing arts and cultural organizations are experiencing severe capacity and stabilization issues, and significant efforts must be undertaken quickly to buttress Durham’s cultural assets. - With this consensus cultural plan, arts and culture can play a stronger role in economic development, education, and other aspects of community life in Durham. The Durham Cultural Master Planning Process - Over the past year, our comprehensive cultural planning process engaged more than 500 people in Durham – civic and religious leaders, corporate leaders, political leaders, educators, youth and youth programmers, artists, arts and cultural organization staff and boards, church musicians, retailers and club owners, neighborhood associations, social and civic groups, families, realtors, legislators, City and County leadership, major private funders, and newcomers – in discussing what types of arts and cultural features and opportunities they want for themselves, their families, their employees, and this community. - The cultural assessment process involved a series of 6 community meetings attended by 250 citizens, plus a series of 114 individual interviews and 33 small group meetings with a wide range of stakeholders, plus 7 Steering Committee meetings, and 8 Executive Committee meetings. - The assessment process also included extensive research including a regional facility inventory; an economic and financial analysis of the cultural sector; a cultural market analysis of Durham; a cultural organization/program inventory Wolf, Keens & Company Page 3 of local arts and cultural organizations, and a Civic-Community-Business Leader Survey. - A 63-member Steering Committee of community leaders, appointed by the County Commissioners, and the Steering Committee’s 17-member Executive Committee were highly engaged in the process and donated more than 800 hours of their time to a variety of pre-planning, assessment, final planning and oversight tasks from the Request for Proposals tasks begun in March 2002, through the completion and presentation of the plan in August 2004. - A top national consulting team headed by Wolf, Keens & Co., partnered with AMS Planning and Research - two firms that have provided cultural planning for more than 100 cities across the United States - provided the guidance and expertise for the Durham cultural planning and assessment process. They were selected following a formal national RFP process, through the County, in which the Steering Committee considered proposals from 5 consulting companies. The consultants’ work was funded by $165,000 in designated Occupancy Tax Cultural Plan funds. - Local administration and coordination for the planning process was provided by the Durham Arts Council, which dedicated more than 3,000 staff hours over two years, including 480 donated intern hours through DAC’s North Carolina Arts Council interns. The administrative work, which encompassed one year of pre- planning and consultant search work, and one year of coordination of the planning process, was funded through $35,000 in Cultural Plan designated funds collected from the Occupancy Tax, a $10,000 donation from Duke University, and $15,000 in private donations raised by DAC. - A dedicated Durham Cultural Master Plan web site was developed and is operating to continually update the community on the planning process and findings, and to solicit additional input from citizens. The Vision for Durham’s Cultural Sector in 2020 Durham County has a vision and plan for the sustainability and continued enhancement of the cultural community. Arts and cultural offerings in Durham are effectively positioned, valued, and relevant in the community – as a creator of destination value, as an enhancement to the downtown and county-wide landscape, and as an expression of the vibrant and diverse cultures of Durham. Arts and culture are a strong economic force in building tourism and business investment in the community, and as a force in building quality of education, and quality of individual, community and family life. Durham has utilized its Cultural Master Plan to enhance its cultural landscape, maximize scarce resources, and provide coordinated vision and collaboration among a variety of cultural, civic, and business partners. Durham celebrates its rich cultural mix through visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, the history and heritage of this region, the sciences, and the humanities, as well as the forms of cultural expression that ground the diverse people who live here. Durham’s Page 4 What You Should Know about the DCMP cultural “ecology” is strong and supports Durham’s economic, social, and cultural well- being. With active and committed civic, public, and cultural leadership, Durham’s cultural organizations and artists have access to the financial, facility, and human resources they need for stabilization, growth, and service to the community. What does our community want? Business and civic leaders want… - Enhanced activity level in the downtown through increased arts and cultural presence. - Competitive edge in quality of life amenities to advance Durham’s ability to attract and retain businesses and employees. - A cost-effective, well-operated cultural sector that addresses the interests of residents and visitors. Residents want… - Newcomers…better information about what’s already going on in Durham so that they know about all available offerings. - Parents…more emphasis on cultural education activities at school and in the neighborhood. - Educators…better communication and coordination with cultural organizations to make better use of scarce resources. - Youth…more opportunities and facilities to explore their own creativity. - Families…greater access to a broad range of arts, cultural, and entertainment activities – both close to home and focused in Durham’s downtown. - Everyone…increased emphasis on diversity – in cultural programming, organizational governance, and audience building. Cultural organizations and artists want… - Opportunities to work collaboratively with other organizations and artists as well as with commercial businesses. - New ways to build staff capacity through more comprehensive and consistent training and technical assistance. - More effective