Illinois: Charting the Future of Arts Organizations

With the assistance of the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), cultural organizations across the state of Illinois have come together to assess their needs and identify possible new pathways to success in a climate characterized by uncertain economics, new demographics and a rapid pace of change. The Arts & Business Council of Chicago, in collaboration with Slover Linett Strategies and IAC, led a multiphase needs assessment in 2011 and 2012 to develop actionable initiatives for how arts organizations and arts service organizations could work together to achieve long-term sustainability and relevance to their communities. The findings suggest that innovation, risk-taking and collaboration will be central to the capacity of Illinois arts organizations to find ways to structure their organizations, make decisions, engage their audiences and create new revenue streams in the future. Specific recommendations are summarized in two reports: Charting New Paths Through Innovative Collaboration, which focuses on the Chicago area, and the Arts Organization Needs Study, which gauges the relevance of the recommendations to other regions of Illinois. For more information about the project, contact IAC Director of Community Arts Development Jennifer Armstrong.