From the Field

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Artistic Planning

The League of American Orchestras has published Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Artistic Planning, a guide for orchestras seeking to diversify their repertoire. The report draws on interviews with orchestras of all budget sizes, sharing their strategies for expanding music offerings beyond the traditional European-White-male–composed pieces so as to reflect their communities and equity, diversity and inclusion values.

Grant Impact Evaluation

SMU DataArts has published The Impact of the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression Arts and Culture Program Investments in Diverse Creative Communities. It is a study that tracks the results of the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression Arts and Culture program that invests $230 million in people of color and disabled arts and culture organizations. The report also considers what strategies the Ford Foundation could use to bolster its equity focused grant-making strategies.

2020 Arts Basic Survey

The National Endowment for the Arts has just released the results and analysis from its Arts Basic Survey, which is a short-form version of the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and is conducted every five years. The accompanying reports find that in the 12 months before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 30% of U.S. adults attended live performances, toured a place for its historical, architectural or design value, and/or read literature. Fifty-five percent of adults engaged in arts content through their devices. Demographic data of respondents is also considered in the reports for its correlation to arts participation, with educational attainment having the highest correlation to live performance attendance.

Supporting Folk and Traditional Arts

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) has published Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States. The report focuses on the Taproot initiative (which was started by ACTA to support folk & traditional arts leaders) and discusses how folk & traditional arts can draw from and contribute to community well-being and recovery. The report ends with four recommendations for both public and private funders seeking to support folk and traditional arts: increase investment in individuals, invest in organizations, increase visibility, and upgrade data collection practices and policies.