Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Community Cultural Plan?

A community cultural plan is the result of a planning process that takes stock of a community's arts and cultural assets, needs, opportunities, and resources, and establishes an agenda for the future. The planning process should be inclusive to ensure that all viewpoints are represented: city officials, artists, artists and cultural groups, members of the public, business owners, students, and so forth. Throughout the planning process, "Culture" is defined in the broadest sense of the term: from the fine arts to amateur crafts, heritage, humanities, and all manners of ethnically diverse cultural expressions. The Plan itself will contain short-, medium-, and long-term goals and objectives relating to the further development of the cultural communities in Atlanta. The Community Cultural Plan will utilize a 4-step process modeled after successful planning efforts in other cities.

2. Who is sponsoring this process?

The City of Atlanta's Office of Cultural Affairs is the contracting entity for the project. Funding has been provided by the City of Atlanta.

3. Who are the consultants?

The city has contracted with AMS Planning & Research, based in Fairfield, Connecticut (with offices in St. Louis, Missouri and Petaluma, California), to coordinate the planning process. AMS is a management consulting firm specializing in the arts and entertainment fields, and has worked with several other cities nationally in developing Cultural Plans. Arthur Greenberg, Director of the firm's Midwest office in St. Louis, will serve as project manager.

4. What is the planning process we will be using in Atlanta?

The City's Bureau of Cultural Affairs decided to embark on the development of a community-based Cultural Plan. The scope of a community-based plan is broad, and all aspects of arts and culture are to be considered during the process. The planning process will cover issues ranging from arts-in-education, cultural facilities, to special needs of visual and performing artists and cultural organizations. The respective roles and responsibilities of local governments, appointed commission(s), non-profit organizations and the private sector will be considered.

The Cultural Plan will utilize a 4-step process modeled after successful planning efforts in other cities:

4 Step Process

• Formation of a Community Cultural Steering Committee to oversee the planning process. Committee members will be asked to serve based on their potential interest in the City's cultural development and/or the possibility they could offer strategic assistance during Plan implementation.

• Preliminary research and input. Surveys of arts and cultural organizations will be conducted. A market analysis will be undertaken and key informant interviews will be conducted to gain input on existing cultural programs, needs and interests of various "stakeholder" groups, social and economic impact of the arts, and so on.

• Utilize "Open Space Forums" and Town meetings to formulate recommendations for Goals& Objectives related to particular subject areas. Goals may include the development of new programs, ways to nurture partnerships and collaborations, etc. Objectives will entail task-oriented steps to carry out the Goals. The recommendations are summarized by the consultants for the consideration of the Advisory Committee.

• Implement the adopted Plan. Using the proposed recommendations, research findings and consultant feedback, the Community Cultural Steering Committee will develop a prioritized list of overall goals for the Community Cultural Plan. The process of setting priorities will be done through planning workshops and will involve Steering Committee decision-making based on identified community needs, potential for implementation, and the vision of the City's arts and cultural stakeholders. The consultants then prepare a draft Plan that details the Goals and Objectives and outline funding needs, timelines, and responsibilities for implementation. Once the plan has been adjusted and adopted by the Steering Committee and is forwarded to potential implementation partners (e.g., local governments, arts councils, educational entities, etc.) for adoption.

5. What is the role of the Advisory Committee?

The Advisory Committee is the central oversight body in charge of coordinating the planning process. With assistance from local support staff and the consultants, the Advisory Committee's role is to guide the process from inception through implementation. Steering Committee members are chosen because of their insight into or expertise with a particular issue, which will affect the cultural development of Atlanta, and/or their personal dedication to the areas of arts and culture.

6. What is the role of the Town Meetings and Open Space Forums?

Gathering input from the public is deemed crucial to the cultural development of the City. Group discussion participants will be recruited through a public information and invitation process with the help of Advisory Committee members. Recommended goals and objectives in a specific subject area will be forwarded to the Advisory Committee whose function is to prioritize the goals, identify overlapping objectives, and finalize the Plan with assistance from the consulting team.

7. Why is this process not being directed exclusively by artists?

A community-based Cultural Plan is just that: a plan for cultural development of an entire community, not just a plan for artists, arts and cultural organizations. While arts representatives are an integral part of a City's cultural development, there are many other parties whose input and energy will help develop and implement a Cultural Plan. The consultants feel strongly that the broader the participation from the community, the more "actionable" the Plan. By involving representatives from the business, education, social service, tourism, and public sectors, the needs of individual artists and arts organizations will be better served when it comes time to implement the Plan's goals and objectives. "Buy-in" from the community and the process of planning will help foster partnerships and facilitate networking to assist artists in carrying out their missions to create, perform and present art for the community.

8. What will make this an action plan as opposed to a document that sits on the shelf?

The answer is twofold: the planning process itself, and the nature of the document that will be written. The process of planning allows for new relationships to be formed among individuals and organizations concerned with common needs and goals. As planning progresses, business owners, school districts, governments and social service agencies will understand more clearly how individual artists, arts and cultural organizations and programs might help meet social, economic, and aesthetic needs in other areas of the City.

The Plan itself will devote an entire section to implementation by identifying the resources that will be required to carry out identified objectives. Many Cultural Plans stop short of suggesting ways to implement goals that the community has identified. The consultants have a strong track record in assuring that community goals are realistic, pragmatic, "actionable," and that financial concerns have been addressed. The research will draw on a wide range of experience in Cultural Planning projects to recommend organizational structures and identify resources to keep the plan "off the shelf and dust-free."

9. What time commitment is expected from Advisory Committee Members?

The primary responsibility of the Advisory Committee, relating to development of the Plan, is to review materials, provide guidance to the consultants, absorb community input and assist in formulating an actionable Plan. In addition to the time required to review and comment on materials, Advisory Committee members should be prepared to attend 4-6 meetings during the next six months, each of which may last up to 21/2 hours. Advisory Committee members should also plan on attending one or more of the Town Meetings and/or Open Space Forums to hear first-hand input from the community.

What if I have further questions?
You can reach Camille Russell Love, Director, of the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs at (404) 817-6815.

Thank you for your interest in the Atlanta Community Cultural Plan.