2016-17 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINAL REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Arts Commission s Professional Development (PD) Program cultivates skills, knowledge and networks among artists, arts organizations and arts educators to support an innovative and responsive creative ecology that benefits and reflects the lives of all in Los Angeles County. All divisions within the Los Angeles County Arts Commission (LACAC) offer a variety of professional development events, either produced in-house or designed and delivered by consultants. The Professional Development Task Force, launched in 2015, continues to foster cross-divisional collaboration while collecting and analyzing shared data on the PD programming, providing insight into its impact and areas for improvement. DATA ANALYSIS In fiscal year (FY) 15-16, the second year of data collection and analysis continued to show a very high level of participant satisfaction with LACAC PD. It also indicated that while LACAC PD participants are more White than the overall County population, they are slightly more diverse than the arts workforce as whole. Continuing to address issues of equity and diversity is a top priority for staff. SUPPORT FOR OGP GRANTEES AND OTHER LACAC CONSTITUENTS The Grants and Professional Development division supported grant applicants through targeted application and reporting workshops, as well as subsidized training programs and scholarships in nonprofit management. These support systems are heavily utilized by grantees and will continue in FY 2017-18. The LA County Arts Ed Collective and the Civic Art division also offered PD support to constituents, including topic-specific workshops, application support and open office hours. ADDITIONAL CONVENINGS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES LACAC produced numerous PD events for the broader arts community, including two Arts Tune-Ups that covered topics such as creative placemaking, arts education, and art and activism. Thematic forums such as Real Estate 101 and Clarifying 501c3 Advocacy Rules provided additional opportunities for constituents to stay abreast of current trends and challenges. LOOKING AHEAD The Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative will have a major influence on the priorities of LACAC PD in the coming year. PD within the grants division will be focused on preparing local nonprofit arts organizations to develop or strengthen cultural equity policies, statements, and plans in accordance with upcoming OGP guideline changes. These will also impact training provided to panelists and staff. The PD Task Force will provide ongoing analysis of registration and feedback data, while offering a forum in which staff can work together on cross-divisional events such as an after-hours networking opportunity coordinated by grants and civic art in July 2017.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2016-17 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FINAL REPORT, SEPTEMBER 2017 The Arts Commission s Professional Development (PD) Program cultivates skills, knowledge and networks among artists, arts organizations and arts educators to support an innovative and responsive creative ecology that benefits and reflects the lives of all in Los Angeles County. All divisions within LACAC offer a variety of professional development events, either produced in-house or designed and delivered by consultants. Events are structured in different formats, including application workshops; expert-led, topic-specific sessions; and peer to peer learning opportunities. Since May 2015, the Arts Commission has used a system of data collection (including registration information and post-event feedback) for professional development offerings across all divisions. This allows the Arts Commission to gauge feedback from the field with a cross-divisional lens while gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of its programming. It has also meant that the Arts Commission is transitioning toward viewing PD as a shared activity and key strategy employed by all divisions, rather than programming conducted by the grants team. The separation of the Ford Theatre from the Arts Commission causes some discrepancies in that data collection between FY 15/16 and FY 16/17. Nonetheless, as it did in 15-16, this report provides a snapshot of all LACAC PD offerings while providing a deeper dive on those activities in the grants division, which continues to oversee the majority of programming. This report has four sections: Part one includes a brief analysis of division-wide data collected between July 2016 and June 2017 Part two details support provided to OGP grantees throughout their funding cycles Part three provides a snapshot of support provided to other Arts Commission constituents, including individual artists and arts educators Part four describes some of the additional convenings and networking opportunities provided to the field as whole. The report closes with what is being forecast for PD next year and beyond. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE Data Analysis The second year of shared registration and feedback data across all PD programs continued to yield insights into the PD program s strengths and areas for growth. Between June 2016 and July 2017, data was collected across 43 events which together had more than 1,000 attendees. The drop in the number of events and participants over FY 15-16 (during which 60 events attracted more than 1,300 attendees) is due to the fact that the Ford Theatre s activities are no longer included in the count. The majority of FY 16-17 events were housed within the grants and professional development division, followed by arts ed: 2
LACAC Division Number of events, July 2016-June 2017 Number of attendees Grants and PD 29 611 County Arts Ed Collective 12 377 Civic Art 2 47 Total 43 1,029 When asked whether they would recommend the event to others, and whether they were satisfied with the event topics, presenters, and locations, participants continued to be enthusiastic: LACAC PD continued to draw participants from across a range of career levels. The share of self-identified emerging professionals dropped slightly over FY 15-16, while the share of self-identified senior professionals grew: 3
One explanation is that the Arts Ed Collective s Innovation Lab series, which explicitly targeted higher level leaders, skewed the overall participant pool. Another possibility is that LACAC s PD attracts repeat attendees year after year, who are more likely to self-identify as senior as the years pass and they put the skills they have learned to use. The results of the first year of LA County s Arts Workforce Demographic Survey allows LACAC to get a better sense of how it s PD participants compare to the arts workforce as a whole. Analysis indicates that while our PD attendees are more White than the County as a whole, they are slightly more diverse than the overall arts workforce. Determining how to best support a more diverse cross section of artists and arts administrators through PD programming is a continued priority, particularly with the upcoming addition of cultural equity trainings in the coming year. OGP GRANTEE SUPPORT LACAC s Grants and Professional Development division provides PD offerings to grantees that are designed to bolster organizational capacity by providing learning and networking opportunities for arts administrators and board members. These opportunities have three strands: 1) In-house workshops and networking convenings designed specifically for the local arts community. 2) Subsidized workshops, courses, and certificate programs addressing nonprofit management issues. These are run by the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) in downtown Los Angeles and The Nonprofit Partnership (TNP) in Long Beach. Full and half-day courses are free; certificate programs and multi-day trainings are available at 50% of full price and require advance application. 3) A scholarship program that allows grantees to identify other professional development opportunities and attend at a reduced rate of up to 50% off registration up to $600. Advance application is required. 4
In-house Application and Reporting Workshops Professional development support for organizational grantees begins as they apply for funding. In FY 2016-17, the Arts Commission held 20 workshops for prospective grantees supporting their applications to the Organizational Grant Program (OGP), Internship Program and Community Impact Arts Grant (CIAG). These workshops are designed to demystify the funding process while providing organizations practical tips and tools that could assist them in other grant applications. They were also geographically dispersed across the County, with workshops in Pomona, Long Beach, South Gate, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Santa Clarita and downtown Los Angeles. In addition to providing these workshops, Arts Commission staff scheduled two technical assistance days during which prospective grantees could learn how to strengthen specific aspects of their application, regardless of the LACAC grant program to which they were applying. Topics covered in those two days were: Arts Education Artistic Documentation Evaluation Grantseeking strategies More than 350 individuals attended application or technical assistance workshops in the fall of 2016. Arts Commission staff also supported OGP grantees as they prepared to submit their mid-year and final reports. In March 2017, LACAC s research and evaluation team led a workshop focused on ensuring that participants would be able to select the appropriate measures of progress for their projects, become familiar with qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and learn about OGP report questions and online reporting system. LACAC also reprised Tips and Tricks for Artistic Documentation in May 2017 due to high demand. I appreciated the relaxed forum of the workshop, allowing for sharing and conversations. - Tips and Tricks attendee The Future of Application and Reporting Workshops LACAC will continue to support grantseeking through application workshops as it prepares to open the 2017-18 OGP grant cycle and the third year of the Community Impact Arts Grant (CIAG) Program. Workshops are being planned throughout the County, including San Gabriel, San Pedro, Santa Monica, and Pasadena. Staff will also develop technical assistance sessions for topics that emerge as priorities in analyzing interim and final reports from 15-16 and 16-17 OGP grantees. In the coming year, staff will also begin rolling out communications and support strategies regarding upcoming guideline changes to OGP resulting from the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. Grantees will not be required to submit cultural equity statements, policies and/or plans until fall of 2018, but LACAC is committed to ensuring all grantees have ample information about these requirements and opportunities to engage in robust professional development. More information on those plans is detailed in the final section of this report. Subsidized Workshops, Courses and Certificate Programs in Nonprofit Management Continuing a key strategy begun more than a decade ago, the Arts Commission partnered with the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) and The Nonprofit Partnership (TNP) to provide half- and full-day courses free 5
of charge to staff and board of OGP organizations with budgets under $15 million. Multi-day certificate programs are provided to eligible organizations at 50% of full registration price. CNM, located in downtown Los Angeles, provides a wide variety of trainings and workshops ranging from board development to grant writing to strategic planning. In 2016-17, 100 individuals from 57 OGP grantee organizations attended half and full-day workshops at CNM. Social Media Success: Building a Fool-Proof Plan and Prioritize! Building Your Brand and Communications Strategy were two of the most popular courses. Grantees also attended CNM s annual 501(c)onference, which brought together local nonprofit from a number of sectors. TNP, the only nonprofit management support organization in the greater Long Beach area, beefed up its offerings significantly in 2016-17 adding, among other things, a bimonthly arts affinity group. More than 60 organizations and nearly 100 individuals attended classes such as Perspectives on Philanthropy: Giving USA and Program Evaluation at TNP nearly double the number who participated the year before. LACAC also partnered with TNP to provide a customized human resources training to OGP grantees. Twenty-three organizations attended the two day session, which covered legal considerations in hiring, and managing employees and contractors, as well as best practices in recruitment and oversight. The Future of Subsidized Courses, Workshops, and Certificate Programs in Nonprofit Management LACAC will continue its contracts with CNM and TNP throughout the 2017-18 fiscal year. TNP s contract will include additional funding for the human resources training first provided to grantees in 2016-17. LACAC will look to both TNP and CNM as partners in CEII-related work. Scholarship Program OGP organizations are also eligible to apply for scholarships to attend conferences and trainings of their choosing. The purpose of the scholarships is to provide arts administrators the ability to self-determine their individual and organizational needs and encourage staff and board development at all levels of the organization. In 2016-17 LACAC approved 66 scholarships to grantees to attend opportunities including the League of American Orchestras conference, Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference and National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Leadership Institute. This is more than double the number of scholarships provided the previous year. The ability for grantees self-direct and attend conferences based on individual need is clearly of growing value. One participant who attended the Americans for the Arts Convention in San Francisco reflected: I learned so much at this convention. It was a unique opportunity to hear from experts in the field across the country and learn about how other cities and organizations tackle tough issues like arts equity and cultural inclusion, aesthetics principles, arts education and more. I have immediately applied much of what I learned to the grants, community partnerships and professional development for artists. I was given many valuable tools and resources to share with the local community. Another said of UCLA s Expressive Therapies Summit, I found this conference covered topics I didn't even know about so I feel the Arts Commission opened up my mind to different areas within the arts. The Future of Scholarships LACAC will continue to offer scholarships, with particular attention paid to regional conferences scheduled in Los Angeles for the coming year, such as the Association of California Symphony Orchestras gathering and 6
ArtsReach Arts Marketing, Development and Ticketing conference. It will also promote any local conferences or trainings related to cultural equity. SUPPORT FOR NON-GRANTEE CONSTITUENTS Arts Education In 2016-17, LACAC engaged more than 450 arts education stakeholders through PD opportunities coordinated by the LA County Arts Education Collective. These events promoted promising arts education practices and facilitated dialogue among teachers, school administrators, teaching artists, arts organizations and other community members. Professional development targeted a number of different themes, including: School District planning and funding, supported through convenings for district-level Visual and Performing Arts Coordinators and leadership training for school district and charter network teams seeking to engage in arts education strategic planning High quality K-12 models and resources, supported through ongoing collaborations with the LA County Office of Education in offerings such as Teaching Creativity with Common Core Standards for administrators and teachers, and Technology Enhanced Arts Learning workshops, which equip coaches from participating education agencies to support teachers in putting arts integration concepts into practice Strategic partnerships, supported through Pooled Fund events, which empower local arts education funders with knowledge on trends in the field and Pathways to the Creative Workforce events, which aim to increase students access to jobs in arts, entertainment and media. Visual Artists Recognizing that professional development is central to reaching the creative community and cultivating the skillsets of innovative public artists, LACAC s Civic Art division provided technical assistance and outreach to support skill development in many areas, including art asset management and public engagement. The Civic Art Program also held an open office hours reception at the Ford Theatres in September 2016 to welcome Grace Ramirez-Gaston, the new Director of Civic Art for the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. The evening included a performance of Artista + Activista = ARTIVISTA, presented by Artivist Entertainment, featuring stories of empowerment through the music and art of La Marisoul (of La Santa Cecilia), Martha Gonzalez (of Quetzal), Medusa and Maya Jupiter, to name a few. This allowed participants to meet with staff to learn about the Civic Art Program and interact with community and County stakeholders. The Future of Support for other LACAC constituents LACAC looks forward to continuing to support arts educators, visual artists, and other members of our broader contituency. Opportunities for cross-divisional collaboration within LACAC will be prioritized, particularly in regards to topics related to the CEII initiative. One such collaboration, an informal, after-hours networking event, already took place in July 2017 and is detailed in the final section of this report ADDITIONAL CONVENINGS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Arts Tune-Ups The Arts Commission launched Arts Tune-Ups in 2002 as a mechanism to provide a broad range of technical assistance to artists and organizations in a welcoming setting. Since then, LACAC has rotated Tune-Ups regionally across the County while partnering with local municipalities and nonprofit organizations to present sessions. 7
Arts Tune-Ups allow participants to dive into 40 minute roundtable discussions led by facilitators with deep expertise in a particular topic, such as marketing, fundraising, audience development or social media. Presenters offer information and resources tailored to the needs of individual artists as well as nonprofit organizations. Service providers such as the Center for Cultural Innovation, The Actor s Fund and California Lawyers for the Arts also participate with info tables. In FY 2016-17, the Arts Commission partnered with the cities of Santa Clarita and West Hollywood to provide Tune-Ups in October 2016 and February 2017. Topics covered included: Creative Placemaking Marketing and Branding Arts Education Art and Activism By providing a free networking and professional development forum to a wide range of constituents, the Tune-Ups continue to play an important role in nurturing the arts ecology of the County. Participants noted, I really appreciated having this event available to us, and also having it free made it more accessible. I probably would not have been able to attend if there had been a fee for it. I have attended two Arts Tune Ups and I find the resources very valuable. I really enjoy the resources that the event provides. In addition, I like the people we have access to and the relationships that can be cultivated after attending. The Future of Arts Tune-Ups We plan to continue to strengthen and grow the Arts Tune-Ups while increasing themes related to cultural equity and inclusion. A minimum of three Tune-Ups are planned for 2017-18, including: September 19, 2017: San Gabriel Mission Playhouse December 9, 2017: Ken Miller Recreation Center, City of Torrance Thematic In-House Convenings In the last year, LACAC staff provided a number of additional convenings covering a range of topics that emerged as high priorities, particularly following the 2016 presidential election. Those convenings, designed and implemented in partnership with external facilitators, included: A voter registration training offered in partnership with the County Registrar/Recorder s office (May 2017) Real Estate 101 for Arts Organizations, covering best practices in planning for and sustaining facilities in light of the unique real estate market of our region (April 2017) A workshop clarifying advocacy and lobbying rules for nonprofits, offered in partnership with California Lawyers for the Arts (June 2017). I felt a sense of security getting answers on things I'd been wondering about. Also great to hear about my colleagues' experiences, how they are similar/dissimilar etc. It was great to connect with the guests that were speaking. 8
I think continuing to help non-profits, big and small, connect, and support each other during this deeply complicated time, is of huge value. Seeing how we can work together is especially of interest. Clarifying 501c3 Advocacy Rules attendee The Future of Thematic In-House Convenings Thematic convenings in the coming year will prioritize themes of cultural equity and inclusion as staff prepares for OGP guideline changes. The extent to which additional topics will be covered will depend on staff capacity given the number of new programs LACAC will be developing as a result of CEII. As always, LACAC will seek opportunities to partner with other organizations on program development or promotion whenever services that meet the needs of its constituents are provided. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN 2017-18 AND BEYOND 2017-18 will be a year of transition for LACAC as the search for a new Executive Director is underway, and as new or expanded programs related to CEII are developed. The PD Task Force will continue its analysis of cross-divisional data, and to explore opportunities for internal collaborations. One such collaboration has already taken place: in July 2017, the grants and civic art division co-hosted an after-hours gathering at LACMA. Four guests an individual artist, social justice hacker, curator, and teaching artists presented brief but inspiring reflections on what their work meant to them given the current social and political climate. Such gatherings, more informal than those typically provided during the workday, appear to be welcome, low-cost means of fostering networking in the field. Within the grant division, PD in 2017-18 will be focused on preparing local nonprofit arts organizations to develop or strengthen cultural equity policies, statements, and plans in accordance with upcoming OGP guideline changes. These will also impact training provided to panelists and staff. Given the importance and sensitive nature of cultural equity issues, LACAC will seek experts locally and nationally via an RFP process to find the most qualified individuals and organizations to develop and conduct those trainings. LACAC anticipates planning will begin as early as fall 2017, with the first phase of workshop offerings taking place in winter and spring 2018, and then offered on an ongoing (and evolving) basis in 2018-19 and beyond. 9