Focusing the Light for Arts Education
It starts with a bright idea. Maybe the spark ignited during a magical day in the classroom or an inspiring encounter with a community's cultural resources. Or maybe struggling to overcome obstacles was what illuminated new possibilities. Most arts educators, artists and arts organizations who work with Ohio's children and young people have experienced the promise of such radiant moments.
Clarifying, achieving, expanding, and sustaining the benefits of those brilliant ideas is the purpose of Focusing the Light: The Art and Practice of Planning. This new seven-volume series from the Ohio Arts Council, designed with the arts education community in mind, can help teams turn their creative ideas into effective programs and projects with wider appeal and public value.
Each volume addresses a strategic challenge arts education teams face as they develop and improve their programs:
- Communicating public value through advocacy and understanding the essential role of strategic planning.
- Identifying stakeholders, building successful partnerships and project teams and strengthening teamwork.
- Assessing the context of the planning process.
- Creating a workable plan, including outcomes, strategic activities, action plans and budgets.
- Communicating the plan and adapting components of the plan to funding opportunities.
- Monitoring plan implementation and documenting project activities and results.
- Using evaluation as a tool for measuring outcomes, improving programs and promoting organizational learning.
See the OAC Web site for information on ordering the series and follow-up activities.
Select Search Databases, then Cultural Planning Resources to access annotated bibliography entries for the resources cited in Focusing the Light and more. This database will be updated as new publications and resources emerge.
Read about NASAA's Research-Based Communication Toolkit. It will help you strengthen your message as you advocate for your ideas and programs.
Scan articles in The Art of Improvement. They address some of the topics found in Focusing the Light
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