Newswise — In the aftermath of the 2005 gulf-coast hurricanes, New Orleans continues to rebuild " and the region's arts and cultural institutions are no exception. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Arts Council of New Orleans, and the Institute for Cultural Policy and Practice (ICPP) at Virginia Tech are working together to create and link the arts organizations more closely with their communities.
John McCann, the director of ICPP, was invited to New Orleans last summer to facilitate a round-table discussion among the arts leaders in the region. The next seminar, on April 26-27, 2007, will focus on non-profit governance. The aim of this seminar is for board leaders to identify adaptive strategies for reconnecting their particular arts organization to constituents and the broader community.
"John accomplished a masterful job in leading the team effort to assist the Arts Council of New Orleans in tackling its' current leadership demands," said Patrice Walker Powell, director of the NEA Challenge America program and the convener of the event. "I have continued admiration for the grace he brings to the sometimes unwieldy, but always meaningful task of finding a common voice that honors the group endeavor."
Based on that original discussion, McCann was invited to facilitate a series of seminars focused on organizational capacity building for the arts and culture sector of New Orleans. Last October, he designed and facilitated a strategic planning seminar for 17 leaders from across New Orleans to identify the emerging priorities of their organizations and communities, and to develop plans to meet emerging needs.
Participants remarked on how helpful the models and methods were for "actually putting theory into practice" and turning "visions into action."
As part of its commitment to community service, ICPP is facilitating these planning workshops without cost to the Arts Council or the participating arts organizations.
For more information about this program or the Institute for Cultural Policy and Practice, please visit the ICPP website at http://www.icpp.vt.edu.
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