Arts Programs-Do We Need Them?

I am in the process of developing a new online course entitled Creating and Evaluating Arts Programs. After spending several decades as an arts administrator one of the areas I spent a great deal of my time was in creating and implementing new programs. Whether this new and exciting program was for a new series or an arts education program, it always seemed to be someone's idea or pet project. Sometimes the impetus came from the Artistic Director, sometimes a major donor or funding source. Regardless of whose idea it was we would jump in and just start a new program. We never looked at the new program holistically. How did it fit into our organization's mission, did we have the staff, budget and facilities to implement the program correctly? Was the program even needed in our community? How and when would we honestly evaluate the success of the program?

I will argue in my course that if arts organizations want to start a new program that it will only be successful with careful planning and on going evaluation. This includes first and foremost an honest analysis of if the program is needed and will be supported by the various stakeholders involved. My hope is that when my students complete the course they will have a comprehensive understanding of what it means to start a new program in the arts...the risks and the rewards.