This project is one dimension of a broader research and outreach effort to examine creative economy initiatives in upstate New York and how they can be translated into strategies for community and regional development.1 The goals of the broader project, Rethinking Up-State Economic Development, a Creative Economy Model, are to:
- Document cultural resources in upstate New York Arts organizations, and Colleges and Universities, exploring how they can be lead to innovation in the broader upstate economy.
- Examine how regional branding and other forms of adding value are led by designers and the design professions and are applied in new and traditional rural industries.
- Develop a case study of the Finger Lakes region of New York to determine how examples of creative economy initiatives could be applied and coordinated for maximum economic impact in a rural region, especially with colleges and universities serving as catalytic agents.
Music, theater, dance, cinema, and the visual arts are integral dimensions of education in upstate New York's Colleges and Universities. They provide a lively cultural life on campus and the teaching community of artists and performers are assets to both campus and community. In this research project we examined the existing and potential links between campus and community that 1) enable non-campus based artists and performers to use the facilities and resources of the campus to build stronger community-based programs; and 2) campus initiatives that build the presence and potential audience for cultural activities in the local community.
During the summer of 2004, we surveyed administrative officials and faculty from 38 upstate New York2 Colleges and Universities regarding their interactions with arts and performance organizations and activities in their adjacent communities. The surveys were carried out via extensive telephone interviews and a number of in-person interviews.3
All 38 higher education institutions are members of The New York State Campus Compact, an organization through which members commit their schools to community engagement through "service learning", developing ties, programs and curriculum that serve their surrounding communities and meet their educational and institutional mission goals. We chose this group to survey because of their stated commitment to work with their local communities on issues of mutual concern. Of the 38 schools in the initial survey, interviews were obtained from 33 Ð an 87% response rate.
Of the 33 schools responding, 12 are public institutions, including 4 community colleges as well as 8 state universities. 22 of the survey respondents are private institutions. Fifteen of the responding institutions are located in urban settings, as defined by a local population of more than 30,000 inhabitants, and 17 are located in rural areas. One third of the schools are large (over 5,000 students) and two-thirds are below 5,000 students. The majority of the responding campuses (30) offer degrees in visual and/or creative arts.
The survey questions probed: 1) who initiates artistic collaboration between campus and community, 2) the nature of the collaboration, 3) what types of events are sponsored, 4) what types of facilities are provided and under what conditions. Survey respondents were also asked to identify obstacles to collaboration and to imagine ways of facilitating healthier relationships. The majority of collaborative projects tended to fall into two categories:
1) programs for children, either bringing children to campus to attend classes or performances, or sending college representatives (either staff or students) into the local schools to teach and/or facilitate arts-related workshops.
2) community festivals, based on a theme or with fundraising goals. The festivals typically focused on food and or a performance by a local or visiting performing artist. They were most likely to be located in the community adjacent to the College but had college sponsorship
Staff and (a far second) faculty were identified as being most likely to initiate collaborative projects. Most respondents felt that these projects were successful if they built relationships between community and college members. They also cited the benefit of broadening the horizons of members of both the college/ university and its local community.
When asked to identify the resources that their institution provides to encourage collaboration, most colleges cited rehearsal and performance space, which they make available to community groups. Colleges indicated that these resources were most likely to be made available under certain conditions: 1) for long-established collaborations with the performing arts organization, 2) for programs or events that are planned well in advance, and 3) for events that don't conflict with student or faculty use of the space.
Few respondents said that their College or University has funds dedicated to community/campus artistic collaborations. Many indicated that funding was contingent and dependent on the entrepreneurial skills of the group sponsoring the event. They described "creative" ways to get funds for worthy projects -- well-designed collaborations involving resource sharing (money, time, space and staff). A few pointed to discretionary funds available through administrative or academic departments.
Respondents ranked key obstacles to successful collaboration as follows:
- performance and exhibition space, including space in the community
- insufficient information about whom to contact on the college campus
- insurance concerns
- the absence of staffing dedicated to collaborative projects
Respondents provided the following suggestions for improving campus-community partnerships:
- a central office for campus coordination of requests for co-sponsorship
- special funds to encourage joint programming
- a physical presence for community cultural activities in the community
In addition, survey respondents identified that institutional support for community collaboration is key to successful projects. Staff dedicated to cultural planning, outreach and collaboration also was indicated as key to successful programs.
In virtually all respondent institutions, cultural events are open to community members. With two exceptions, however, the responding colleges do not keep records of whether community members attend events or the respondent didn't know whether or not such records are kept.
When asked to identify key leaders in the community with whom the campus collaborates to produce arts events, answers ranged from "no one" to multiple sources including politicians, art patrons, business people. Most consistently, respondents mentioned their local arts or cultural councils as being their key collaborators.
The results from this survey can inform colleges and universities about how they can engage successfully with their surrounding communities in providing for a lively cultural environment on and off campus.
1 This three-year research and outreach effort is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with additional support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and The Department of City and Regional Planning and The Department of Textiles and Apparel at Cornell University.
2 We define upstate New York as the 53 Counties outside the New York City Metropolitan area.
3 The survey was conducted by Susan Monagan, a Master's degree student in the Program on Community Development. The instrument is available on request.
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