Jackson County Social Impact Project

Ultimate Outcome

To develop a comprehensive art and culture strategic plan that could:

• Support arts in all its forms throughout the County;
• Foster collaboration among arts organizations;
• Ensure diverse audiences participate in and have access to arts;
• Build a greater appreciation for arts and arts education; and
• Identifies economic and social performance measures to illustrate what arts and culture really means for Jackson County and our region.

The team:

Role	Organization
Project Sponsor	Jackson County
Project Team Lead	ArtsKC
Project Team Subconsultants	MU Extension
	KU Public Management Center
	Center for Public Partnerships and Research
	Mid-America Regional Council
	Collaboration Arts

Process

Environmental Scan

• Best Practices Research: Research conducted to determine what is working – or not- across the United States, comparing the use of Jackson County resources to other similar-sized jurisdictions with similar resources set aside for art and culture.
• Asset Mapping: Creation of a cultural arts inventory to identify just what Jackson County’s assets are, including but not limited to artists of all kinds, teachers, venues, museums, arts organizations, and community theaters.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Our Tomorrows: Stories and Sensemaking

Our Tomorrows presents a critical opportunity to engage the community to determine how citizens define arts and culture, what is important to them, and, ultimately, how the economic and social effects of these activities can be measured. The expected outcomes from the implementation of Our Tomorrows in Jackson County include the emergence of social trends and experiences, collaborative data analysis and visualization, and the elevation of community voice.

• Focus Groups

Four focus groups comprising nearly 30 people have been convened to explore issues surrounding arts and culture in Jackson County.

• Collaborative Town Hall Meetings: Join us for the following meetings to share your input on how the arts and culture sector is supported in Johnson County. This will be an active conversation

October 13: There will be the first virtual session to engage with the community around the goals of the strategic plan.

Early 2022: A second town hall meeting will be held in person to further engage with the community around specific aspects of the plan.

Questions? Email BHaralson@ArtsKC.org.