Delaware Arts Incubator

An Incubator for Equity and Innovation

The Arts Equity and Innovation Incubator is engineered as a catalyst to increase the relevancy, accessibility and viability of arts and culture organizations, thereby fueling economic development and social cohesion. A collaborative fund and business support system underwritten by government, corporate, and philanthropic dollars, it is an entrepreneurial investment in the next ideas that will drive the future of our sector. 

“A diverse and thriving arts and culture sector is essential to the connection, well-being and economic prosperity of Delaware communities. Therefore, it is critical to invest in arts and culture now so that the sector is well poised to meet the increasingly complex and interrelated social and economic challenges of our time.”

Kristopher Knight, Deputy Secretary of State

A cohort of nine pilot arts organizations worked with a consulting team to evaluate current financial, governance, and programmatic practices and develop custom strategies for sustainable practices and programming that integrated the principles of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) into all aspects of each organization’s operations.

Pilot arts organizations had to be willing to embrace best practices in governance, management, and programming, including new ways to educate, engage, and deliver quality content to the community and to transform current business models/practices to meet the demands of changing markets and demographics.

“We hope, as a result of this opportunity, that these organizations will experience even greater clarity around their visions and next steps, strengthened connections to peer organizations, and improved access to the resources needed to carry out this important work.”

Caitlin Butler, Consultant