Strategic Plan

The Delaware Division of the Arts has partnered with the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement to develop a new strategic plan for FY2021–FY2025 that identifies and incorporates the ideas, issues and initiatives of Delaware’s arts community including its artists, organizations, audiences and educators.

This strategic plan will reinforce and recognize the value of the arts as it relates to economic prosperity, education, strong communities, and individual health and wellbeing.

A primary focus in this planning process will be to identify ways in which the Division can better serve and elevate the arts sector in an equitable manner to cultivate expanded diversity and inclusion in programming, access, and allocation of resources.

The public input process will include one-on-one phone and virtual interviews with individuals, focus groups, multiple online surveys and virtual town halls.

More details will be posted here once available. Keep in touch by signing up for our Mailing List by signing up in the footer below.

October 2020 (by invitation only)

One-on-one interviews

Thirty interviews with national and state leaders and stakeholders whose work exemplifies areas of interest to the Division, reveals important trends that can shape the Division’s future work, or offers visionary ideas that provide inspiration for the plan. The selected individuals will represent the diversity of Delaware’s communities.

Focus groups

Focus groups will represent a variety of perspectives, including of:

Arts organizations
Arts-related businesses
Community-based arts education
Community-based arts programming
Foundations/Donors
Individual Artists
Media/Communications
School-based arts education

November 2020 (open to the public)

Online Surveys

Variations of the survey will be available, based on the perspective of the individual completing the survey. Categories will include, but not be limited to, practicing artists, arts administrators, patrons, educators, audience members
Survey results will be aggregated to inform the broader strategic planning process
Notice of the online surveys with corresponding links, will be sent by email in November, posted here on arts.delaware.gov/strategic-plan/, and promoted through social media. The surveys will be open from November 16-25, 2020

Virtual Town Halls

The town halls will focus on various themes that emerge from the one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and Division Strategic Planning Working Group. Pre-registration will be required to receive a link to a virtual meeting. Town halls are designed to:

Be conducted as Zoom sessions, during which all Delaware constituents will have an opportunity to provide input
Engage all interested Delawareans to participate in one or more meetings to have their thoughts and opinions heard
Provide a safe space to contribute to the discussion

In late February 2021, a draft of the Division’s new Strategic Plan for FY2022-FY2026 will be released for public input, and in March 2021, the final plan will be formally approved by the Delaware State Arts Council and printed and published on the Division’s website here.

For More Information

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The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to present Design Delaware 2.0, our strategic plan for FY2016-FY2020. With input from more than 900 participants statewide, this plan represents the goals and aspirations of the people we serve. View the Design Delaware 2.0 plan.

Mission

The Delaware Division of the Arts is a state agency dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans.

Vision

The Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware State Arts Council envision a day when all Delawareans recognize the arts as vital to education, the economy, and quality of life.

Core Values

Access to the arts for all Delawareans
Advocacy to raise awareness of, and support for, the arts
Creativity and innovation in the arts
Diversity in programming, services, audiences, and participation
Education in and through the arts for all ages
Excellence in artistic product, process, and service to the community

Operational Plans

Design Delaware 2.0 was developed as a streamlined strategic plan that can endure economic and political variability, with the intent of constructing annual goal-oriented operational plans with performance indicators that align with the strategic plan and respond to current conditions.

FY2016 Operational Plan

FY2017 Operational Plan

FY2018 Operational Plan