Through research regarding the status of the South’s vitality, we have identified six areas in which combined leadership, involving the arts as a critical resource, can build a better South. These six issue areas form the backbone of South Arts’ working agenda, and around which we believe that dialogue, policymaking and research by leaders in the region can have an affirmative and timely impact. Our goal is to change not only the economic, cultural and educational profile of the South as a region, but to also have transformative effects on individuals, on people, on families and communities, who call the South home. SouthArts is committed to investing resources, developing partnerships and alliances and managing information and research to guide policymaking in the upcoming two fiscal years.

ECONOMY

The current economic climate requires a multifaceted approach to workforce development. CEOs and school superintendents report the need for workers who are creative problem-solvers, who can work in an increasingly multicultural and globalized competitive environment. A focus on developing entrepreneurialism as well as strengthening industry builds a broad employment and tax base. Educational advancement in our region is distressingly low, and a “brain drain” from our region weakens our social and economic infrastructure. While individual states in our region have developed Creative Economies research and strategies, economic development efforts require a region-wide perspective to benchmark our nine states and develop effective strategies in-region, competitively with other US regions, and competitively with other countries. Cultural tourism is increasing particularly among older and international visitors and the traditional and emerging cultural traditions of the South are a vibrant attractor.

EDUCATION

Every day 3,000 high school students drop out of school in the U.S. The dropout rate in the South is the highest in the country, while the high school graduation rate is the lowest. National research speaks to the value of the arts in basic K-12 education in retaining student and educator attendance. However, the South presents a troubling dichotomy. While there are nationally-recognized model programs in specific school districts and state arts agencies within our region, our educational achievement levels region-wide are the lowest in the country. Research into model programs and how they can be replicated (in-school and afterschool programs) and how community college training can align with Creative Economies progress are imperative and will be led by a regional level alliance to assess and support arts education and develop a regional arts education initiative.

TECHNOLOGY

Research shows that the South has widely varying broadband Internet capabilities. Wide swaths, including the majority of Appalachia, receive limited access, primarily through dial-up or public venues such as libraries. The disparity of access to information, employment, training and cultural material should be of concern to all policymakers. Though South Arts does not have a role in providing Internet access, we should be concerned about net neutrality, ensuring artists and arts organizations have ability to communicate through an accessible and affordable Internet. We need an increasing focus on providing information, research, training and access through multiple portals, including online training and communications strategies, and sharing ongoing learning about the ways in which access to technology can increase opportunities for individual creative expression and shared cultural experiences.

ADVOCACY AND THE ARTS SECTOR

South Arts’ anecdotal research of the regional arts sector has surfaced a number of challenging but illuminating perspectives. Traditional arts are emblematic of the South but contemporary and immigrant artists and artforms feel a lack of recognition and validation. “Your art ain’t gonna look like my art” defines the individualistic nature of the creators in our nine states. Consumers do not value the difference between a handcrafted object by a master craftsperson and mass-produced objects sold at national/global retailers. Recent research time and again points to people’s desire to find and make meaning in their lives and activities; and indeed, mp3 players, YouTube and the surge in reality performance TV shows point to the daily act of curating their surroundings and arts experiences by many Americans. By providing a means for people to understand and shape the context and history of particular arts traditions; by helping arts providers to work more effectively, to make stronger connections with their audiences and use data more effectively; and by positioning exemplary artists more strongly in the regional, national and global marketplace, the strength of the arts will be leveraged more effectively. As economic/cultural/educational/social resources, individual arts organizations require assistance to become more ArtsReady, more ready to withstand and recover from minor crises and major disasters. Public and private entities with investments in the cultural sector – from city councils to private grantmakers, from chambers of commerce and downtown business districts to insurance companies and individual donors – can partner with South Arts and the national arts community to support business continuity planning.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

At the core of the arts sector is the encounter and connection between an individual and a work of art. South Arts believes that everyone in the South should have access to a range of artistic experiences and that public funding at the local, state, regional and federal level is one vital component of providing broad access to the arts. Through access to a broad range of artforms and cultural traditions, individuals’ cultural literacy can be increased, particularly through projects that provide interaction with artists and other educational components. Research indicates that those engaged with the arts are also more active in civic engagement. It’s vital to ensure that all sectors of a community have arts access, with particular attention to individuals who are aging and/or live with disabilities. The environment in which the arts operate is changing rapidly, necessitating ongoing professional development, networking and innovation.