New Haven, Connecticut, is the first city to adopt the New Pathways for the Arts Initiative.

In New Haven, the program is being led by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, made possible by the Greater New Haven Arts Stabilization Fund and individual donors. "This is an important and timely opportunity for New Haven arts organizations to explore how we create art and engage audiences while meeting the challenges of the changing landscape," said Arts Council Executive Director Cindy Clair.

Community Convenings for 15 New Haven Arts Organizations
In January 2010, 15 organizations were invited by the Arts Council to take part the first New Haven/New Pathways Community Convening. The content of the convening included an introduction to the definition of innovation, exploration of each of its elements in relation to each organization's real challenges and opportunities, identifying innovative strategies in response to the challenge, and focusing those ideas into a short-term practical workplan. Participants completed a series of worksheets, which formed the basis of an innovation plan that they incorporated into daily work.

Surveyed after the Convening, participants wrote:

"Beautifully run, very enlightening and energizing!"

"The worksheets were helpful outlining the step-by-step process. They are something you can take with you and refer to later."

"This workshop and your materials will help our organization to begin to think outside the box.
Thank you!"

New Haven arts leaders will take part in the second convening in Fall 2010.

Core Program for Four Selected Organizations
The New Pathways' Core Program is a concentrated seven-month framework, guided by process facilitators from EmcArts. It is intended for organizations that are ready to respond with a new approach to a major complex challenge or opportunity they have identified. We have designed the process to build on each organization's adaptive capacities-its ability to innovate-as it reviews and rethinks its future strategies (whether in programs, staffing, operations or governance).

From the New Haven community cohort of 15 organizations, four were selected via an RFP process to take part in the Core Program:

• The Arts Council of New Haven - providing leadership and advocacy for artists, arts organizations and audiences in the Greater New Haven region;
• ArtSpace - a presenter of local and national visual art and education to the benefit of the public and the greater arts community;
• CAPA - The Shubert Theater, now in its 35th year, CAPA is one of America's most respected theater manager and producers, managing the historic Shubert Theater; and
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning of Connecticut/VSA - integrating the arts into the lives of children in community and education settings, and an affiliate of VSA arts.

Eileen Carpinella, Executive Director of Young Audiences of Connecticut/VSA, said the New Pathways program has thus far been "transformative" for rapid development of consensus around important issues facing the organization. Of the program so far, she said:

"The analysis that was done at the start of the process was very thorough - from an organizational standpoint, as well as providing a complete financial review, that was very telling to all members of the organization - staff, board and artists. That initial information has really propelled Young Audiences forward in realizing that we have enough capital on hand to redeploy resources thoughtfully and invest back in the organization's development efforts. Our organization had been reluctant to consider this possibility, but the New Pathways' process has rapidly propelled us forward and helped everyone to see very clearly that it is the right move for Young Audiences to make at this point.

"Next we're going to have a large retreat involving staff, our entire volunteer base, and select board members and artists, to come together to look at key challenges facing us. We're thinking in new ways as an organization: we're together and on the same page, getting several looks at the same challenge, and some innovative ideas have come out of these discussions."

Read more about the New Pathways for the Arts Initiative.