STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Quality of Life, Arts & Culture
AGENDA DATE: February 28, 2024
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): N/A
DEPARTMENT: Office of Arts and Culture
EXECUTIVE: M. Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira
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SUBJECT
Title
A resolution authorizing and establishing the Cultural Organizations Program (COP) and approving the COP guidelines established by the Office of Arts and Culture to support cultural services in the City of Dallas for the fiscal year 2024-25 - Financing: This action has no cost consideration to the City (see Fiscal Information)
Body
BACKGROUND
The updated Cultural Policy of the City of Dallas, adopted on November 28, 2018, provides that guidelines for the various Cultural Funding Programs will be submitted annually for review and approval of the City Council. This serves to affirm the artistic nature of services to be provided through these various cultural programs and to specify the review and selection process for cultural services.
The COP is the support program through which the Office of Arts and Culture contracts for a full season of cultural services with established non-profit organizations for a variety of cultural programs that include concerts, plays, exhibitions, performances, workshops and other cultural programming for the benefit of Dallas residents and visitors.
The fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 COP guidelines are consistent with COP guidelines from previous fiscal years; the last major updates to these guidelines were made in FY 2019-20 to align with Dallas Cultural Plan 2018 priorities, including alignment to staff and board diversity goals, and resident panel evaluation of cultural programming in underserved neighborhoods around Dallas.
Updates made in the current proposed guidelines are:
• Program timeline
• New application information and resources section
• Addition of one funding “tier” for organizations of largest revenue amounts, so that the same requirements are held for organizations of similar revenue size
• A new requirement that organizations receiving COP funding must nominate a representative to join the Office of Arts and Culture’s Review Panel to read and review other arts funding applications, increasing equity and artist/cultural organization feedback opportunities on all funding processes
• Minor wording and document flow updates to improve readability for new applicants, clarify requirements, and update submission deadlines and dates
COP cultural service contracts are awarded annually using a volunteer review panel approach to evaluate applications. In accordance with Cultural Policy, the panelists are approved by the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission, and the panels are composed to reflect the diversity of the people of Dallas. Following panel review and scoring, the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission will make recommendations to the full Arts and Culture Advisory Commission. The Commission’s funding recommendations will be brought to City Council in the Fall of 2024 for authorization of the associated cultural service contracts.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On February 1, 2024, the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission voted to recommend these guidelines.
On February 15, 2024, the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission voted to recommend these guidelines.
The Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee was briefed by memorandum regarding this matter on February 20, 2024. <https://cityofdallas.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12671672&GUID=445DB5EF-1752-4AE6-BECE-02CA32155FE1>
FISCAL INFORMATION
This action has no cost consideration to the City. Appropriations for the Cultural Support Programs are established in the General Fund through the annual budget development process. Each award to a cultural organization through Cultural Organizations Program will be authorized by resolution of the City Council.