Arts Advancement Program: Evaluator’s Report

Annabel Jackson Associates conducted an evaluation of the Arts Advancement Program (AAP). The firm has extensive experience in the area of art program evaluation, with more than 250 projects completed in the past 20 years. Past clients include the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, National Arts Strategies, Scottish Arts Council, and the English Arts Council.

The evaluation revealed the following:

• Greater growth potential. All of the five participant organizations increased in confidence and aspiration. These changes have been, or are likely to be, translated into a higher scale of operation.
• Growing audience participation. Three of the arts organizations increased their audience or participant numbers. Four increased their customer loyalty.
• Greater financial sustainability. All of the five participant organizations have stronger balance sheets in part because of the working capital provided by AAP and the requirement that it be matched.
• Greater nonfinancial sustainability. All of the five participant organizations addressed areas of operational weakness. However, all have activities identified at the start of AAP which have yet to be carried out.
• More cohesive arts community. The seminar program provided networking opportunities. More could be done to spread the learning from AAP. The need for this additional work arises in part from the successes of AAP participants and their potential as role models and mentors for other arts organizations.

“All advancement programs bring value because they balance the short-term and capacity-consuming characteristics of project funding. AAP had added value because it was an exceptionally well-conceived and well-run advancement program: It was focused, flexible, high quality, synergistic, value for money, and empowering.”

~ Annabel Jackson