Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Cultural Plan?
A cultural plan is the community’s plan of action for achieving its goals through cultural objectives. It accomplishes these goals with the participation and support of the entire community and through a structured, community-wide fact-finding and consensus-building process that assesses community needs and develops a plan of action. The plan of action then directs arts and cultural resources to address those areas of need.
What Is A Comprehensive Cultural Plan?
A comprehensive cultural plan is a plan that addresses many sectors of the community – industry, retail, scientific research, design, tourism, education, social services, neighborhoods, etc. – and the role arts & culture can play to support the goals in those sectors.
What Can A Cultural Plan Do?
A cultural plan can find new answers to old problems (like challenged neighborhoods or learning barriers) by using the arts & culture. In addition, the plan can tap the full economic development potential of cultural organizations, strengthen resources for artists and cultural organizations, fully integrate the arts into education and life-long learning, reposition a city’s image, and enhance community access to cultural resources.
For information on accessibility and/or to request written materials in Braille, large print format and/or Spanish, please call the City of Pasadena at (626) 744-7062.
Cultural Access Policy and Equity Standards
With the adoption Cultural Nexus, the City of Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission began to implement these broad goals, priorities and policies. One of the key components of the plan was the fundamental element of promoting access to the arts throughout the community. A Nexus subcommittee of the Arts & Culture Commission was established to address these elements through the development of guidelines that set standards for inclusion and equity for citywide application.
This Cultural Access Policy & Equity Standards document includes ten components to which these guidelines are to be applied, including policy, design standards information and communications technology, arts education, community engagement, cultural heritage, public art, collaborative partnerships, children and youth programs and general arts and culture programs. All four of the guiding principles of these guidelines relate to the City’s General Plan, which states that “community participation will be a permanent part of achieving a greater city….”
These guidelines were approved by the Arts & Culture Commission on December 12, 2007 for implementation throughout various activities, events, partnerships and programs as prioritized by the Commission in the Annual Work plan. Facilitation of information exchange, encouragement of policy consideration and integration of resources for the arts community as it relates to the broader population is integral to each of the proposed initiatives. A fundamental element of these guidelines is the collaboration with appropriate staff, departments and Commissions in order to fully integrate this arts policy within existing city expertise, programs and framework. Cultural Affairs will leverage these collaborations in order to implement the four main Nexus arts principles of participation, economic growth, cultural identity, and a dynamic support system.
Historical Information
Beginning in February 2004, the City of Pasadena, led by the Cultural Affairs Division and Arts Commission, will embark on the Cultural Nexus. The plan will be Pasadena’s first comprehensive cultural plan and will be largely developed through a series of town hall meetings and special workshops. When adopted in 2005, it will identify the community’s 10-year priorities for supporting the arts & culture in Pasadena and better integrate arts & culture into the entire community. The plan will become a component of the city’s General Plan, thereby informing, impacting and supporting planning for the entire city, including economic and business development, education, recreation, public works, parks and health care.
The Cultural + Planning Group (CPG), in conjunction with Cusick Consulting, has been contracted by the city to lead the planning process. CPG will survey existing cultural resources (facilities, organizations, programs, funding, audiences, etc.) and provide recommendations and comparative data to assist in establishing priorities. CPG will lead the community dialogue, provide “best practice” opportunities and draft the plan.
Because Pasadena is a complex, culturally rich and diverse city, community participation from all sectors of the economy and leadership from all districts of the city is truly essential to reflect the long and short-term cultural priorities for the entire city.
The plan needs citizen representation from the education, science and technology, tourism, social service, real estate development, health care and environmental industries to work with representatives from neighborhoods and the cultural industry.
You are encouraged to participate in a variety of ways. Attend any or all of the three town hall meetings; participate in topic-driven workshops; or provide leadership to a topic area throughout the entire project. This web site will be updated as the planning process continues. If you can’t attend the meetings, you can view the process on this website and respond via e-mail any time at culturalaffairs@cityofpasadena.net
