CT Humanities Announces Participants in CT Culture Lab Capacity and Leadership Development Program
/CT Humanities has announced 12 arts and culture organizations from throughout Greater Hartford participating in a two-year capacity-building cohort. The program will provide these organizations with multiple intensive learning opportunities, monthly coaching calls, and group networking. Participants will also receive capacity-building stipends to support reaching their operational goals.
"CT Humanities believes that cultural organizations need to be resilient and sustainable in order to confront the existential challenges facing arts, humanities, and cultural non-profits today," says Executive Director Jason Mancini. "Here, we bring staff and community expertise to the table to support, guide, and activate in new ways these twelve organizations from the greater Hartford region. With this pilot program, our shared goal is to improve their capacity to serve their communities; in turn, there will be lessons for us on how we can best work in other communities across the state."
CT Culture Lab supports Connecticut organizations that deploy arts, history, and other cultural activities for public benefit. The program focuses on professional development and opportunities to learn from one another, all in order to better serve their communities. The goal is for organizations to grow more resilient by improving sustainability, community participation, and service to their audiences. While the program will focus on capacity building, it will be adaptive to participants’ needs and the changing funding landscape.
The participating organizations include:
Ancient Burying Ground Association, Inc. (Hartford)
Artists Collective, Inc. (Hartford)
Caribbean Cultural Heritage Alliance (Hartford)
Ebony Horsewomen Equestrian & Agricultural Center (Hartford)
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford)
InYaHead Academy (Hartford)
Klassy Katz Elite Dance Team Inc. (Bloomfield)
Layavinyasa (Glastonbury)
Mental Health Connecticut, Inc. on behalf of Art of Wellbeing (Farmington)
Opera House Players (Enfield)
Windsor Historical Society (Windsor)
Participants will have access to stipends to implement capacity-building work based on needs assessed and discussed. These efforts are intended to be collaborative. Funds will be distributed annually following the completion of the first quarter’s trainings and goal setting.
The CT Culture Lab was made possible with a $400,000 grant from the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving) as part of a $6 million investment in Greater Hartford arts and culture in commemoration of its centennial anniversary.
“The Foundation is pleased to support Connecticut Humanities in launching the CT Cultural Lab to assist arts, history, and cultural organizations in the Greater Hartford,” said Greater Hartford Gives President/CEO Jay Williams. “The program will enhance the capacity, sustainability, and resilience of these organizations, enabling them to thrive and continue enriching our communities for many years to come.”
