In 2008, the Performing Arts Program reviewed our objectives and strategies. We had three goals:

1. To research the ways in which the performing arts field had changed since our last program review.
2. To  evaluate our objectives and strategies in light of these changes.
3. To make adjustments to our grantmaking to bring our objectives and strategies in line with the evolving environment.

We emerged from the review with clearer objectives and strategies and an improved ability to talk about what we want to achieve and how we plan to achieve it. The reflective process also enables us to articulate the important roles that our grantees play in the Bay Area arts ecosystem.

Our review resulted in a model of the Bay Area arts ecosystem and a streamlined strategic framework. It did not result in significant changes to the Performing Arts Program's grantmaking. We remain committed to supporting the artistic breadth of one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country through multi-year, general operating support grants to a variety of arts organizations in the 11 San Francisco Bay Area counties.

The Arts Ecosystem helps us understand the constellation of entities and people that create art, that experience it, and that build and maintain the arts infrastructure. It include the individuals and public and private sector institutions that support the arts, for- and non-profit arts and entertainment organizations that provide support and venues for arts experiences, artists that create and interpret works of art, and the general public, which participates in, experiences, and supports the arts. As in any ecosystem, these different actors are connected to and influence one another, and their vitality impacts the system's overall health. The arts ecosystem is impacted by environmental factors such as changing demographics, advances in technology, and the national economy.

The Strategic Framework illustrates the role of the Hewlett Foundation's Performing Arts Program within the arts ecosystem. Our program seeks to achieve two ultimate outcomes:

1. To ensure that exceptional works of art are created, performed, and preserved.
2. To ensure that more opportunities for participation in arts experiences are available and accessed.

To achieve these outcomes, we contend that there must be a healthy arts ecosystem. We define the characteristics of the healthy arts ecosystem in some terms that should be familiar:

Supply – a community of diverse and high-quality artists live and work in the Bay Area.

Demand – there is robust public support for and appreciation of the arts.

Infrastructure – there are enough physical assets and intellectual resources available to provide for the creation and presentation of and participation in the arts.

Achieving a healthy arts ecosystem requires that we first pursue an even more specific subset of outcomes, and at the most detailed level we identify the activities and strategies that will help us achieve these outcomes.

For example, we support organizations that present and produce low and no cost performances in order to mitigate barriers to accessing/participating in the arts). We believe this will help to increase demand which will in turn help achieve our ultimate outcomes.

If you have questions about the Performing Arts Program Framework, please contact your program officer or the Performing Arts staff at PerformingArts@hewlett.org.