Item 3. Creative Reset Initiative Phase II Presentation — original pdf

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CULTURAL AND MUSEUM FACILITIES: AUTHENTICALLY AUSTIN Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department Creative Reset Initiative Phase II-Presentation EMMA S. BARRIENTOS MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER ADVISORY BOARD Wednesday, September 10, 2025 Permitting and Development Center DRAFT 2025-09-08 SECTIONS: • Deliverables • Research Foundation • Engagement Foundations • Marketing and Outreach • Questions, comments, feedback 2 DELIVERABLES FINAL DELIVERABLES RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT CLOSE-OUT TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY, TRUST, ACCESSIBILITY, AND LONG-TERM USABILITY, THE FOLLOWING TOOLS WILL BE PRODUCED AND SHARED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE ENGAGEMENT AND RESEARCH PROCESS: Summary of Findings Report: A clear and accessible report that includes: • Demographic overview of participants • • Community-identified needs, aspirations, and recommendations • Visuals (e.g., charts, quotes, photos) to highlight findings Key themes and insights from engagement Open Data Publication: All de-identified raw data (e.g., survey results, coded themes, engagement activity responses) will be published on the City of Austin’s Open Data Portal to support transparency and future analysis. PublicInput.com Engagement Page: The engagement portal will house: • All background materials and translated content • Meeting notes and activity summaries • Archived surveys and engagement tools Links to final deliverables and next steps • Interactive Dashboard (Pending support): A dynamic, filterable dashboard that allows users to explore data based on variables of selected attributes, such as: • • Cultural Centers’ Comparison Card: A tool that compares resources and activities among cultural and Museum Engagement Data: Geographic area, language, type of engagement, and emerging themes facilities Visual Installation of Community Thoughts: A tangible collage to be used as a backdrop for inspiration and action anchoring. Final Presentations: A visual presentation (PowerPoint or PDF) summarizing the process, participation, and outcomes— designed for use with City leadership, staff, community, etc. 4 RESEARCH FOUNDATION LIST OF FACILITIES Note: All faculties will receive the engagement activities as outlined in the plan, unless a note is added. The Connelly-Yerwood “Pink House” is waiting for confirmation from leadership. Cultural Centers: •Asian American Resource Center (AARC) •Dougherty Arts Center (DAC) •Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) •George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center (Carver and Genealogy) Museums: •Elizabet Ney Museum •Susanna Dickinson Museum (Brush Square Museums) •The O’Henry Museum (Bursh Square Museums) •UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum (UMLAUF, management contract, limited activities to include survey and one staff engagement meeting) Historical Facilities: •African American Cultural & Heritage Facility + Dedrick Hamilton House (AACHF) •Montopolis Negro School (The Montopolis Negro School is acknowledged as an important cultural site. While it is not currently included in this phase, future engagement is anticipated to ensure thoughtful outreach in collaboration with the many community members who have long advocated for this facility.) •Old Bakery & Emporium (Old Bakery) Community Active Spaces/Venues: •Millennium Youth Entertainment Center (MYEC, management contract, limited activities to include survey and one staff engagement meeting) •23rd St Renaissance Artist Market (Renaissance, limited activities to include survey) •Zilker Hillside Theater (Limited engagement to include survey) 6 FRAMING QUESTIONS: How might we illustrate the historical growth of each facility—highlighting how services, programs, and engagement have evolved alongside Austin’s changing needs? How might we visually represent community participation and the outcomes of engagement activities to reflect impact and transparency? How might we design an inclusive engagement approach that considers language, accessibility, cultural context, and different ways of sharing input? How might we integrate the lived experience, institutional knowledge, and perspectives of staff into the findings and conclusions? How might we deepen connections with the communities located closest (physically and emotionally) to each facility, ensuring that outreach is relational and not transactional? How might we present meaningful comparisons among facilities—highlighting both challenges and strengths to support equitable planning and investments? 7 PARTICIPATION GOAL To ensure that the insights gathered through community engagement are statistically valid and representative of Austin’s diverse communities, the project will follow standard sampling guidelines with a goal to achieve: Based on Austin’s population size (approx. 960,000), a minimum of 385 completed responses is recommended to achieve a 95% confidence level with a ±5% margin of error. To support greater accuracy and subgroup analysis, we will aim for a total of 800 to 1,100 responses, which will allow for meaningful disaggregation by key demographic categories such as race/ethnicity, language, age and geographic area. A stratified sampling approach will be used to ensure inclusive participation across historically underrepresented communities. This includes intentional outreach to diverse groups. In addition to quantitative data, we will collect qualitative insights (including stories, community dialogue, and lived experience) to contextualize findings and center community knowledge in the conclusions and final findings report. This approach balances statistical best practices with equity, accessibility, and trust-building— ensuring that conclusions reflect the priorities and realities of Austin’s diverse communities. 8 ENGAGEMENT FOUNDATION ENGAGEMENT GOAL To create a trusted and inclusive space shaped by the community—where people of all backgrounds can share their histories, lived experiences, needs, and aspirations for the cultural and museum facilities, including programming and staff services. The knowledge, ideas, and contributions shared will guide the engagement conclusions. Those conclusions will support ACME’s efforts to uplift and act on what matters most to the communities we serve. OBJECTIVES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ensure Representatio n and Inclusion Assess Community Satisfaction and Gaps Co-Create Vision for Future Programming Build Community Awareness and Trust Inform Strategic and Budget Planning Promote Continuous Engagement and Feedback Loops Gather Community and Staff Input on Past and Current Services, Programmin, and Activities 11 ACTION PLAN Conduct Inclusive Outreach (Sep – Nov) Host Engagement Events (Sep – Nov) Collect and Analyze Community Input (Dec – Jan) Share Back and Validate Findings (Ongoing – Jan) Develop Conclusions (Dec – Jan) Specific: Design and implement an outreach strategy that prioritizes participation from the cultural and museum communities, including staff. Measurable: Engage at least 800 to 1,100 participants across all ACME cultural and museum facilities and representative communities. Achievable: Partner with organizations, community leaders, cultural brokers, and staff. Relevant: Ensures diverse perspectives inform cultural/museum facility discussions. Time-bound: Complete outreach by the third week of November. 12 Specific: Facilitate meaningful tools for dialogue, input gathering, and visioning thinking from the community and staff. Measurable: Host 20 engagement activities (listening sessions, surveys, pop-ups, meeting in a box, traveling visioning activities) across all council districts, including all cultural and museum facilities. Achievable: Use in- person (on the ground) and virtual opportunities. Offer interpretation and ADA accommodations as requested by the community. Relevant: Directly supports the goal of building a trusted and inclusive space. Time-bound: All engagement activities completed by November 30, 2025. Specific: Gather and code all input. Analyze theme-based highlights. Add to the win-win document. Measurable: Compile feedback into one comprehensive community-informed report, disaggregated by language, demographics, and engagement method. Achievable: Use survey tools, facilitated discussions, and visualization tools. Relevant: Incorporate community knowledge into conclusions. Time-bound: Draft report completed by January 15, 2026. Specific: Report back to the community on what was heard. Give the community the opportunity to provide feedback on the conclusions. Measurable: Publish a summary on the Speak Up Austin page. Raw data into Open Portal. Currently exploring a sustainable dashboard for data display, creation of a “Report Card” for facility comparison. Achievable: Use online and printed formats for sharing outcomes and providing feedback. Relevant: Builds transparency, accountability, and trust. Time-bound: Share-back complete by January 31, 2026. Specific: Translate engagement findings into a set of actionable recommendations for cultural center investment, programming, and staffing. Measurable: Create recommendations for the budget process with actionable items supported by community input. Achievable: Co- developed with internal staff and community engagement conclusions. Relevant: Aligns community priorities with strategic decision- making. Time-bound: Project completion January 30, 2026. KEY RESEARCH QUESTION: HOW CAN ACME CONTINUE TO GROW ITS COMMUNITY-CENTERED APPROACH BY DEEPENING COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND AMONG STAFF ACROSS ALL CULTURAL AND MUSEUM FACILITIES IN SHAPING PROGRAMMING, STAFFING, AND THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE SPACES IT MANAGES—BOTH AS PHYSICAL PLACES AND AS WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE ART, CULTURE, CONNECTION, AND BELONGING THRIVE? What cultural, artistic, and community needs are currently being met, and where do gaps remain across ACME’s cultural and museum facilities? How do community members define trust, inclusion, and belonging within cultural spaces and artistic expression? Which programs, services, and engagement approaches are most reflective of and welcoming to the diverse communities ACME serves? How can we bring together staff knowledge and community input to create cultural programs and services that meet the changing needs of the community? 13 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES Accessibility and Inclusion: We are committed to providing various participation options, along with supportive resources and accommodations, that enable underrepresented segments of our community to participate meaningfully. Accountability: We provide complete and easy-to-understand information on the issues and make a full feedback record available to participants and decision-makers. Collaboration: We partner with the community to develop engagement processes appropriate to the participants' needs and preferences. This results in recommendations informed by the history and shared knowledge of the communities we serve. Consistency: In every engagement, we provide advance notice of opportunities, meeting agendas, discussion agreements, timelines, and transparent information about how participation will be used in the decision-making process. Respect: We maintain a mutually respectful environment that cultivates and supports inclusive public engagement and honest dialogue between and among participants and City representatives. Stewardship: We conduct ourselves as stewards of the public’s resources, respecting and recognizing that the community has a voice in how those resources are used. Monitoring and Evaluation: We continuously seek ways to improve. We welcome feedback and explore new and innovative approaches to make engagement more meaningful and effective. 14 TRIANGULATION APPROACH To ensure the reliability, validity, and depth of our findings, we will use a triangulation approach, bringing together multiple sources of information to cross-verify and enrich our conclusions. 15 Observations: First-hand insights gathered during community engagement events, meetings, and site visits. Observations reveal context, behavior, and nuances that numbers alone may not show. Collected Data: Quantitative and qualitative input from surveys, listening sessions, visioning tools, and feedback forms. This reflects community needs, priorities, and lived experiences. Literature & Document Review: Analysis of existing reports, best practices, case studies, and policies related to cultural facilities and community-centered planning. This provides a broader evidence base and comparative insights. ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUE TOOLS Language-Accessible Surveys (Quantitative) Purpose: Gather structured input across communities. Surveys are offered in multiple formats and languages Participants: Community and staff Community Leadership Roundtable (Qualitative) Purpose: To gather trusted community leaders, cultural influencers, and grassroots advocates for a focused, relationship-based discussion over a shared meal. Participants: There are three individual groups: the Collaboration Council (War) team, the Staff Council of Experts, and the community leaders. Interactive Pop-Ups (Qualitative and Quantitative) Purpose: Meet people where they are. Mobile engagement booths set up at festivals, cultural events reduce access barriers and invite spontaneous feedback through visuals, prompts, and activities. Participants: Community Meeting in a Box (Qualitative and Quantitative) Purpose: To extend engagement beyond traditional meetings by equipping the community to facilitate meaningful conversations in familiar spaces— gathering stories, ideas, and feedback from participants who may not otherwise participate. Participants: Community 16 Listening Sessions (Qualitative) Purpose: To create space for low-pressure, small-group or individual facilitated conversations. Held in trusted settings, these sessions center on lived experience without requiring formal public speaking, encouraging deeper, more personal sharing. Participants: Community leaders, staff World Café: Envisioning Together (Qualitative) Purpose: Facilitate rich, rotating small-group dialogue. Participants explore key questions about cultural spaces, building on each other’s reflections and identifying shared hopes and ideas. Participants: Most affected communities, current facility participants Mapping Dot Exercise (Quantitative) Purpose: To warm up and track participation by zip code. This allows for the correlation of demographics with the Census, and it is easy for participants to engage with. Participants: Community Postcards to the Future (Qualitative) * Purpose: Make community aspirations personal and tangible. Participants imagine a future where their cultural facility reflects their needs and write a "postcard" from that future. This sparks creativity and grounds long-term visioning in personal experiences, creating optimism and diverging thinking. Easy to track themes. A small toolbox to execute and travel. Participants: Community and staff MARKETING AND OUTREACH MARKETING AND OUTREACH TOOLS To promote participation in the engagement efforts, we want a mix of inclusive, multilingual marketing and outreach tools tailored to both digital and in-person preferences: Digital Communication Channels Community-Based Networks • Social Media Campaigns Targeted content on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), and Nextdoor using visuals, stories, and multilingual posts. • Trusted Messenger Networks / Speaker Bureaus Leverage community leaders, artists, educators, and health workers to share information directly. • ACME Newsletters (Facility specific + CAD and Department wide) Regular updates to subscribed audiences with calls to action and engagement opportunities. • Neighborhood Associations / “Five-Mile Radius” Outreach Partner with neighborhood associations near cultural facilities to build relationships and spread the word. • Website Updates Ensure the ACME website reflects current opportunities and highlights community voices. • City’s Community Engagement Community of Practice (CECoP) Mobilize internal engagement practitioners to support outreach efforts. • PublicInput.com Page Central hub for engagement activities, surveys, and event info. • Citywide Calendar of Events Include engagement events on all relevant city and community calendars. Print & Distribution Tools • Postcards Design and implement a targeted distribution plan through facilities, libraries, and partner networks. • Posters In-Person Engagement • Tabling & Mobile Engagement Use pop-up booths, mobile carts, and cultural events to reach people directly. • ACME Leaders’ List Activate department and citywide leadership to promote engagement through speaking opportunities and stakeholder meetings. Media & Production • Media Relations Display in libraries, rec centers, small businesses, transit stops, and community hubs. Coordinate press releases, announcements, and interviews through City’s PIO and partner outlets. • Fact Sheets Clear, translated overviews of the project and how to participate. 18 • Video / TV Production Create multilingual explainer videos, testimonials, or promotional spots for City Channel, YouTube, and social media. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK CONTACT INFO Marjorie Flanagan and Marion Sanchez Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Marion.Sanchez@austintexas.gov Marjorie.Flanagan@austintexas.gov THANK YOU!