Future Agenda are delighted to share this initial perspective on the future civic role of arts and arts organisations. The topic will be explored at a London event in June, hosted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The event is part of a wider enquiry by Calouste Gulbenkian into the future civic role of arts and comments are very welcome here on slideshare.

1. The Civic Role of Arts in 2025| An Initial Perspective
Curated by Future Agenda
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation| London – June 2016

2. During 2015 we undertook 120 workshops in 45 cities around
the world discussing the future of 25 topics with over 3000 people.
The output is has been shared via website, social networks and a book.
Initial
Perspectives
Q4 2014
Global
Discussions
Q1-3 2015
Insight
Synthesis
Q4 2015
Sharing of
Output /
Deeper Study
2016

3. Overhead Avoidance
Systems, salaries and training in not-for-profit organisations often suffer
from lack of investment as these organisations feel pressured by funders
(and other) expectations to maintain unrealistic overhead ratios.

4. Third Sector Consensus
Society’s continuing dependence on the third sector to take on roles
traditionally provided by the state calls for it to better define and
co-ordinate its collective approach, impact and needs.

5. The Climate Change Challenge
Climate change can no longer be ignored. While many are now looking at
improving the resilience of their facilities to more extreme weather, how
many will also seek to adapt to the new world of 4C of global warming?

6. Creating Skills Demand
NfP investment in leadership development initiatives helps ensure the
long-term health of the sector but this requires funders and regulators to
support the adoption of and measure against an agreed leadership code.

7. Redefining Citizen and State
Community engagement will come to define the relationship
between citizens and the state. Boundaries will become blurred
and power will become increasingly decentralised.

8. Digital Engagement
Cities are using digital platforms to better plan for the future and encourage
public engagement. Using new technology and big data to support strategic
planning of a city can help improve public engagement with the process.

9. Closing the Inequality Gap
One of the challenges facing the state is how to balance equity
and autonomy. A centralised system is often viewed to be
more equitable at the expense of autonomy.

10. Shifting Balance
The delivery focus moves beyond activities, people and organisations
to focus on driving system and social change. This requires increased
collaboration between public, private and social sectors.

11. Measuring Good
Despite the cost of collecting data, feedback from beneficiaries
plays an increasing role in measuring success particularly
when other outcomes are hard to measure.

12. Double Counting
There is a growth in structured volunteering which helps individuals
develop new skills and relationships while also making a difference
in their community and in broader society.

13. Nudge too Far
Nudge policies are popular with governments and can positively impact
behaviour. Some see these as a push too far, removing any remaining
sense of agency from those already disenfranchised and on the fringes.

14. Imaginative Alliances
In order to instigate positive change new alliances are formed between
multiple organisations all prepared to share resources, creativity and
intelligence. Increasingly the social sector choreographs this process.

15. End of Charity
The 20th century donative charity model reaches its limit. Models
emerge that are more nimble, more commercial, more collaborative,
more empowering, more temporal for good.

16. Coalition of the Willing
The need for intermediaries between the not-for-profit, corporate and
statutory sector grows as, despite different motivations, doing good
provides an opportunity for all to both benefit and have positive impact.

17. Creative Economy
The creative economy helps to build inclusive and sustainable cultures.
What’s more, it generates wealth. To build scale it requires a workforce
comfortable with collaboration, critical thinking and the ability to take a risk.

18. Female Leadership
Women in richer economies have greater choice, and with it increased
control and influence. This continues to drive change and decision-making,
but globally the battle for female equality has a long road to travel.

19. Public Spaces
Governments are pressured to ensure that public spaces are created
and retained – Places where people can meet, congregate, relax, even
where land is valuable and constrained, are prized focal points for society.

20. Collaboration Time as a Social Currency
Time spent working on collaborative projects addressing real issues is a
metric that drives reputation and social status. Individuals seek to give up
their free-time to help solve emerging problems to better support society.

21. In Need of Belonging
Small communities exist in mega cities to provide a sense of community
and social wellbeing. Looking ahead, the more responsive cities will
seek to enable communities to mould their neighbourhoods.

22. Artful Measures
Increased availability of data shows more clearly the social and economic
impact of art and is used by funders, governments and society as a key
measure to determine the performance of arts organisations.

23. Austerity as Opportunity
Budget constraints mean that doing good shifts from supporting others to the
removal of obstacles which prevent individuals from accessing opportunity.
Social models change from ‘doing to’ people to “building self-reliance”.

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