Context

Context for the creation and adoption of the CSO’s new Strategic Plan

The 2025 Strategic Plan was created over an eightmonth period from October 2020 – May 2021. It was begun while COVID was still raging, and completed as most North Carolinians were becoming vaccinated. The CSO continued to perform, to live audiences outdoors and those online, throughout the pandemic. We have learned lessons about our capacity to produce high-quality digital offerings to complement our live performances; and will discover the extent to which there will remain audiences hungry for streamed performances once the pandemic has eased. In May 2021, subscriptions for the CSO’s 2021-22 Season went on sale, and we were allowed to resume performances to a live audience indoors for the first time. All this provides context for post-pandemic strategies, especially those under Artistic Vitality, Education, Audience Development and Innovation, which inform this Plan.

Another important contextual point of reference is the change in the arts funding landscape in Charlotte that was still settling as this Plan was being adopted. The outcome of the City of Charlotte’s decision to fund client organizations more directly, rather than through the Arts & Science Council, is still resonating. Most welcome is the news of a three-year match of City annual fund support by the private sector through the Foundation for the Carolinas. It remains to be seen how greatly the CSO may benefit as a grantee of the new $36m combined fund over the first three years covered by this Plan; and how the new funding stream will contribute to the CSO’s exit strategy from its $2m of annual THRIVE support. Also still to be clarified is the future role of the ASC, as an important partner in the arts and cultural community and as a conduit for financial support from Mecklenburg County. We want to reinforce the importance of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in enabling the CSO to live up to our mission and in the hope of fulfilling our vision. Threaded throughout the seven areas of focus are strategies that, woven together, unite us in this commitment.

Finally, it will be noticed that the Plan includes Goals and Strategies but not more granular objectives and tactics. These will be devised and measured as the Plan is pursued, on an annual basis, and as we pace ourselves over the four years to its successful execution.