ARTSPACE DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING TOOL (ADAPT)
OVERVIEW
With space development, there’s no simple, linear path from initial idea to operating a facility. In the absence of such a path, we created ADAPT. The planning tool has 5 phases in total, but Artspace Primer focuses solely on the first phase, Exploration. Each phase includes six elements of space planning, bookended by a self assessment at the beginning and decision point at the end.
PHASE 1: EXPLORATION
SELF ASSESSMENT
LEADERSHIP
The individuals responsible for making decisions about the space.
PROJECT CONCEPT
The vision and function of the space.
COST ANALYSIS
The costs associated with planning, constructing, and operating the space.
LOCATION
The physical site, building, or rooms.
FUNDING
The financial sources needed to pay for the space related costs.
COMMUNICATIONS
The plan for communicating internally and externally about the space.
DECISION POINT
WHO IS IT DESIGNED FOR
This online companion to the ADAPT handbook was created specifically for arts, creative, and cultural nonprofit organizations that are planning some sort of space-related initiative. However, other small businesses and organizations may also find it useful. If you don’t have the handbook, no worries! All of the information it covers is also included here.
Space-related initiatives can range in scope from repurposing existing space to a full-scale development project. For brevity’s sake, we’ll use the term “space-related initiative” to include all types of initiatives.
Depending on your situation, some of these elements may be more or less helpful. If your organization is in crisis mode because you’ve lost your space, some of the elements may seem like a luxury you can’t afford. If you have substantial financial reserves and don’t think you’ll need to raise additional funds for your space-related initiative (lucky you!), you might breeze through the funding section.
Whatever the case, we still recommend walking through each of the elements. There is always room to back up and reassess. As we said, it’s anything but a linear process.
Start with…