Ukraine Public-Private Partnerships through Culture and the Arts

In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, Meridian developed a two-week exchange in the United States for six Ukrainian participants working in public and private sectors to explore public-private partnerships and funding sources around arts and cultural programs.  The participants examined the preservation of artistic freedom in tandem with the checks and balances in place to ensure financial accountability and transparency.  Meetings with American counterparts at the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Kennedy Center demonstrated examples of arts and culture initiatives taking place at the federal, state and locals levels.

Goals and Objectives

• Examine how arts and cultural programs and initiatives are funded in the United States, including what fundraising techniques and platforms are being used;
• Explore mechanisms through which arts and grant-making entities ensure financial accountability, transparency, and freedom of artistic expression;
• Engage in discussions on the development and significance of public-private partnerships; and
• Observe how art centers, theaters, museums, and organizations are managed at the state and local levels.