The Arts Council learned in early November that the Hillsborough County School District will not be renewing the contract for services for the 2018-2019 academic year, and will instead utilize funds to build arts programs within the schools internally. Historically this contract was administered by the Arts Council to provide arts education services to the District with additional funding provided by Hillsborough County.
Although the Arts Council will no longer be the booking entity for arts education within the schools, we will continue to serve as a clearinghouse to connect the schools with artists and arts organizations on a referral basis, and stand ready to assist the school district in whatever way we can to facilitate this transition.
As both the School District and the Arts Council strive to use limited resources in the most efficient and effective way possible, it is important to develop new strategies to support programmatic efforts in the most cost-effective manner possible.
The Arts Council of Hillsborough County is committed to supporting access and outreach to the arts for residents of Hillsborough County regardless of age, race, disability, socio-economic status, or geographic location. We believe that learning in and through the arts, no matter where you are in life, helps to foster creativity, curiosity, and compassion.