In 1998, with support from The Ford Foundation the Center selected initial sites for the Network under the guidance of the Research Task Force . Yet a heterogeneous community is vital to developing the field of cultural policy, and the Center will continue to encourage partnerships between Network sites and public agencies, museums, arts consulting firms, service and professional organizations, and policy centers.
Members also communicate through an on-line discussion .
Each meeting is summarized below. On February 26-27, the Center held the inaugural Cultural Policy Network conference. Participants in the second session discussed needs and opportunities in research. In the third session they formed working groups based on common interests in curriculum development, research, cooperation across disciplines, and strategies for outreach to practitioners and the cultural policy community. Participants also heard presentations on policy communities and the origins of the Center.