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Written by Stephanie Fortunato
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Monday, 19 October 2009 |
Raise public awareness of the creative sector
Strengthen marketing, advocacy, and tourism to increase participation and engagement.
The cultural plan intends to leverage the city’s arts, culture, and creative assets to secure strong and consistent support for creative industries from area businesses, government, civic organizations, and the public. The Americans for the Arts 2007 Arts & Economic Prosperity III study documented that nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Providence generate $111.81 million in local economic activity. Economists have long recognized that the cost of cultural programming nearly always exceed earned revenues. Public benefits require public support. The challenge for the cultural plan is to more effectively communicate the powerful impact of these critical community benefits.
Marketing:
Providence is home to world-class higher education institutions, a growing knowledge economy, preeminent cultural institutions, many high-quality artists and designers, creative businesses, and creative workers. Performances, museums, festivals, and events draw a regional audience. Many people view the City’s new branding efforts – in which Providence claims the title The Creative Capital – as an authentic reflection of its identity as a creative and cultural center.
Advocacy:
An advocacy campaign promotes, supports, and defends arts-related issues that are important and about which the general public, the media, and elected officials should be informed.
Cultural tourism:
One cannot mistake Providence for somewhere else. Providence is fortunate that it need not invent an identity for itself like many American cities are forced to do. The city’s historic landscape, restaurants, niche tourism markets, and thriving art scene attract a diverse range of visitors from near and far to the city. Cultural facilities and programs have been significant catalysts to downtown revitalization.
Outcomes of cultural planning
- Consistent messaging will be employed to market cultural attractions to visitors and residents.
- Residents and visitors will easily locate the city’s arts, culture, and creativity with coordinated information, calendars, ticketing, and links to events and opportunities.
- Links with tourism, the hospitality industry, cultural organizations, and events will be strengthened.
- The creative sector will be recognized as central to the City’s quality of life, attractiveness to business and investment, and returning prosperity.
- There will be a clear process for the creative sector to post information about their work on a central online data portal.
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Creative Providence Cultural Assessment Findings Report (
Art New England Dec 09 -Jan 10
