I recently returned from participating in a Colorado Creative Industries gathering in Ft. Collins. There were three separate events presented (a fact which dawned on me only shortly before I got on the plane to attend)–a Change Leaders Conference, a Colorado Creative Districts convening, and CCI’s annual Summit–and I was part of all three.
A significant insight for me was the use of the word “creative” in much of the work in Colorado. CCI is one of the few state arts agencies (SAA’s) that does not use the word “arts” in its name. This is certainly related to the work of Richard Florida (Rise of the Creative Class), but also, and perhaps more importantly, it reflects what I heard in discussions at the Creative Districts workshop I helped lead. Community awareness, understanding, and support improved dramatically when the name was changed from arts (or even culture) to creative. For many, the word art is off-putting. That’s a branding problem that arises from the disconnect between arts organizations and their communities, a legacy of artcentricity and association with wealth and power.
The other ongoing discussion (some would say argument) about the word creative is “What does it include?” I heard tattoo artists mentioned, along with gourmet chefs and brewmasters. Apparently Colorado’s governor is a strong proponent of including breweries in the category of creative industries. For myself, I have a bit of ambivalence about some of these things and, while largely agnostic about it, tend toward a broadly inclusive understanding of the term.
The Change Leaders Conference was a fascinating gathering of grassroots arts leaders. The program model was developed in Utah (I spoke at Utah’s CL Conference last year) and takes a small cohort (usually 10-12) local arts leaders, provides them with a variety of different kinds of training, and has them each design and implement an on-the-ground project utilizing the arts to benefit their communities. (Regular readers will understand how much that warms my heart.) The projects were both innovative and inspirational. I heard rumors about efforts to expand the program into more states. I would support that heartily!
The Creative Districts Conference brought together arts and community leaders from officially designated creative districts, along with designee hopefuls. (The state of Colorado has been officially recognizing and supporting such districts for a few years now.) The focus is largely on economic development but broader community concerns are addressed as well. It provides participating arts entities opportunity to develop skills in collaborating with non-arts entities. My interest was, of course, in the fact that community engagement demands cross-sector relationships.
The CCI Summit–like all statewide arts conferences–was an opportunity for the state’s culture workers to network, learn about trends, and get training in emerging concepts. Along with my buddy Maryo Gard Ewell I helped lead a very introductory workshop on the basics of community engagement. The discussion was lively, demonstrating a real desire among participants to do what it takes to connect with their communities.
The Summit’s theme was “Forefront.” From CCI’s name, the Change Leaders program, the support of arts-community partnerships, and a variety of other initiatives, Colorado’s arts leaders see the state as a leader in new approaches to work in arts and culture . . . and creativity. Congratulations to Margaret Hunt and her extremely hard-working staff on three excellent events.
Engage!
Doug