Cultural plan important economic tool for fueling Providence’s creative sector

PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline joined local artists, business and civic leaders in unveiling Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Creative Sector.  The cultural plan is designed to strengthen Providence’s position as a leading arts and cultural destination – an industry that generates nearly $112 million in annual economic activity.  The Cultural Plan, which sets strategic priorities for the community, takes on added significance during these challenging economic times when resources are scarce.

“Creative Providence honors the voices of a variety of stakeholders who generously shared their time, expertise and experience to develop strategies to maximize resources while strengthening one of the Creative Capital’s most important economic drivers,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “It gives me great pride to know this community can come together to make such a bold plan for the future.”

Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Capital City is the result of a collaborative, nine-month planning effort designed to align resources and build upon the strengths of the creative economy.  The planning process engaged thousands of Providence residents, hundreds of community activists, artists, arts administrators and businesses. It also explored how the city’s creative community is uniquely positioned to address community-wide challenges in the area of education, economic development and neighborhood revitalization. 

The Creative Providence plan outlines immediate and long-range goals and recognizes that these are incredibly challenging economic times that require bold, imaginative thinking.  The plan will become a guide for public policy and investments in the creative sector of Providence’s economy.  

Mayor Cicilline has identified the following 10 action steps in the Creative Providence plan as his first priorities in the next 18 months:

• Reorganize the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism to focus on economic development initiatives set forth by the Mayor for the creative sector in collaboration with the Department of Planning & Development/Economic Development. 
• Integrate branding as the Creative Capital into messaging and overall marketing of Providence and ensure that support to the creative sector matches the message.  Further develop the successful BUY ART program into a comprehensive marketing campaign to support businesses and artists.
• Explore the possibility of creating a Downtown Cultural Authority to strengthen, centralize and effectively market existing creative initiatives and public space.
• Strengthen neighborhood vitality by increasing public access to the arts, culture and creativity by collaboratively cultivating a network of community and cultural leaders.
• Develop policies governing decisions about the construction, renovation, or restoration of public artworks.
• Work to coordinate and strengthen high quality arts learning opportunities and efforts already underway and strengthen connections & resources between schools, high quality arts providers, youth and families.
• AC+T will continue to work in collaboratively to develop a robust summer youth employment program that delivers workforce development skills to young people while providing high quality arts learning experience.
• The City will continue to work to foster sustainable cultural organizations by networking with local and national stakeholders, creating collaborative funding opportunities, aligning marketing efforts and share best practices.  AC+T works with elected officials, advocacy organizations, foundations and organizations to cultivate sustained public and private sources of funding and deliver the message of economic impact to stakeholders.
• AC+T will continue to facilitate connections between creative workers and artists in order to stimulate and develop a more formal network of creativity.
• The Mayor will appoint a Creative Providence Leadership Council to act as community stewards for the implementation of Creative Providence and guide the work of the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism.

The planning process was led by Craig Dreeszen, Ph.D. of Dreezen & Associates, a nationally recognized cultural planning consultant firm, and Robert L. Leaver of New Commons, a local think tank that specializes in community-based strategic planning.

Members of the Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Capital City Steering Committee are: Barbara Fields, LISC; Councilman Cliff Wood; Hope Alswang, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design; Mary Kim-Arnold, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities; Frederick K. Butler, Textron; Johnnie Chace, Cornish Associates; Ethan Colaiace, GTECH Corporation; Umberto Crenca, AS220; James V. DeRentis, arts and business advocate; Carol Grant; Jennifer Marrapese; Tony Mendez, Poder 1110; Drake Patten, The Steel Yard; Amy Rainone, Rhode Island Housing; Randall Rosenbaum, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts; William Shuey, International Institute; Jack Templin, RI Nexus/Providence Geeks; Martina Windels, Martina & Company; and Toots Zynsky, glass artist.

A copy of the Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Capital City may be obtained in the Office of Neighborhood Services at Providence City Hall or online at www.providenceri.com.

##