Bennington Cultural SummitThe Arts as an Engine of Economic Development

February 10, 2013

Presented by:

Better Bennington Corporation Arts Committee

with support from the Town of Bennington and the Bennington County Regional Commission

What is Cultural Planning?

All from: Community

Cultural Planning: A

Guidebook for Community

Leaders

Craig Dreeszen, PhD

Why Cultural Planning?

Cultural Planning can result in:

• Improved arts programs

• Enhanced communications among artists and arts groups

• Fuller integration of arts into the community

• Increased visibility for artists and arts groups

• Greater community awareness of the role of arts in

economic and community development

• Improved public access to the arts• Improved public access to the arts

• Improved cultural facilities

• Increased public and private funding for the arts

Why Cultural Planning?

89% believe that Santa Monica’s artsand culture scene makes the city

Bill Bulick, Director

and culture scene makes the citya better place to raise their children.

Regional Arts & Culture CouncilPortland, Oregon

Creative Capital: A Plan for the Development of Santa Monica’s Arts and Culture

UNDERSTANDING THE SAN DIEGO REGIONWE MUST UNDERSTAND. THEN WE CAN ACT.

pARTicipate San Diego ARTS & CULTURE

The Case for Increased Patronage for Arts and Culture in the San Diego RegionA RESEARCH REPORT OF THE ARTS & CULTURE WORKING GROUP OF THE SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION

summary

Five Key Findings DefinepARTicipate San Diego

From the research, a compositepicture of arts and culture in SanDiego County emerges, along with

Key Finding #2: San Diego’s arts andculture community is under-fundedWhile San Diego has an arts andculture community of significantaccomplishment and moderate size,it is under-funded in comparisonto other communities, in a 2000

foundation without which successcannot be achieved. A major increasein financial support will help makeSan Diego a nationally-competitivecenter for arts and culture. Thefunding mission, however, exceedsthe capacity of The Foundation

culture community has identified artseducation as the most effective meansfor increasing cultural patronage,and 87% of arts and culturenonprofits provide arts educationand enrichment programs, deliveredin-school, after-school and for adultDiego County emerges, along with

perspectives on critical factors tomake cultural enhancement a reality.Advocacy and public awareness, artseducation, audience development,increased funding and leadershipwere all identified as issues central toincreasing cultural patronage.

Key Finding #1: Cultural participationneeds to be deepened and expandedSan Diego is far from culturallyundernourished. In fact, research saysthat virtually all San Diegans havea relationship with arts and culture.More than 99 percent personallyparticipate in arts and cultureactivities and attend at least one such

to other communities, in a 2000comparison of 20 cities. Among othermeasures, San Diego is low in bothcontributed and earned revenuesof arts nonprofits per capita (19thand 17th of 20). A valid case canbe made for substantially boostingboth financial support and otherresources: leadership, facilities, andcoordination among institutions andinterest groups, to name a few. Othercommunities that have cultivatedresources for arts and culture in acomprehensive manner have seensignificant community benefits.

Key Finding #3: People care aboutthe arts – two-thirds of San Diegans

the capacity of The Foundationalone. While two unsuccessfulattempts to expand the hotel tax(Transient Occupancy Tax) throughballot initiatives have failed, researchsuggests the potential for a two-thirdsmajority in support of a new tax-based revenue source. The missingelement appears to be an effectivevoter education campaign linked toan appropriate taxing mechanism.

Key Finding #4: The region placeshigh priority on increasing artseducationOut of 10 arts and culture features ofa community, individual respondentsplaced highest importance on: 1)

in-school, after-school and for adultlearners – a remarkable amount ofcommunity service. Increased fundingfor these programs and greatercommitment to arts education atthe school district level is critical tosuccess.

Key Finding #5: The San DiegoFoundation should be a catalyst tohelp strengthen the arts and culturecommunityThe Foundation can play a catalyticrole beyond grantmaking, in partbecause of its regional focus. Theresearch consistently demonstrates amandate for Foundation leadershipin funding, providing communityactivities and attend at least one such

event each year. The challenge isto deepen and expand the ways thecommunity participates in arts andculture, and in turn, to translate thatparticipation into greater resources– larger audiences and greater earnedincome. A majority of arts and cultureorganizations have goals for audiencedevelopment (96%) and marketing(98%), with a particular interest inexpanding their education or outreachaudiences and increasing the culturaldiversity of their audiences.

the arts – two-thirds of San Dieganswould be willing to pay more taxes tosupport arts and cultureThis majority would pay at boththe $5 level and the $25 level, ifthey knew that the revenues woulddirectly benefit the community’s artsand culture activities and facilities.The community must alter theenvironment for financial support forarts and culture. While the solution tothe challenge of cultural developmentis not merely money, increasedfunding represents the critical

placed highest importance on: 1)providing arts instruction in publicschool classrooms, and 2) providingarts and culture programs for youngpeople. However, arts educationprovision in San Diego County isa mixed picture. According to theCounty Office of Education, 24 of the42 school districts participate in theirSan Diego Arts Network, which strivesto bring arts and culture back intothe classroom. However, only twoof those districts have full-time artseducation coordinators. The arts and

in funding, providing communityleadership and advocacy. As a voiceoutside the immediate arts and culturecommunity, The Foundation canarticulate the community benefits tobe gained from further investment.And it can enhance the relationshipdonors have with arts and culture,while helping attract new donors.

04

THE CULTURAL COLLABORATIVEJUNE 2005

A PLAN FOR SAN ANTONIO’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

PREPARED BY THE TCC STEERING COMMITTEEAND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

THE CULTURAL COLLABORATIVE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

IntroductionWill Rogers called San Antonio one of four unique cities in theUnited States. Its uniqueness can be traced back to the city’sfounding and the confluence of cultures that forged a newcommunity. Both separately and collectively, our indigenous

(Page 9)

“We need to foster the spiritand practice of enterprise inSan Antonio.”Executive Committee member

and immigrant populations have put their stamp upon the city. It is evident today in ourarchitecture, neighborhoods and celebrations. And it is infused into our way of doing businessand quality of life. One might say that San Antonio has a long history of supporting and advancinga creative community. Making the most of this long and colorful history, The Culturala creative community. Making the most of this long and colorful history, The CulturalCollaborative reinforces San Antonio’s authenticity and lays the groundwork for a vibrant andprosperous future.

What is the "Creative Economy"?

The creative economy includes the full rangeof the arts and culture: fine arts as well aspopular, ethnic, commercial and design arts.It also includes cultural events, such asfestivals and celebrations, concerts anddances in the parks, and the preservation ofhistory and heritage. It encompasses allindividuals, businesses and nonprofitorganizations that directly or indirectlyproduce cultural products or services. Also,thinkers and doers trained, whether formallyor informally, in specific cultural and artisticskills.

Creative individuals include visual artists,performing artists, designers, media artists,film makers, arts educators, craftspeople,architects, writers, production technicians,volunteers and others.

The Cultural Collaborative (TCC) is a plan for SanAntonio’s creative economy and for the entirecommunity. This plan is innovative in planning forthe entire spectrum of San Antonio’s creativeeconomy: its nonprofit arts and culturalorganizations, its creative businesses, and itscreative individuals. As TCC research documents,more than nine of ten San Antonians, of allbackgrounds, participate in arts and culturalactivities, and they naturally weave themthroughout their personal and work lives. TCC isamong the first plans of its type to recognize andsupport this integration. The plan encompasses notvolunteers and others.

Creative businesses include advertising,marketing, architecture, design, digitalmedia, music and dance clubs, art galleries,art-related retail stores, film production andpost-production, art-related printing, livetheatres, festivals, and others.

Creative nonprofits include all types of artsand cultural organizations, historical andheritage organizations, professional andvolunteer associations, arts-relateddepartments within a college or university,and others.

support this integration. The plan encompasses notonly the recognized arts institutions but also theequally vibrant undercurrent of cultural activityflowing throughout the community—nonprofit andcommercial, professional and community-based,institutional and individual.

Planning meetings brought about many hours ofdiscussion and lively exchange of ideas resulting inthe development of a vision, goal and set of

objectives that describes the type of community that participants would like to strive towards anddirect The Cultural Collaborative implementation.

3

Northampton Cultural Plan - Goals

• Community Cultural Leadership – The city’s cultural

community will be organized for communication, advocacy community will be organized for communication, advocacy

and action on behalf of artists, cultural organizations and

the community

• Municipal Support for the Arts – City government will

increase direct municipal support for the arts as a base

and catalyst for local cultural development

• Arts in the Northampton School District – Sequential arts • Arts in the Northampton School District – Sequential arts

instruction, enrichment of other curricula, and interaction

with artists will be an integral part of every child’s

education

Northampton Cultural Plan - Goals

• Artist Information and Services – An alliance of artists will organize to act on their own behalf

• Private Sector Support for Local Arts – An expanded base • Private Sector Support for Local Arts – An expanded base of businesses and individuals will increase financial and in-kind support for Northampton’s artists, cultural organizations and cultural resources

• Space for Artists and Cultural Organizations: Living,

Working, Office and Presentation – Affordable space for artists and cultural organizations will be availableartists and cultural organizations will be available

• Quality of the Built Environment – The cultural community will participate in city planning to promote quality design and public art

Turners Falls, MA - RiverCulture

Bennington Arts & Culture

SWOT Analysis Exercise

• Strengths – (Positive, Internal): Positive attributes currently present in Bennington arts and culture, particularly in comparison to other towns/areastowns/areas

• Weaknesses (Negative, Internal): Local issues or characteristics that limit the current or future growth opportunities for Bennington arts and culture.

• Opportunities (Positive, External): Areas within arts and culture where Bennington can remedy its weaknesses or leverage its strengths (learning from others, state-level assistance, marketing, where Bennington can remedy its weaknesses or leverage its strengths (learning from others, state-level assistance, marketing, targeted investment, etc.)

• Threats (Negative, External): Trends that threaten Bennington’s artistic and cultural future and attractiveness to expanded growth, particularly those from outside the area

SWOT Exercise - Directions

• Assemble with your group – S, W, O, T

• 12 minutes at a station – 3 minute rotation• 12 minutes at a station – 3 minute rotation

• 1st (Home) station – brainstorm ideas and add to board

• 2nd – 4th station – group similar thoughts and add

additional ideas

• Return to Home Station – 20 minutes – final grouping and

prioritization, choose a reporter prioritization, choose a reporter

• Group Reports – 5 minutes/group

Have Fun!