Arts + Economic Development

A resource page supporting the critical role Arts & Culture play in creating thriving communities

WHAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

Economic development consists of targeted activities and programs that work to improve the economic wellbeing and quality of life of a community. Desired outcomes can include building local wealth, diversifying the economy, creating and retaining jobs, attracting businesses and talent, and building the local tax base. 

Arts and culture opportunities, and the artists, organizations and businesses that generate them, contribute to local economies and strengthen communities in a myriad of ways.

We believe that arts and culture advocates need to be at the table and involved in economic planning in order to be identified as a sector of strategic importance and prioritized for development and investment.  

This webpage is a resource for understanding how the arts intersect with economic development and are providing support to arts and culture leaders to get involved in regional opportunities.

INTRODUCING THE CREATIVE ECONOMY WORKING GROUP

The creative sector helps drive the California economy and culture has the power to transform neighborhoods with quality of life, wellbeing, and belonging. It is critical that Arts, Culture, and Creativity be further recognized for its social and economic impact, and prioritized in infrastructure spending and investment.

2022 is the first year Arts, Culture, and Creativity was invited to be part of the conversation at the California Economic Summit. CFTA looks forward to participating next year with a larger arts and culture contingency positioned around CA FWD initiatives. 

If you are interested to learn more or participate in our working group where we will explore policy solutions for the creative industries at the intersection of arts and culture with community and economic development, please reach out!

Contact: julie@californiansforthearts.org

Thank you to all the many arts advocates, place makers, policy developers, researchers,  government officials, and community leaders who showed up to our Creative Economy Working Group co-organized with Arts for LA.

We are deeply grateful to our panelists Senator Ben Allen, Jason Foster of Destination Crenshaw, Jack Forinash of Blue Sky Center, Adam J. Fowler, and Daniel French. Read more about the Creative Economy Working Group.

HOW TO ADVOCATE? GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL PLANNING

Arts advocacy in economic development planning has many potential benefits, including educating local leadership on the importance of the arts, establishing arts and culture as a sector of strategic importance, being at the table in cross-sector collaborations and being prioritized in local plans. These plans can either direct investments or be used to hold elected officials accountable to making those investments in the creative sector. 

Two current opportunities to get involved in local planning:

1. The Community Economic Resilience Fund Program (CERF) is a $600m multi-year statewide initiative to diversify local economies, develop sustainable industries and create high-quality jobs for all Californians. A CERF planning process is about to kick off in your region and the arts need to be at the table to be eligible for funding.

   ( October 20, 2022) State announces the first round of awards for the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF), a new state initiative supporting innovative plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create good-paying, broadly-accessible jobs for all Californians. Learn more about CERF.

2. City and County General Plan Updates. Each city and county is mandated by the state to have a General Plan, which directs land use priorities and planning over a 20-year period. These plans affect housing, arts district development, where art production can happen, and other important factors. In order to be prioritized, cultural arts and culture leaders need to be involved. Many California communities are currently updating these plans. Contact a City Manager or County CEO’s office to find out more.

LOCAL PLANNING ADVOCACY

• Find the arts in local plans - Familiarize yourself with city and county economic development plans. Often arts & culture industries are already explicitly or implicitly included. 

• Help define the vision statement - Economic development and land use plans all start with defining a vision for the community. Make sure that arts, culture and creativity are highlighted in that vision. 

• Make the case - Use data and storytelling to Inform the local economic development agency, county supervisors or their staff of the impact of the arts, culture & the creative economy.

• Participate in local planning roundtables - These are opportunities to provide input, develop cross-sector partnerships and shape the planning discussion in your region.

• Set the agenda - Drive the conversation by writing Op-Eds, submitting public comment to elected bodies, staging publicity events and meeting with elected officials.

• Consider forming a coalition - Join forces with others to help share the advocacy work by coordinating and taking turns.

DATA & CASE MAKING RESOURCES

AREAS OF IMPACT

Arts and culture projects produce outcomes that fall within the three key focus areas of economic development:

• Locality development strategies – the built environment and livability

  • Tools: urban design, infrastructure, transportation, housing, zoning, improving public spaces, cultural and recreation assets, and other community services.

• Business development strategies – creation, attraction and retention of businesses 

  • Tools: entrepreneurship programs, business assistance centers, incubator spaces, financing, export promotions, tax and permit incentives, etc.

• Individual capacity development strategies – meeting local employer needs and increasing employment capacity of individual workers (ie: workforce development)

  • Tools: job training and apprenticeship programs, coordinating career pathways with local schools and colleges, self-employment initiatives, jobs boards, etc.  

Access or contribute CFTA’s crowd-sourced list of Arts + Economic Development project models that exemplify arts integration in the following categories:

View submitted project models <<here>>

RESOURCES

Access or contribute to CFTA’s crowd-sourced list of Arts + Econ Development resources including white papers, articles, and research.

View submitted resources <<here>>

VIDEO LIBRARY

CONTACT US

Californians for the Arts is committed to shifting paradigms in how artists, cultural organizations and businesses are valued, developing advocacy capacity in individuals and groups, and increasing connectivity between sectors throughout the state to grow public investment and ensure equitable access to resources in our field.

Need help with your Art + Economic Development advocacy? Contact CFTA for coaching, strategy or campaigns - discounts available for members.

TRACY HUDAK | tracy@californiansforthearts.org

**This website contains links to other website and resources provided by third parties. We have no control over the contents of those websites or resources, and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. Accessing any of the third-party websites linked to from this website is entirely at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for those third party websites