Accept regional cultural plan, "Our Creative Future"
Our Creative Future is a regional framework to advance arts and culture throughout the tri-county Portland area. There are seven local governments currently participating and creating action plans based on the regional framework. Other cities, towns, communities, and individuals are invited to use the framework as a resource.
The expression of arts and culture around us is vital to what makes our region great. It gathers us as a community, gives us a new perspective on our neighbors, and helps heal and address our region’s most critical issues. What was true in 2009 when the last regional plan was created is even more evident fifteen years later. The arts are an integral part of our everyday lives.
This plan, Our Creative Future, is a regional framework that is positioned to realize the community’s shared vision, and that every community may use to advance arts and culture for their residents.
From the murals that rose up during the social justice movement to the poetry and essays that were written to preserve this moment in history, we turned to art as an expression of beauty and pain. As our community navigated loneliness and isolation throughout the pandemic, the festivals and performances in our outdoor spaces brought us together safely. We are now turning to cultural events and creative businesses to revitalize our post-pandemic economy, and we are investing in arts-based programs to help individuals heal from the traumas of racism and homelessness.
All community members rely on our arts and culture system in big and small ways to make our home a joyful, vibrant, and resilient place to live.
Our region’s leaders partnered with community members to answer a central question: “What do we want our future cultural life to look like for the people who live here?”
During the planning process, the steering committee served as the community voice. Together, we reached over 3,500 people across 50 listening sessions, 40+ interviews, and two regional surveys. We spoke with artists of all disciplines, culture bearers, creatives, arts and cultural nonprofits, creative businesses, donors, audience members, aspiring professionals, students, amateurs, and others who enjoy arts and culture in all forms.
What we heard was clear. Arts and culture are fundamental to the livability and health of each community. We see the work of artists, creatives, culture bearers, and cultural nonprofits as:
- Essential to the region’s economic vitality
- Critical to promoting a sense of well-being and belonging
- Assisting with our most pressing community issues, such as homelessness, urban vitality, mental health, transportation, affordable housing, public safety, and more
It is clear artists and cultural nonprofits make a tangible difference in people’s lives while supporting government priorities. The arts and cultural community are part of the solution to create impact!
The community-based steering committee reviewed the connections and conversations and created a shared vision for arts and culture: A tri-county region where every resident can access relevant and dynamic arts, culture, and creative experiences as an essential part of our lives.
The foundation of that vision is a healthy arts and cultural community supported by our governments, community leaders, artists,
creatives, and culture bearers. We are working with community and government partners to fully resource this plan and advance
the community’s vision. As part of this work, the steering committee created a set of shared goals with strategies to be tailored to each jurisdiction.
Our goals are to:
- Build towards an inclusive arts and cultural community that reflects, serves, and welcomes all
- Forge purposeful connection and coordination within the arts and cultural community
- Empower the arts and cultural community with sufficient, sustainable funding and other resources
- Drive economic growth through the arts and cultural community
- Utilize the arts and cultural community as a vital partner in the health and development of every community
These goals and strategies will help us meet the needs of our local communities while providing powerful ways for us to partner as a region.
Official Record (Efiles)
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
In 2018, the City Auditor recommended that the City conduct a cultural planning process to establish a clear vision, goals and strategies for arts arts culture. "Our Creative Future" is the result of that effort.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
There is no financial impact associated with this report. The Office of Arts and Culture will draw from this regional plan to develop an Arts Action Plan for the City of Portland, guiding the City's future policy and funding decisions.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
Artists and creative workers help define Portland's culture, fuel our economy, and enhance our quality of life. The Office of Arts & Culture celebrates and supports creativity in all its forms so that communities can connect, companies can flourish, and students can succeed in school and in life.
The goals and recommendations were developed by a steering committee of 21 individuals who were nominated by officials from participating jurisdictions, including Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties; the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro and Portland; the Metro regional government; and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). They represent diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultural practices, and ways of knowing (e.g., disability; Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific, Islander and People of Color; LGBTQIA+ identities; and veteran communities). They also represent multiple sectors of the community, including arts, culture, creative economy, education, business, social justice, “unlikely allies,” and others.
Over 3,500 community members across the tri-county region participated in this cultural planning process overall, participating in interviews, surveys, focus groups, and town hall meetings.
100% Renewable Goal
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