Cultural Capital
We started hearing about the "Creative Economy" (popularized by John Howkins) a few years back: the concept that communities making an investment in their cultural life generate new economic opportunities, retain more skilled workers in their local economy, and dramatically improve the quality of life for their citizens. This idea has taken root in urban planning and revitalization projects across the nation, and a report (see the full report here) to the Portland, Maine city council suggests creating a dedicated city agency for the support of an enhanced creative economy in their city. If cities like Portland, ME (with a population of less than 100,000) are willing to invest time and resources in support of the arts, why not make this a nationwide initiative? If you're looking at programs like these and thinking "wow, my city should really be doing something similar!", your city council and mayoral office are good places to start. Vocalize your support!
--Dana Horst
posted by Chester Lee at
11:04 PM
1 Comments:
It will definitely be interesting to see if the government actually creates a government subsidiary to promote cultural economy. I wonder how being a part of the government will also affect the way that the body works in what ideas it does and doesn't pursue. Also, it would be interesting to see how many private supporters would be willing to donate to a governmental body that already taxes them for income. Good article!
By
Leslie Fay, At
October 14, 2008 3:16 PM
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