What would it look like if the arts and culture were part of every regional economic development plan?
In early 2008, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) hired Helicon to help explore this question, and guide an innovative, 6-month Cultural Blueprints planning process that convened state and community leaders across the state, and connected the arts with other sectors in unprecedented ways. The Empire State Development Corporation and I Love NY were co-sponsors of the project.
The brainchild of NYSCA Director Heather Hitchens, Cultural Blueprints enabled more than 1000 people from economic and community development, tourism, transportation, education, arts and culture, philanthropy, real estate, health and other fields to come together in 9 regional workshops. Each workshop identified distinctive strategies for integrating the arts into that region’s development. The Blueprints process, workshop discussions and action priorities are captured on the project website (www.culturalblueprints.co.cc), and continuing conversation is encouraged through the site’s blog. This strategic planning project helped NYSCA re-imagine and re-fresh its role in strengthening the arts in New York State, and sparked new cross-sector partnerships for artists and arts groups of all kinds.