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Overview
What is it? A county-wide process that will result in "An Action Plan for Pima County's Cultural Development." The process, led by a professional firm, will include regional participation in a cultural inventory, needs assessment, benchmarking and a "strengths and weaknesses, opportunity and threats," analysis. This planning process is designed to identify and build on the region's outstanding cultural, natural and heritage assets.
How is it funded? In February, 2006 TPAC received a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, to be matched by TPAC (in-kind staff), and city and county dollars (committed).
Who's involved? The NEA proposal was submitted in collaboration with the Nature, Culture & Heritage Alliance of Pima County, a membership alliance comprised of the Executive Directors of our community's major arts, culture, nature and heritage non-profit organizations. TPAC will administer the grant.
The Planning Team will be led by consultant Bill Bulick of CreativePlanning, Inc., and includes Mt. Auburn Associates (economic analysis and development firm), and local team members Maribel Alvarez and Annabelle Nunez. David Hoyt Johnson is the TPAC contact, Nancy Lutz and David Aguirre will co-chair the process, and a Leadership Coalition of government, business, cultural representatives has been formed and is key to the success of the process and implementation.
Goals:
- So. AZ's unique arts, culture, nature and heritage resources are strengthened, enhancing sense of place
- Resources identified to assure a sustainable creative industry/cultural economy
- Creative people are attracted to stay in and/or move to Tucson and can find meaningful jobs
- The Culture, Nature and Heritage sector is fully integrated into the economic development agenda
- The Culture, Nature and Heritage sector is recognized as vital to the future of the region's prosperity
- Nurturing creativity, protecting and passing on traditions, preserving the community's heritage and protecting and conserving the environment are values that are fully integrated into all segments of Tucson's development and strategic planning
- A sustainable local culture, nature and heritage business development plan is in place and resources identified to implement it
- The creative economy is strengthened through the generation of new jobs, new markets & audiences
- A cultural tourism plan is developed and culture, nature and heritage tourism is stimulated
Planning Process is designed to:
- Engage "voices" of the community that can set in motion community dialogue about critical cultural issues, needs and their relevance to broader community concerns
- Build a growing body of committed participants through key interviews, focus groups, community meetings, web-based interaction, task forces and ongoing work with key advisory groups and TPAC staff
- Invite potential partners (i.e. government, downtown development, business, media, education, social services, etc) to become partners in cultural planning
- Balance the impact and input from leadership voices, cultural organization voices, the voice of the individual citizen and the voices of creative individuals
- Ground the development of strategies in solid research about the community and comparable communities
- Develop leadership and leadership skills at all levels and throughout the process - through a process that engages "active learning" and models empowerment
- Build broad-based support for outcomes by planning values-driven and strategically developed communication strategies at the center of every planning activity
Planning Process Elements:
- Analysis and summarization of prior cultural assessments and research
- Qualitative research: at least 50 key interviews and focus groups used throughout research phase
- Creative economy/cluster analysis and strategy development
- Explore linkages between the cultural sector and other key sectors in the regional economy
- Cultural asset mapping
- Comparable cities research
- Exploration of regional context and strategies for cultural development
Timeline: First consultant visit last week of October 2006 with draft report by March 2007.
Documents in PDF Format
For more information about the Pima Cultural Plan visit the Pima Cultural Plan website.
Questions? Contact Leia Maahs, Community Arts Development Coordinator, (520) 624-0595 x19 lmaahs@tucsonpimaartscouncil.org
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