We all know of places that are inspiring to visit, or are great places to live, because of some quality linked to creative vitality. Great places for the arts do not happen by accident. They are built and maintained by many people, who through their leadership, work to make the place what it is. There is an increasing body of knowledge that firmly establishes the link between the arts, creativity and positive outcomes for communities. Research suggests that both the image and the social fabric of a town can be improved with well-thought-out investments in arts and culture. 

How is it that some communities seem to have the advantage in terms of creative energy? And is there anything that you can do, in your community, to initiate and support this kind of action? Having a Creative Team is one of the best first steps towards making sustainable places that are better because of the arts, and better for the arts. 

Creative Teams are made up of people who choose to become leaders for arts and sustainability in their community. They oversee, assess and evaluate creative placemaking efforts: understanding the community’s cultural assets; building a plan for creative placemaking; promoting multiple types of support for the arts, and influencing other leaders to build more creative communities and economies. 

Establishing a Creative Team is a pre-requisite in connecting the arts and creative sector with economic development, the environment and social justice issues for the sustainability of your community. This is because the Creative Team has the mandate to assess, initiate and implement the cluster of “arts related” actions that are being incorporated within the Sustainable Jersey framework. The Creative Team can provide a strategic overview, thereby ensuring that cultural plans and projects are inclusive, well integrated and impactful. 

One of the principal functions of a Creative Team is to advance the concepts of creative placemaking. The Creative Team establishes a vision for the community about how the arts and culture can contribute to its future. Click here to see a further explanation of the importance of the arts to sustainability.

Why is it important?

Wonderful things can be achieved through the arts in an organic manner, often driven by people with passion and vision. A Creative Team, functioning within the Sustainable Jersey framework, has the advantage of a robust knowledge base. A Creative Team increases the likelihood of maximizing and sustaining the creative potential that is inherent in every community, and can be the catalyst for meaningful development in your community by linking arts and culture directly to sustainability.

There is an emerging body of knowledge, and a host of case studies that demonstrate tangible outcomes from connecting with the arts and creativity to build stronger and economically vibrant communities. It does not matter what you call your Creative Team or if you use the term “creative placemaking” or not — what matters is that your community is working together in a coordinated fashion to create a more sustainable set of goals, policies, and actions.

Important outcomes of creative placemaking that your Creative Team can support include:

• Improving local business vitality, community spirit and public safety.

• Rejuvenating neighborhoods and stimulating job growth, within and beyond the arts and culture sector, contributing to overall economic development.

• Providing new reasons for others to visit, invest, or live in that place.

• Building pride and commitment to place, including the physical environment and nature.

• Bringing diverse people together to celebrate, create, inspire and be inspired, improving quality of life and community wellbeing.