Photo Credit: Kate Martin / Golden Triangle
We encourage all creative communities to CALL YOURSELF CREATIVE as soon as you’re ready. That’s what this site is all about. Colorado Creative Industries teamed up with The Creativity Lab of Colorado to help you along this creative path — whether you’re looking for a specific resource or a Do-It-Yourself process to help you organize and operate a successful creative district.
Stage One is all about your community stakeholders — those individuals and organizations that will benefit from, contribute to, or in some way be impacted by your creative district. Some will be enthusiastic; others will be reluctant, but they all need to be heard. Finding them in your community, including them in the dialogue about your creative district, and building a relationship with them are key goals of Stage One.
Stage Two is about your community’s authentic essence, or authenticity — that which distinguishes your community from any other. This includes its core values, its history, and its physical assets (both the natural and built environments). Once documented, Stage Two’s goal is to work through a collaborative process to arrive at a shared vision that moves your group forward.
Stage Three focuses on implementation, specifically organizational synergies, district programming, and strategic planning. Implementation starts at the core—what type of organizational entity are you creating? What’s the right one for you? Once addressed, it’s time to activate your stakeholder, showcase your current programming, and plan for future sustainability.
Colorado Creative Industries and The Creativity Lab have teamed up to develop this Do-It-Yourself process designed to help you organize a successful creative district. The DIY process leverages our collective experiences in creative communities throughout the state. The three stages in the process are devised to help you ALIGN – CONNECT – ACTIVATE your community.
Photo Credit: Joe Kusomoto Artocade
