Summary of Task Force Meetings - Greater Flint Area Community Cultural Plan

FLINT AREA COMMUNITY CULTURAL PLAN

SUMMARY OF THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS

DRAFT

NOTE TO THE FACILITATION TEAM:

This is a rough draft summation of the three major meeting notes from each Task Force. Nothing has been done yet to reduce redundancies, or to arrange sections in proper order.

Our task is to refine them and turn this into a compact Community Cultural Plan.

A. OUR VISIONS FOR WHAT ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE FLINT AREA CAN BE, BECOME AND BE KNOWN FOR:

NOTE: These should be very close to the ones your task forces submitted. Please look them over to see if they still represent what your task force intended.

      A place where Local Artists and Arts Organizations have a major Art Center celebrating diversity with substantial sources of earned and unearned income, and that brings together existing educational and art organizations with artists in the visual and performing arts in a downtown location.

      Communications: A community with a cooperative, collaborative atmosphere where higher levels of awareness, advocacy and engagement among area artists, residents and visitors are achieved as a result of sharing resources and working together; and where arts and cultural activities are perceived as varied (something for everyone), relevant, inclusive, accessible, and important/essential to our community identity and quality of life.

      A Downtown that is a unique, vibrant, safe central district with distinctive architecture, quality services and commerce including dining, arts, entertainment, living spaces and green space that attracts a diverse population from a broad region.

      Neighborhoods where: basic needs are met so arts and culture can be a higher priority; there is full access to engagement in and funding to/for arts and culture events; local artists, formal and informal, are celebrated and involved; there is neighborhood input to/ownership of arts and culture including planning, design, horticulture and landscaping, public art, programs; and free events and activities are plentiful.

      Creation of a fundamental change in attitude (of the servers and underserved) by broadening the definition of arts and culture to create a community in which the arts and culture (traditional and nontraditional) are valued, encouraged, available, and accessible to all members of the community.

      A community where all Youth will experience ever-evolving, diverse, integrated art forms along with a supporting, participating community.

B. WHAT WE SEE AS OUR MAJOR IMPEDIMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

(((((((((((NOTE: This list compiles and combines items from everyone’s lists at the end of the meeting. We need to edit the list, add items if necessary, and arrange in some priority ranking.))))))))))))))))))

Threats, Impediments and Restraining Forces

Economics and Funding

Communication (among arts organizations, with the public, media relations, in neighborhoods)

Lack of an action plan

Leadership – lack of civic/political leadership and commitment to community

Transportation – inability of many citizens to get to events

Perceptions: fear, inertia, GM mindset, apathy and racial animosity

Competition among one another

Current perceptions of Downtown and the image of Flint

Venues and Transportation

Non-traditional inspirations

Community and parental support

Technology

Need for more collaboration

Poverty

Attitudes towards the arts

People’s lack of time

Deterioration of schools

Lack of art teachers in the schools

Power structure/gatekeepers

Lack of adequate media coverage

Lack of art in the schools

Lack of public art in our community

Need for more advocates for arts and culture in our communities

A mindset that there is only one kind of art, and that the arts and culture are for the “elite”

Inability to identify art in everyday life

Opportunities and Driving Forces

Abandoned and vacant buildings

Central High School

Talent of local artists

Local arts institutions

Revitalization of Downtown

Other models of success nationally

Need for after school arts programs

Interest and activism of young people

Taking art to youth

Community and parental support

Technology

Working collaboratively to make arts accessible to all

New focus on the importance of neighborhoods and neighborhood groups

Asset-based approach to community improvement

Neighborhood movements to improve aesthetics and beautification without government assistance

Strength of neighborhood organizations

Community Development Corporations (CDCs)

Local funders who support the arts and neighborhood initiatives

Opportunity to remarket/reposition Flint as an arts place

Positive community response to public and community art projects

Networking in community meetings

Increased opportunities to engage volunteers

The expansion of existing cultural organizations

Current community development efforts

C. OUR MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR GOALS THAT WILL IMPROVE ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE CITIZENS OF GREATER FLINT IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS

NOTE: This is the list of Major Goals taken directly from your notes from the last meeting. Some of the notes were difficult to discern, so please make sure that these are the goals your task force recommended.

We need to:

·        Look for areas where there are overlapping goals that can be combined.

·        Decide what order the goals should be placed. Are any more important than others?

      PROVIDE ARTS PROGRAMS FOR ALL CHILDREN THAT ENCOURAGE CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS AND TALENTS AND THAT WILL:

Recognize arts and culture as an integral part of our educational process.

Include venues for the interests of youth.

Include a community curriculum for the arts – experiences where youth would design, plan, find resources and implement projects.



      DEVELOP A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR EXISTING ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS THAT WOULD ADDRESS: children, teachers, parents, and community. This might take the form of a website, art newspaper, etc., but will have a component for personal contact follow-up and be child-friendly to use.

      CREATE A CENTER FOR YOUTH EXPRESSION/URBAN ARTS AND CULTURE THAT WILL:

Address all the arts (visual art, performance, dance, music, literary, emerging forms)

Provide comprehensive support to young artists

Enhance comfort level with “the arts”

Break down cultural gaps

Be youth-driven

Utilize local artists to operate

      COMMUNICATION--COMMUNICATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE ARTS IN WAYS THAT:

·        Make people aware of available arts activities in a timely manner (e.g. Community-based distribution network, Community Arts Liaison, Central clearing house such as GFAC, Identify grant opportunities and grant writer)

·        Market arts activities in a way that “feels” accessible (e.g. Shows sensitivity to and awareness of the audience we are trying to attract, Develops a better understanding of our changing community, Educates arts providers regarding the community using Story Circles, Identify different cultures in our community—6 months

      SCHOOLS--PROVIDE ARTS PROGRAMMING IN PRE K THROUGH 12^TH GRADE SCHOOLS (to begin by building an Arts Advocacy group within the next year)

      COMMUNITY ARTS OPPORTUNITIES--PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ARTS (to begin by identifying possible community art locations for Family art activities, Public art projects, and Artist residencies).

      DEVELOP AN ARTS AND CULTURE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR COMMUNICATIONS ON ARTS AND CULTURE THAT WOULD INCLUDE A DESIGNATED PAID POSITION TO IMPLEMENT AND SUSTAIN PROCESS

      IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ART IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD (ART PARKS, MURALS, ANNUAL EVENTS—ONGOING PRESENCE OF ARTS AND CULTURE TO BUILD OWNERSHIP AND SUSTAIN INTEREST)

      CREATE A NETWORK THAT SUPPORTS NEIGHBORHOOD ENDEAVORS AND CONNECTS THEM WITH COMMUNITY-WIDE ARTS AND CULTURE RESOURCES

      ACTIVELY INVOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP IN ALL PLANNING AND DIALOGUE AROUND ARTS AND CULTURE

      ESTABLISH A FINE ARTS ACADEMY AND RESOURCE CENTER CAMPUS.

The Fine Arts Academy components would include academics, art programs and humanities, and would interact with the second component, an Artist Resource Center. The Artist Resource Center will include a place where artists can live and work, a place that students would be bussed to for specialized instruction. The space would include equipment necessary for the artist, and there would be re-training programs in the arts for the general public. Develop a business plan to implement these organizations, or to bring these organizations about that would include a strong marketing component, as well as a strong emphasis on research of existing schools like Bill Strickland’s Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh.

      IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING:

Restoration of Riverbank Park

A solution to the downtown homeless population

Change in perception that downtown is unsafe

Navigation - all streets made 2-way

Parking - convenience / cost

      IMPROVE DOWNTOWN ARTS / CULTURAL PROGRAMMING / VENUES, INCLUDING:

Strengthen downtown arts/cultural agencies

Marketing of venues and programs

More restaurants/cafes

Outdoor eating / drinking

Strengthening of downtown events / festivals

Strengthen and increase opportunities for youth involvement

4/29/2004 5:32 PM

D. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES (OTHER SHORT-TERM GOALS, ACTIONS, ETC.)

NOTE:

This section is just a list of “loose ends” lifted directly from the last meeting notes – suggestions from each group for short term actions, other goals, etc.

We need to decide whether or not any of the following would show up either in the short Brochure version of the Plan, or in the longer document of the Planning Process

YOUTH AND THE ARTS

All talented young students will have the opportunity to perform at local, regional, national and international events.

Ongoing efforts will provide funding and collaborative partnerships for sustainable arts programs.

Provide support to the arts in the schools.

Break down the cultural gap between the community and the Cultural Center. Enhance utilization and comfort level.

Teach and use art as a visual language.

………………………………….

COMMUNICATIONS

6-18 months

Develop funding

Develop plan to ensure sustainability

Dialog w/ GFAC about broadening their role in this process – include cultural institutions.

Communicate with Journal need for designated reporter.

Build pool of people who are committed to this process and this task team (expand the group and seek greater diversity among different size organizations and county wide)

Summary:

Get everyone to the table and develop buy-in to continue involvement

We embrace the following short term goals toward the ends of:

Dev. Arts & Culture clearinghouse staffed by a paid person to lead implantation toward a variety of our other goals.

Relationship building

Review definition of culture (different definitions within county – get greater county involvement)

Expand our team – better balance (we are very heavy w/ Cultural Center people) look to neighborhoods, race and ethnic diversity

Explore what other communities are doing

Investigate government involvement in other locales

Assigned reporter from the Journal

GFAC incorporating some of this work

Develop funding and sustainability plan

Suggestion for the process as a whole:   Develop board of directors that includes some folks w/ name recognition

……………………………………….

Neighborhoods

Youth activities/opportunities

Opportunities exist for youth to participate in the arts in the neighborhoods—create a place for expression

Every school has art and music taught in the school and has money available for artists’ residencies

Build infrastructure

Local artists in neighborhoods recognized and used for proposed activities

Every neighborhood has someone who is linked to art world and serves as a communications link—(non-traditional means of communication identified and used)

Values and Expectations

Neighborhood outcomes are positioned as equally important to those in other sectors in plan

Implementation is accomplished, not just articulated in a plan

…………………………………..

Local Artists and Arts Organizations

Establish a fact-finding committee to research organizations like Strickland School in Pittsburgh and the school in Jackson, Michigan.

Pull together the resources to develop a prototype program for Flint.

Identify possible locations and funding sources.

Establish headquarters with several satellite studios, all in close proximity

of downtown, as well as urban neighborhoods.

Establish county-wide programs, bringing all groups together to perform

an exhibit.

Implement a marketing program that advertises available programs for everyone

living in our communities that would encompass public TV, print, schools

as either a participant or attendee.

Make use of existing facilities like Central High School, Buick Administration

Building, Capital Theater and Windmill Place.

Establish an artist-in-residence program.

County-wide, grades 9-12, a fine arts magnet, including academics.

Add studio space for artists to live and work in that would include all

necessary equipment.

Provide space for student artists to live and work.

Establish a fine arts center.

Have an artist festival like the one in Pontiac.

Establish a recording studio in downtown area.

Recruit staff from other cities and from underutilized local artists

Provide transportation for student artists

………………………………….

Ideas for immediate action (next 6 - 18 months) Downtown

*Create a Riverbank Park task force

*Hire a marketing person for Greater Flint Arts Council who would have responsibility for marketing downtown venues and events, forge collaborations and take on public relations duties

*Form a partnership with Carriage Town Ministries to explore alternatives to homeless loitering

*Fund a collaborative security program that places security guards at events

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