New Bedford 2020 - VHB.com

A City Master Plan New Bedford 2020Recent planning, research, and our own experience leads us to the fact that the creative economy is the leadingfactor that enables us to communicate that term so difficult to measure—vibrancy.We view the creative economy not as a separate arts and culture initiative, but a leading-edge growth sector thatrepresents significant potential for job creation and revitalization, and is also the most effective way for us totell the stories of our past, present, and future through art, culture, and emerging creative enterprises. Thiscomprehensive approach is an evolutionary step into coordinating a broadly defined creative economy into ourfuture growth and development.Existing Cultural Organizations and ProgramsNew Bedford is home to numerous cultural venues and festivals, museums, performing art centers, and one ofthe finest small zoos in America. The relocation of the UMass Dartmouth College for Visual and Performing Artsto Downtown New Bedford, the establishment of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, monthly AHA!nights (Art, History and Architecture), the reinvigorated Zeiterion Performing Arts Center and hundreds ofartists occupying historic mill spaces through the city are but a few examples that provide testimony to thecontinued cultural revitalization of New Bedford.While too exhaustive to include here, Appendix C provides acomplete listing of the dozens of cultural organizations andthe hundreds of events that take place in New Bedfordthroughout the year. In addition to the individualorganizations and events, two examples of collaborativeefforts that have been undertaken in the past five years withthe purpose of growing this sector within a new operationalstructure are the Creative Economy Task Force and theTourism 2.0 Task Force.Credit: Anne LouroCreative Economy Task ForceIn 2007, the New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC) established the Creative Economy TaskForce consisting of 62 members drawn from a wide spectrum of business, education and arts organizations.The role of the Task Force was to focus the efforts of the growing creative economy sector. The Task Force setthe following goals:> Define the economic impact of all the creative economy sectors within the city;> Explore and define the ways in which peer cities have utilized the creative economy; and> Make policy recommendations to the Mayor on how to best leverage, build and sustain the creativeeconomy in New Bedford within the context of other economic development initiatives.As a result of the Task Force final report (dated February 2008), the NBEDC established the Creative EconomyDevelopment Office to realize the goals of the Creative Economy Task Force to develop and sustain the creativeeconomy within broader economic initiatives. To view the full plan, please utilize the following link: CreativeEconomy Task Force Report. 11 Creative Economy Task Force Report, New Bedford Economic Development Council, February 2008. (website: http://nbedc.org/wp-content/uploads/creative-economy.pdf)Culture and Creativity9-2