By Antonio Pedro Ruiz.
Long Beach needs a new plan for the future of the Arts and Culture in the city. City and Creative Community leaders last issued a plan in 1996, but soon found it unfulfilled due to leadership changes and budget problems.
The creative master plan, often described as a cultural master plan, lays out a set of goals and strategies that address many sectors of the community—industry, retail, scientific research, design, tourism, education, social services, neighborhoods, etc.—and the role arts & culture can play to support the goals in those sectors.
It accomplishes these goals with the participation and support of the entire community through a structured, community-wide fact-finding and consensus-building process that assesses community needs and develops a plan of action.
Our neighbors to the north in Pasadena described their cultural plan as a way to “find new answers to old problems (like challenged neighborhoods or learning barriers) by using the arts & culture.” Their plan and those of other cities have been used for community and economic development, to strengthen resources for artists and cultural organizations, to fully integrate the arts into education and life-long learning, enhance a city’s image, and provide community access to cultural resources. Re-Imagining the Arts in Long Beach is a first step toward developing such a plan.
On Saturday, November 3rd, creative government and business community leaders will come together at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) to tape a two-hour television special called Re-Imagining the Arts in Long Beach. The show will tape from 2 PM – 4 PM and be hosted by Alex Slato, MoLAA’s Vice President of Exhibitions.
Long Beach citizens are invited to participate in the televised town hall meeting for a visioning dialogue over the future of the arts in Long Beach. A panel of experts and the audience will exchange ideas with and make recommendations to policy makers and the creative community.
In advance of the television taping at MoLAA, the community is invited to help develop topics and recommendations to be presented during the show at a planning workshop Saturday, October 27, from 1 – 5 PM at Renaissance High School for the Arts. The topics of dialogue will include Investing in the Arts: The Role of Government, Private and Non-Profit Sectors; Arts and Culture as an Economic Engine; Arts Education: Lifelong Learning of the Arts and Making the Livable City for the Creative Class. You can RSVP for the workshops to 562-430-8637 or by contacting The Creativity Network at [email protected]. Additional information is available at www.thecreativitynetwork.org.
lbpost.com, which is a media partner, will post the results of the planning workshop to solicit comments and questions, which will be read on camera during the taping on November 3rd.
The planned television show is organized by The Creativity Network, in partnership with Charter Communications, Museum of Latin American Art, the Arts Council for Long Beach, lbpost.com and a long list of other Partners. Re-Imagining the Arts in Long Beach is produced by Really Big Boom Productions in association with Charter Communications.
You can be part of the television audience by calling The Arts Council’s event Hotline at 562-489-4658. Seating is limited to the first 100 RSVP’s. The show will air on Charter Communications Channel 3 beginning Sunday, November 11, 5 PM and repeat at the same time on the 18th and 25th. You’ll also be able to watch it on Video on Demand at Channel 999/Local Interest.