Creative Community Development

• Insufficient understanding of the value of creativity, cultural expression and artistic practice to community development. 
• Difficulty demonstrating and articulating the impact of creative community development. 
• Struggle to identify arts partners and develop shared expectations and frameworks. 
• The need to avoid gentrification-led displacement and promote inclusion. 
• Failure to secure adequate financial resources. 

• Grow the capacity of our network organizations to plan and execute creative community development strategies. 
• Support the advancement of this work in the larger community development field. 
• Demonstrate the value of creative community development to funders and decision makers and encourage them to offer support. 
• Integrate creativity into our own way of doing business. 

The following case studies highlight the way five of our network organizations used arts to bring residents together, bolster their communities and improve health and safety. 

• Community stories harnessed for "placekeeping"
• Residents sow seeds of community change
• Colorful arts bolster business community
• Art strengthens community cohesion
• Arts forge path to inclusiveness and independence