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PA Council on the Arts, Townhall Meetings on the Creative Sector

Mar 08, 2021

The PA Council on the Arts seeks to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the creative sector, especially rural and BIPOC-led organizations, and to make recommendations around policies, investments, and interventions to boost the sector’s health and contributions to the state’s economy as a critical component of building post-pandemic economic recovery and resilience.

Engaging the Creative Sector

We will host 5 virtual townhall meetings, based on the PREP/Engage regions across the state, to engage arts nonprofits, creative sector unions, trade associations, and other representative groups, and small business support organizations such as SBDCs and Chambers of Commerce, inviting their members to share their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and ideas for recovery and building resilience of the sector into the future.

Regional Townhall Meetings

We propose organizing these two-hour townhall meetings according to a consolidated approach PREP/Engage Regions:

● Southwest and Southern Alleghenies regions
● Central and South Central region
● Northwest, North Central, and Northern Tier regions
● Southeast region
● Lehigh Valley and Northeast region

Timing

Townhall meetings will occur in March and April, 2021. They will be staggered to occur on different days and times of the week to accommodate schedules. The intention is that organizations and individuals can attend the meeting that best fits their schedule, even if it is outside of their “region.”

Audience

We need your help circulating notice to nonprofits, unions, trade associations, and small business support organizations that represent or serve the following fields, with a special emphasis on those serving rural and BIPOC-led organizations:

● Fine and Performing Arts
● Design and Advertising
● Publishing
● Crafts
● Motion Picture, Television, and Radio
● Creative Technology
● Architecture
● Fashion
● Culture and Heritage

Agenda

Each two hour event will kickoff with a brief presentation from Fourth Economy about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the creative sector in Pennsylvania, especially for rural and BIPOC-led organizations.

We will then break into breakout rooms to do a deep dive into the issues facing individuals, organizations, and businesses working in the creative sector, as well as brainstorm potential policy solutions, investments, and other interventions that might be implemented to help boost the sector’s health and contributions to the state’s economy as a critical component of building post-pandemic economic recovery and resilience.

Sample Agenda:
8:00 – 8:20 – Welcome – defining the creative sector and documenting impacts since COVID-19
8:20 – 9:45 – Breakout groups – brainstorming solutions
9:45 – 10:00 – Main group report out and wrap up

Registration

Please sign up to receive an invitation here: www.fourtheconomy.com/paarts

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