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CC - 1) Presentation of the Draft Creative Economy Connect Stakeholder Meeting Summary Report; 2) Consideration of Comments and a Recommendation from the Cultural Affairs Commission; and 3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
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Meeting Date: August 24, 2020
Contact Person/Dept: B. Christine Byers / Administrative Services - Cultural Affairs
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (08/19/2020)
Department Approval: Serena Wright-Black, Assistant City Manager (08/17/2020)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council 1) receive a presentation of the Creative Economy Connect Stakeholder Meeting Summary Report; 2) consider comments and a recommendation from the Cultural Affairs Commission; and, 3) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND:
On April 11, 2017, the Cultural Affairs Commission, Cultural Affairs staff, together with Kimberly Ritter-Martinez from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) presented a draft of The Creative Economy of Culver City report (Report) to the City Council. The Report (<https://www.culvercity.org/enjoy/things-to-do/arts-culture/creative-economy-report>) offered data and analysis of the significantly positive economic impact of the creative industries within Culver City over an approximately 10 year period beginning in 2005. The 2017 Report was created to: 1) serve as a catalyst for considering the creative economy in future planning and programming efforts; 2) to strengthen partnerships and collaborations, and, 3) to help brand Culver City as a unique and attractive cultural hub.
A follow-up joint meeting of the City Council and Cultural Affairs Commission was held on April 18, 2017. Keith McNutt of The Actors Fund presented a report he had prepared that focused on how local and regional governments support the creative industries in their communities. Mr. McNutt’s presentation was followed by comments from other speakers and discussion between staff, Commissioners and Council Members. The meeting concluded with a request from Council that the Cultural Affairs Commission provide recommendations pertaining to policy, including actionable short- and long-term steps relating to the city’s creative economy.
On September 27, 2017 the final Creative Economy of Culver City report was launched at an event held at Framestore in the Hayden Tract. Attendees included representatives of businesses and organizations featured in the report, as well as City staff, the City Council and former and current Cultural Affairs Commissioners. Over 70 people attended and many expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect, a desire for additional networking events, the need for collaboration within the creative economy, and the necessity of ongoing support from the City.
The CAC’s Creative Economy Subcommittee (Commissioners Dickter and Pali) continued to promote the Report since the launch in 2017, gathering feedback from constituents, and working with staff on a process that would result in recommendations requested by the City Council.
DISCUSSION:
In February 2019, pursuant to a Request for Proposal, Dr. Yolanda Gorman was engaged by the City to lead a meeting of creative industry stakeholders in order to seek recommendations regarding the specific ways the City can continue to support and strengthen the creative ecosystem.
Yolanda Gorman previously led the City Council’s Strategic Planning retreat and is currently the Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at the University of California, Los Angeles. Previously, Dr. Gorman was president and CEO of Phillips Graduate University, a two-time Regent Emerita for the University of California, Board of Regents, and the first African American woman to chair the board of the UCLA Alumni Association. Dr. Gorman is a three-time graduate from UCLA with a B.A. in psychology, an MBA and a Ph.D. in educational psychology.
Dr. Gorman facilitated a one-day meeting on July 11, 2019 hosted by The Wende Museum that brought together over 30 individuals representing Culver City’s creative industries, schools, City departments, and elected and appointed officials, to address key questions about their contributions and needs.
The attached draft Creative Economy Connect report is a summary of that meeting and includes recommendations and ideas that were discussed during the stakeholder meeting. Dr. Gorman continued to consult with the CAC Creative Economy Subcommittee and City staff after the meeting and together they have determined a series of key action points that are outlined in the Executive Summary.
Cultural Affairs staff and the Subcommittee have considered the three key action points of Access, Connectivity, and Opportunity and identified the following actions outlined below which were also presented to the Subcommittee and Dr. Gorman at a meeting on January 8, 2020. This item was originally scheduled for CAC consideration at the Regular Meeting of March 17, 2020 but was carried over to the June 16, 2020 meeting because of COVID-19. In light of the current pandemic crisis, some of these actions may not seem as relevant at this time and may be deferred where others may help contribute to economic recovery across several non-profit and business sectors. When the CAC considered the item in June, the consensus was to forward the short- and long-term actions as drafted earlier this year to the Council with the acknowledgement that adjustments may be made after Council consideration of the item.
Additionally, and most significantly, there was consensus among the CAC members at the June 16, 2020 meeting that Culver City’s Creative Economy is fractured but that the individual businesses and organizations fundamentally view themselves as interdependent. Many of the businesses, organizations and institutions comprising Culver City’s Creative Economy are doing their work independently from one another and there is a need, even more so since the pandemic, for creating unique, worthwhile forms of connectivity between them, as well as between our Creative Economy constituents and the City, for larger economic as well as civic benefit. The CAC expressed that the City has an opportunity to facilitate this connectivity so that businesses and organizations are more firmly rooted in Culver City and continue to contribute to a healthy, diverse ecosystem, while the City itself gains invaluable insight and relationships with these critical industries and stakeholders. Further, such an initiative aligns with the City’s policy on equity and inclusion and the CAC felt that government is best, if not singularly, placed to facilitate such an effort in a fully transparent and equitable manner. Pending Council direction, the CAC wishes to join with the Council Economic Development Subcommittee and Cultural Affairs and Economic Development staff to objectively represent the entirety of our Creative Economy - business, arts and education - in the formation of policies, programs, partnerships and recommendations of benefit to the City, with a special view toward representing smaller businesses and organizations often overlooked in the planning process, including those owned by minority, underserved or underrepresented population segments.
At the request of the CAC Creative Economy Subcommittee, a copy of the draft Creative Economy Connect report was forwarded to the City Council in April so that the Council had the information contained therein as they considered options for addressing FY 20 and FY 21 projected revenue shortfalls and economic recovery in light of the impacts of COVID-19.
Short Term Actions - One to Two Years and Within the Existing Work Plan
• Utilize the existing Cultural Corridor to begin uniformly branding Culver City as a unique, creative destination.
• Strengthen infrastructure in community spaces by transforming the stage of the Veterans Memorial Auditorium into an intimate Black Box performance space.
• Develop opportunities for programs and performances at Culver Steps and coordinate with the Community Development Department to finalize a lease agreement for City-sponsored events.
Long Term Strategic Actions - Three to Five Years
• Extended activation and promotion of the Cultural Corridor including street signage, marketing campaign, dedicated staff, events calendar, social media, tours, and educational activities.
• Develop ongoing marketing and promotional campaigns focused on existing creative organizations, amplify the efforts of commercial creative businesses, and engage with them on an ongoing basis.
• Develop initiatives and programs that will expand the City’s Creative Economy at all levels, targeting new categories and entrants.
• Create detailed plans to assist creative organizations with commercial space or venues, facilitate partnerships between corporations and creative organizations, and provide opportunities for workforce development, internships and apprenticeships.
• Partner with other City departments to coordinate similar efforts.
• Pursue financial investments in arts and creative projects and organizations.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no fiscal impact for the presentation of the Creative Economy Connect Stakeholder Meeting Summary Report or the discussion of recommendations from the Cultural Affairs Commission.
If City Council chooses to implement any of the short-and long-term actions Staff will complete a cost estimate and bring back a Staff Report to amend the FY 2020/2021 Cultural Trust Fund Budget (F413).
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 20-08-24_ATT_Draft Creative Economy Connect Stakeholder Meeting Summary Report
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Provide comments on the report and Cultural Affairs Commission recommendation; and
2. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.