Creative Community Index

2002, 30 pages, Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley. To order a copy, contact Brendan Rawson, brendan@ci-sv.org or 408-283-8506

The convergence of a regional cultural plan focused on leadership development and a community indicators program created by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation led to the development and publication of the Creative Community Index by Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley. The goal of the Index was to demonstrate that the arts produce tangible social and economic benefits. By providing objective information about the health and vitality of the cultural sector, the study offers quantitative evidence that arts should be part of a balanced education system, that they make significant contributions to community building, and that they have a unique role in nurturing creativity and innovationin the region.

An advisory group of leaders from industry, the arts, and government developed a framework for the study that identified goals, assumptions, and a common language. Key to the framework was the definition of creativity as "a process by which ideas are generated, connected and transformed into things that are valued." This broad notion encompassed technological and business innovation, artistic and cultural innovation, and civic innovation. The advisory group also focused on the concept of connectedness, and articulated the arts' critical role in connecting people across cultures and affinity groups, helping them express commonalities and value differences. These two concepts, of creativity and social connectedness, were identified as the two most important traits to foster in developing a vital community in Silicon Valley.

The study itself was based on 361 personal interviews with residents of Santa Clara County, conducted in three languages, and a survey of 125 local cultural organizations. The findings revealed that while residents highly value artistic activities and expressed themselves through a wide range of creative activities, they also rated the region weak as a place to pursue these interests. The region's ethnic mix gave rise to many forms of cultural participation and diverse interests, and more than 40 percent of workers described their jobs as requiring a lot of creativity. Ninety-five percent of residents believed students should receive at least one hour of arts education each week, but less than 36 percent of students received this amount.

The study also found that, despite the wealth in the valley, local giving to the arts is less than half the national average. John Kreidler, executive director of Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, hopes this study will help "...a Medici class of art patrons emerge.” The study was designed to target industry and government leaders, using their own language of numbers, to demonstrate that the arts have a relevance to the economy and vitality of life in the region. The ultimate goal of the work is to move local business and government leaders to increase their investments and their engagement in the cultural sector. The report makes a strong case for the use of creativity and the arts as instruments for building stronger communities. It tells the story in numeric terms that move beyond the more traditional economic impact models.

Review by Sue Coliton, Allen Foundation for the Arts