PRIORITY #6: RESOURCES
Strengthen Our Cultural Infrastructure
In Akron/Summit, we believe that our creators of culture and art deserve our support and our resources.
We must invest in our cultural hubs and venues. We must investigate and leverage new funding sources, and we must explore new resources for our sector.
Together we have work to do.
Throughout the priorities, you’ll see each labeled with the potential investment required ($ to $$$$) and next steps including, “Implement (I),” “Explore (E),” “Expand (X),” and “Promote (P).”
(Banner photo: Gardens in front of Lock 3 Park; Photography by Shane Wynn from AkronStock.com)
6.1 Funding
Investigate and strengthen funding options available to artists and cultural organizations
Assessment of Comprehensive Funding Models: A healthy cultural sector requires sustainable funding sources in order to maximize its potential for community impact. A comprehensive assessment of sustainable funding models must be created in order to determine an appropriate path forward to fully realize that impact. This assessment should objectively examine the current financial health of the sector, its current and potential economic impact, and assess the capacities and priorities of the philanthropic, business, and public sectors. (E, $$$$)
Akron/Summit Facility Use Fund: Develop the Akron/Summit Facility Use Fund, which will increase access for small and mid-sized organizations to existing cultural facilities through a rental subsidy. Facilities such as the Akron Art Museum, EJ Thomas Hall, Akron Civic Theatre, Lock 3, and Goodyear Hall were intended, in part, to serve such organizations but face their own imperative to generate sufficient revenue to sustain their operations. The resulting imbalance results in smaller performing arts organizations being at a disadvantage in securing performance and rehearsal space. (E, $$$$)
Diverse Funding Options: Strengthen funding options available to artists by: (X, $$$$)
Funding projects created by and with Akron/Summit artists
Training artists on strategies for successful business and corporate partnerships
Encouraging businesses and organizations to appropriately compensate local artists
Working with the funding community to identify national best practices for supporting artists and allowing them to thrive in their craft
Exploring microloans for creative projects and business start-ups
Prioritizing and resourcing sustainable creative business models, instead of one-time funding activities
Encouraging and developing processes to increase diverse applicants for various arts and culture funding opportunities
Educating and raising awareness of the existing entrepreneurial ecosystem
Equity in Funding: Explore best practices for funders to adopt in their grantmaking practices that advance equity in their philanthropic investments. This research should be provided to all arts and culture funders in Akron. (E, $$$)
6.2 Resources
Explore sector resource needs, including data and shared services
Shared Services for Cultural Organizations: Explore and improve access to shared resources available to arts and cultural organizations and artists in the areas of health, liability, and insurance. (E, $$$$)
Data Collection for Arts & Culture Sector Goals: Convene cultural organizations with the funding community to develop a working group charged with identifying best practices and solutions to collect high-quality, realistic data that can advance the arts and culture sector. (E, $$)
Data points, at a minimum, may include:
Audience participation
Funding sources, including philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual support
Demographics, including artists and audiences
Geographic or place-based information about the location of events
Cultural Data Observatory: Develop a cultural data observatory that would collect all available data to create a baseline database that could be used to measure the impact of cultural infrastructure and investments. (E, $$$$)
6.3 Hubs & Venues
Support hubs, facilities, and policies that can advance arts and culture in Akron and Summit
Cultural Facilities and Needs Assessment: Conduct a Cultural Facilities and Needs Assessment to understand the inventory of facilities, venues, and spaces able to be used for both nonprofit and for-profit cultural activities, including but not limited to City‐owned facilities, nonprofit facilities, church facilities, commercial facilities, and educational facilities. (E, $$$$)
This assessment will evaluate the availability of space throughout the city on a neighborhood level and signify the need for space from culture creators. Prioritization of investment should align with other investments to amplify outcomes.
Examples of those efforts include:
City of Akron Great Streets Program;
Building for Business, a program of the Summit County Land Bank;
Additional City of Akron cohort-based business assistance program currently in development;
Future Better Block efforts;
Areas of priority identified by Akron Community Foundation’s On The Table; and
Neighborhood efforts as identified by planning efforts funded by Huntington Foundation.
Hubs of Culture: Create opportunities for artists to create and sell their work. Provide a place for residents to experience arts and culture in an environment unparalleled in the region. (X, $$$$)
The following should be considered:
Affordability to artists in both studio space and gallery space;
Intentional focus on equity and access for all culture creators;
Accommodation of culture creators who need to store large pieces of equipment;
Potential reuse opportunities of existing buildings in a centrally located place; and
Additional amenities such as a small performance space, recording studios, conference rooms, and classroom space.
City Policies for Festivals: Appoint a City of Akron staff or private contractor to examine and rewrite policies related to festivals. Ensure policies are equitable, available in multiple formats (multi-lingual, audibly available online, etc.), and provide a streamlined application process that is consistent and clearly stated. This person should also be responsible for assisting festival organizers in navigating permitting, licensing, and resources through coordination across permitting agencies. (E, $$$)