What were the specific goals of this creative economy project? Describe the community development challenge or opportunity that your project was designed to address:
- To determine how many people in the recent immigrant community would identify as part of the creative economy.
- To introduce the work of Creative Portland and the City of Portland's economic development focus on the creative economy to the recent immigrant community.
- To determine what information and resources recent immigrants need to be more engaged in the creative economy and community.
- To develop long-term networks and relationships for better information sharing, mentoring, etc.
- To offer a workshop about the creative economy on May 1, 2015 in conjunction with the May First Friday Art Walk in downtown Portland that is specifically targeted at the recent immigrant community.
If the goals change over time, please describe how:
At this point, we are still in the process of gathering information from the recent immigrant community. We anticipate that the specific details about what we offer and how we offer it will change as we get to know people better. By May 1, it's likely that our goals will have developed and changed a bit, and we would articulate them in our presentation in June.
Who was involved in this project and what did they do? (be sure to include the partners from outside of the creative sector and how local voices were included):
Creative Portland is the convener of the various partnering organizations and will take the lead on the management of the outreach effort and May 1 workshop. The World Affairs Council is providing a community-wide context with a 6-month series of events "Celebrating Immigration" and its role in economic development. They are also the organizing partners with Creative Portland in the May 1 event. Several other organizations, like Opportunity Alliance, the Burundi Community Association, Hope Acts, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, Portland Adult Education, and the Peaks Artist Collective, are helping to reach out into the recent immigrant community and plan the May 1 event.
How does this project relate to a larger community development strategy?
There are many organizations in Portland that are working on various strategies related to the recent immigrant population. The World Affairs Council's series of events will shed considerable light onto the various efforts and hopefully result in a community-wide set of goals and initiatives. Our particular effort, Immigrants and the Creative Economy, will become part of that final assessment.
The City of Portland also has an economic development vision and plan that has the creative economy identified as a priority area. Our effort to reach out to the immigrant community adds to our work supporting and growing Portland's creative economy.
