Home › Vermont Creative Network › Vermont Creative Network CreateVT Action Plan › The Vision ›
Vision: Vermont communities thrive through creative expression & enterprise
We envision a future where creativity is at the center of thriving, healthy, and equitable communities. Thriving communities nurture opportunities for creative expression, support imaginative approaches to leadership and community building, and employ creative talent to leverage economic development in all sectors.
The following goals list recommended strategies for achieving the goals. Recommendations are just that—there are many potential ways to implement the plan. The best approaches and actions will vary with different groups and communities, with time and changing conditions, and with stage of implementation.
Goals & Strategies
goal 4 | LOCAL CREATIVITY
Communities are infused with opportunities for creative economic development, expression and engagement.
4.1 Support the development and improvement of accessible venues, facilities, and work spaces for creative programs and enterprises
4.2 Promote creative activities through new and existing funding programs
4.3 Develop resources to build local capacity for creative initiatives
goal 5 | LEADERSHIP
Creatives are engaged in community building and leadership.
5.1 Create trainings and toolkits to support local and regional creative sector advocacy
5.2 Support and promote inclusive access to leadership development and opportunities for creative sector members
5.3 Support the development of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility strategies in Vermont’s creative organizations
goal 6 | COLLABORATIONS
Cross-sector collaborations amplify creativity and local economies.
6.1 Cultivate partnerships and collaborations with other sectors such as transportation, tourism, recreation, and health
6.2 Establish reciprocal outreach partnerships with organizations that reach new audiences and diverse Vermonters
6.3 Promote cross-sector collaborations by sharing resources, successful models, and stories
Learn more about this vision’s goals and strategies.
Progress Thus Far
The Media Factory | Burlington, VT
Plenty of people dream of being on TV (or film, or radio”¦), but the Media Factory in Burlington makes it possible for people to create and broadcast their own productions. The community media center provides the tools, training, space, equipment and access to distribution channels that give people the power to share their stories. This community resource has big impacts: providing affordable training and equipment for digital content production, removing barriers and increasing equity in media, building 21st century career and business skills, improving transparency in community and government communication, and of course fueling creativity.
Photo: The Media Factory
Cambridge Silo Project | Cambridge, VT
Two empty grain silos had long been an eyesore in rural Cambridge. Now they are an attraction, a landmark, and a point of community pride. The Cambridge Arts Council received a Vermont Arts Council Animating Infrastructure grant to paint murals on the silos, completed by artist Sarah C. Rutherford. The project sparked strong debate in the community about public art, but organizers deeply engaged the community in decision-making through forums and conversation. In the end, many naysayers transformed into cheerleaders, and the silos transformed into vibrant canvases reflecting Cambridge’s past and future.
Photo: Ellen Hill
The DEN at Harry’s Hardware | Cabot, VT
Where can you stock up on hardware and hard cider all at once? In rural Cabot, Harry’s Hardware has been meeting community needs for generations. So when the community needed a gathering place, Harry’s installed a bar at the checkout counter and launched the DEN. Now community members can enjoy live music, social space, and local brews and food while they stock up on seeds and screws. Each part of the business draws customers and new audiences for the other, and creative space sharing makes it easier for a small town to support two essential local businesses.
Photo: Harry’s Hardware
September 8, 2021