For Immediate Release:
November 17, 2009 Lt. Governor O’Brien Co-Hosts Creative Economy Advisory Panel
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Denver, CO (November 17, 2009) – On November 12, Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien and Office of Economic Development Director Don Marostica co-hosted the first of three meetings of a new Creative Economy Advisory Panel. The panel is comprised of over 50 leaders from the design, literary & publishing, film & media, heritage, and performing and visual arts industries. Together, they will help the Colorado Office of Economic Development formulate a plan to capitalize on the creative sector’s immense potential for innovation, and ultimately job growth, in the state.
Dubbed “the Creative Economy”, these industries already represent over 122,000 jobs in almost 8,000 enterprises, and comprise the 5th largest employment cluster in the state. Add to that another 64,000 creative occupations that work in businesses not labeled as a “creative enterprise”, such as designers in manufacturing companies.
Recognizing this is a clean, fast-growing sector, other states are working to attract these businesses and to develop new creative talent. Aggressive film and entertainment industry incentives are attracting productions and revenue to Louisiana and New Mexico. Oklahoma recently coined itself “State of Creativity” and seeks to establish the state as a “world-renowned center of creativity and innovation in commerce, culture, and education”. Massachusetts and Hawaii have both established “Creative Industries” divisions in their state Office of Economic Development.
Colorado’s new Creative Economy Advisory Panel will help identify areas of significant opportunity and recommend strategies and policies to grow Colorado’s creative economy. As part of their charge they will also explore the linkages between the creative talent in the state and other important clusters, such as renewable energy. They will also look at what is needed to ensure that K-12 and higher education institutions can fill the pipeline needed to grow the creative sector.
Brian Vogt, Director of the Denver Botanic Gardens, joins O’Brien and Marostica as co-chair. The advisors are leaders from the six identified sectors of the creative economy, with additional representation from the foundation and education sectors. There were 66 participants at the Nov. 12 meeting, representing commercial and nonprofit businesses from across the state. Legislators serving on the panel include Senators Nancy Spence and Pat Steadman, and Representatives Cheri Girou, Tom Massey and Ellen Roberts.
At the November 12 meeting, the Louisiana Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Tourism presented a case study on their state’s Cultural Economy Initiative, which has been a primary economic recovery strategy following the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Over the next two meetings, the advisory panel will work with a facilitator to develop goals and specific policy recommendations for the Office of Economic Development.
An online presence has been established at www.thecivicnetwork.org/creativeeconomy to provide access to background readings and meeting minutes, and to solicit ongoing feedback from the panel members and input from the broader public.
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The Colorado Council on the Arts is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, with a mission to promote the cultural, educational, and economic growth of Colorado through development of its arts and cultural heritage.
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