Three weeks ago, Mayor Steinberg announced Sacramento’s multi-point plan to activate Sacramento’s artists, musicians, makers, and doers.
We are a city with strength, opportunity, and a beautiful soul grounded in our diverse arts and culture,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
As part of the plan, the Mayor announced the opening of the application period for the Creative Economy Pilot Project which awards up to $500,000 for projects within the community that can increase economic activity and improve public spaces through art, food, and technology initiatives.
The timing of the Pilot Project coincides with the City’s efforts to develop an integrated, place-based community revitalization and economic development plan. While creative placemaking has been visible in areas within the Central City, the opportunity exists to replicate this same energy and excitement beyond the Downtown/Midtown core.
What we’re looking for is projects that improve the quality and experiences of public spaces that have not been activated to their full potential. We hope to use this as an opportunity to look at the City’s current practices and find how we can enable creatives to execute their vision,” says Ash Roughani with the Mayor’s Office for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The types of projects the City expects to fund include: public art/installations, performing arts/music, Farm-to-Fork, urban tech, pop-ups, temporary activations, multi-purpose spaces, marketing/communications, youth/education, cultural equity, and underserved communities. However, applicants may propose any type of project that fits within the overall vision of the program.
In approving the Creative Economy Pilot Project, the City Council adopted four strategies to expand civic innovation beyond the technology sector:
- Make Sacramento a platform for experimentation
- Build a place-based neighborhood ecosystem around food, tech, and art
- Empower individual creators, makers, and entrepreneurs
- Practice what we preach: civic engagement and innovation in City Hall
As the July 30 deadline approaches, the Mayor’s Office for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has continued to engage the community in workshops to help individuals submit applications. The first workshop was livestreamed over YouTube where the archived video can still be viewed and the second was hosted in person at The Art Institute.
There is currently one more in-person workshops scheduled at City Hall and with more being planned.
To learn more about the Creative Economy Pilot Project, register for a workshop, or submit your application for a grant, please visit the application website. Be sure to review the Creative Economy Pilot Project Grant Guidelines before starting an application.