Internationally known firm hired to help bring Charlotte’s cultural plan to life

Charlotteans have long referred to our city as “world-class,” and it’s certainly true when it comes to sports and finance. Those of us at Charlotte Is Creative (and our extended family, including you) have also believed it to be true of the arts and culture scene.

And soon, we may be able to showcase our arts scene just as we have our pro sports, our financial institutions and our uptown. (Remember when we hosted both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions?)

LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES SELECTED

Charlotte’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board (of which Charlotte Is Creative’s own Tim Miner is a member) has chosen, in a competitive review process, Lord Cultural Resources (LCR) to help create a comprehensive cultural plan for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. You can be part of shaping the plan.

“The cultural planning process is a rare opportunity to have a city-wide conversation about arts and culture,” said Charlotte’s Arts and Culture Officer Priya Sircar. “There will be many opportunities for residents to participate, so we hope folks will get involved in shaping the future of arts and culture in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.”

The firm and their consultants will work under the guidance of Sircar. LCR’s US president, Joy Bailey-Bryant will lead the planning team in Charlotte. 

Bailey-Bryant’s team will include local community engagement firm Amplify Charlotte.  Another consultant, Fourth Economy, will provide data and economic analysis of the Charlotte arts community. You can be part of shaping the plan by participating in upcoming community engagement sessions led by LCR. Read on to learn more. 

DEVELOPING A LONG-TERM PLAN

Joy Bailey-Bryant, US president of Lord Cultural Resources, will serve as the project lead in Charlotte

The Toronto-based firm has led the creation of cultural plans in more than 450 cities around the world. Here in Mecklenburg County, the firm will help develop a long-range vision and near-term plans to:

• sustainably fund the arts and culture sector
• position the sector as an economic/tourism driver
• encourage collaboration between creative individuals and organizations
• promote equity and inclusivity

A selection committee chose the firm because of LCR’s experience creating and facilitating successful cultural plans in world-class U.S. cities, including Dallas and Chicago, and working in cities of comparable size to Charlotte.

Planning efforts, already underway, are scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023. According to their public meeting with the Arts & Culture Advisory Board on May 24, LCR is planning a number of community engagement sessions in late summer and fall with help from Charlotte’s Amplify consulting. It is critical that a wide array of opinions and perspectives be heard during this process to inform the long-term cultural plan.

BE PART OF THE PROCESS

Here at The Biscuit, we will promote open public engagement events throughout the planning process to help ensure that as many creatives are invited to participate as possible.

To learn about upcoming public meetings and events related to the work of the Arts & Culture Advisory Board, please visit the City’s web page here.