Berkshire Creative Economy Council (Berkshire Creative) has successfully raised $100,000 to match the Massachusetts Cultural Council grant received during the summer of 2007.
This grant was awarded to Berkshire Creative in support of its mission to stimulate new job growth and economic opportunity in the Berkshires through the growth of the county’s Creative Sector. The matching funds insure the continuation of Berkshire Creative’s activities though 2009.
The grassroots fundraising campaign yielded over 150 individual donations ranging from $25 to $20,000. Key to the success of the campaign was the “Friend Drive” which offered a way for participants at all income levels to tangibly engage with the mission and activities.
Nancy Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Berkshire Creative Board of Directors states, “It was our main focus in this campaign to reach the wide ranging constituency of the Berkshire Creative Economy and not just the usual suspects. As our work benefits the various parties of the creative sector we strived to offer a variety of donation opportunities.”
Creative economy businesses, organizations and individuals not only provided monetary donations, but generous in-kind donations of goods and services. In-kind donations, paramount to the continuation of creative industry support projects accounted for 20% of the $100,000 match.
With the initial Massachusetts Cultural Council funds, Berkshire Creative developed and implemented a strategic set of projects and initiatives to support and grow the Creative Industries of the Berkshires. The matching funds raised by Berkshire Creative insure the continuation of these projects including the following:
Berkshirecreative.org
o Berkshire Creaitve’s website is updated daily with job opportunities, resources, new bulletins, and collaborative opportunities to help you do better business in the Berkshires.
Email Updates
o Sent to thousands of members of the Berkshire creative economy bringing valuable information and resources right into their inboxes.
SPARK! Networking Events for Berkshire Creatives
o Bring together hundreds of members of the Creative Economy, on a quarterly basis, to spark new connections and collaborations.
Online Networking
o Berkshire Creative facilitates individual-to-individual and individual to resource connections and engagement via social utility tools such as facebook and Linked In.
Promote, Support and Facilitate Educational and Professional Development Resources
o Berkshire Creative in collaboration with the MCLA Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and Northern Berkshire Creative Arts expanded the Tricks of the Trade annual eight-month professional development seminar series for artists and creatives,
o In partnership with the Massachusetts Office of Housing and Business Development, Berkshire Creative hosted roundtables and one-on-one meetings with creative business to connect them with business incentives and initiatives available on a local and statewide level.
Support Sector Specific Development Initiatives
o Berkshire Film and Media Arts Commission, a group of film and media professionals, organized around specific activities to facilitate growth and increase opportunities in the Film and Media Arts sector of the Creative Economy.
o First countywide gallery guide highlighting the county’s fifty-two contemporary art galleries and five museums produced in collaboration with the Berkshire Visitors Bureau and Berkshire Living.
o Assets for Artists, produced in collaboration with with MASS MoCA, MCLA Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, isa project now in it’s second year, which provides a financial and education system for artists and creatives in Berkshire County to improve their financial security and independence through wider access to home ownership and small business education.
o Berkshire Creative is also working closely with the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation on creative economy initiatives that dovetail with key areas of the Berkshire Blueprint, these projects include the Angel Network, which works to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with individuals looking to invest in new and innovative start-up businesses.
Advocacy
o Berkshire Creative has increased awareness of the impact and potential of the creative economy among Berkshire County residents, government officials, and business community. Berkshire Creative has worked to elevate the status of the creative economy sector as an economic engine within the Berkshire County economy and for the first time giving creative sector a seat at the economic and business table.
o Berkshire Creative has actively advocated to governing and decision-making bodies across the state, convened with other regional creative economy initiatives, and just recently accepted a seat on the newly created Massachusetts Creative Economy Council, created by a bill spearheaded by State Representative Daniel E. Bosley and approved by Governor Deval Patrick last October
Defining Creative Economic Development
o Berkshire Creative has taken the lead in establishing how creative economic development happens across the region, state, and nation. The vision for Berkshire Creative is brand the Berkshires with “Creativity lives here”. Much like wine is to Napa Valley, we hope to make Creativity synonymous with the Berkshires. Berkshire Creative believes that creativity distinctly differentiates Berkshire County as an economic development region and offers the best opportunity for intelligent regional economic development and sustainable growth.
