https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/arts/2015-11-04/whats-austins-creative-capacity/

What's Austin's Creative Capacity?

By Robert Faires, November 4, 2015, 4:14pm, All Over Creation

Hey, you Austin creative types: Been complaining about the difficulties of making work in our town these days? The city of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division hears you – or has heard you. It conducted a survey to assess the service needs of our creative sector and is presenting the results Wed., Nov. 4, at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center.

At 6:30pm. Christine Harris, of consulting firm WolfBrown, will lead the presentation of Building Austin's Creative Capacity: Creative Sector Needs Assessment. It will cover the research and results of the survey conducted earlier this year in which individuals and nonprofit organizations were asked how they use current creative sector resources and services, what they need from Austin's support structure, and how they would like it provided.

At 7:15pm, the floor will be opened for questions to attendees, then at 7:45 they'll be able to provide input on how to prioritize the recommendations.

The needs assessment actually arose from the Imagine Austin comprehensive plan. The “Creative Economy” Priority Program calls for “[surveying] creative arts and culture nonprofits, organizations, and individuals to determine gaps in technical assistance and identify additional ongoing strategies to further develop the creative industries.” The Cultural Arts Division staff intends to use the survey data as the basis for a 10-year work plan "to provide ongoing technical assistance, access to best practices, small business resources, and nonprofit organization resources with a focus on targeted creative industries and jobs," according to a city press release. Additional information on the needs assessment final report will be made available at the city's Building Austin's Creative Capacity website.

The Building Austin's Creative Capacity presentation will begin with a half-hour of light refreshments and networking at 6pm Wed., Nov. 4, at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina.