Advocacy on behalf of the creative sector here in the Pikes Peak region is one of the Cultural Office’s primary duties. Whether we’re talking to stakeholders in an informal setting, writing an editorial for a local newspaper, or making a formal presentation to elected officials or local business leaders, it’s always important to make a strong case for the importance of arts & culture in our community.
The Cultural Office conducts and shares research on the local creative sector to help advocate for its value to our region, and its needs to thrive. Research is an ongoing pillar of our new Creative Economy program vertical to help inform planning and policy with current data.
The Cultural Office’s leadership role in the recent cultural planning process, resulting in creation of Arts Vision 2030, is a clear demonstration of our commitment to ongoing and proactive advocacy for our creative sector. Our Strategic Plan also highlights the important role of arts advocacy in our organizational vision and mission.
Every fall, as part of our local Arts Month celebration, the Cultural Office obtains formal Arts Month Proclamations from our two county jurisdictions, the City of Colorado Springs, a number of regional municipalities, and several area school districts. Arts Month also provides the perfect opportunity to write articles and op-eds about the importance of arts & culture that can be shared in the local media.
The Cultural Office also works closely with the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts to participate in State-level arts advocacy efforts, and with Americans for the Arts at the national level.
Thanks to a long-standing relationship with Leadership Pikes Peak, the Cultural Office has an opportunity to speak about the importance of arts & culture to participants in the their Signature Program, the Leadership NOW! Program (a young professionals leadership program), the Leadership Encore Program (a leadership program for seniors), the Women’s Community Leadership Initiative, and the Experience the Springs Program.
In recent years, the Cultural Office has worked with Colorado Springs-based Citizens Project to include questions about arts & culture in their candidate questionnaires prior to local elections. In 2023, we produced and distributed the video “A Strong Arts Community VOTES” to encourage civic engagement in local elections from local creatives and arts supporters.
Cultural Office staff are always available to speak to area business and community groups (like Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce, community groups, etc.) to articulate the Cultural Office’s mission and programming initiatives in the Pikes Peak region, and to help communicate the important role that arts and creativity play in building vibrant and economically sustainable communities. For more information, or to arrange a presentation, please email info@CulturalOffice.org.
To learn how you can become a more effective arts advocate, please check out our Advocacy Toolkit.
