Recently a group from our community met with Sound Diplomacy, a consulting organization that focuses on “music and the night-time economy.” Sound Diplomacy made a pitch to study Athens and provide recommendations, for a fee.
In recent years, other such initiatives (Envision Athens, Athens Area Arts Council, Athensmade, UGA-Athens Creative Economy Initiative) have provided similar context for our eclectic creative community. From performing arts, fashion, culinary arts, visual arts, etc., we know Athens has one of the richest palettes of creative endeavors in the U.S.
Out of these local initiatives recommendations were made, followed, and projects implemented, such as the Athens Creatives Directory, the Create Athens organization, the “Clocked-in Creative” podcast and Creature Comforts’ Get Creative program. These and many other initiatives are important steps along the way. In addition, over the recent past, a set of creative “aggregators” have shown up in Athens (i.e., Kindercore, Athens Artists Collective, Tweed Recording, Bitter Southerner, West Broad and Athens Farmers’ Markets). These aggregators are a collection point and assembler for creative value. In addition to the individual artist, we need further understanding of and support for these value creators.
What is needed now is a comprehensive strategic plan for the Athens creative community, collecting the insights gathered during recent years, identifying artist needs and opportunities, and formulating a holistic multi-year program to engage the aggregators and support our creatives, enabling them to excel economically and attract more creatives to our community. Such comprehensive plans have been developed by other communities (Austin, Chattanooga, Asheville), so a game plan exists that Athens leadership could use.
The time for such a holistic approach is now, not yet another study. Week by week, we see the essence of our creative community struggling to compete with outside corporate influences. At this time, we either stand strong together as a community that embraces creativity or we surrender to the mundane.
The writer is a senior lecturer at UGA, a senior advisor at The Design Academy and executive producer of the Athens Rising documentary.
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