University Without Walls Announces Online Creative Economy course

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Jennifer Brady

UMass Amherst University Without Walls Maren Brown Advising Student This guest post was written by my colleague, Dee Boyle Clapp, M.F.A., Program Coordinator of the Arts Extension Service at University Without Walls which is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.

Maren Brown believes in the power of the creative economy to positively transform communities. The Arts Extension Service (AES), which she leads, is a national leader in creative economy training and research. The string of creative economy firsts is astonishing: just last year, AES published the nation’s first workbook on creative economy planning to complement a series of first-in-the-nation training programs on how to create, sustain and evaluate creative economy programs.

The Arts Extension Service has also been at the forefront of creative economy research, including a recent study (together with the UMass Donahue Institute) for the UMass College and Humanities and Fine Arts on the impact their alumni make on the creative economy of the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts, as well as an in-depth examination of the creative economy programs of the Massachusetts Cultural Council to aid in its planning process (together with the UMass Donahue Institute and the UMass Center for Policy and Analysis). AES also wrote over 30 case studies that examined creative economy projects throughout the state of Massachusetts.

It was only natural, then, for the Arts Extension Service to announce another first: the nation’s first online Creative Economy course, taught by Tom Borrup, a leading national creative economy expert and the author of the award-winning book, The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook.

According to Brown: “The course takes a broad look at how to determine the unique assets of a community while learning how to create alliances with local businesses, government, neighborhood associations and the arts community. The objective is to learn how to create an environment that builds communities from within while transforming the local economy.”

So what is the creative economy? According to the Arts Extension Service’s Partners in Creative Economy Workbook, “The Creative Economy consists of those industries that have their origin in individual creativity, skill, and talent, and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation of ideas, products, or services.” It is best described by the ripples in a pond effect that takes place when the cultural assets in a community help to spur economic activity or growth, such as when an art or culture event attracts audiences who spend additional money on dinner and a night out, or the return of a downtown after artists create an arts walk or concert series and shops stay open to capitalize on the excitement, to name but a few examples. In addition to building awareness and appreciation for the art, the Creative Economy bridges community divides, and becomes a mechanism for dialog, problem solving, and a strong stimulus for the region’s economy.

For more information about these and other programs of the Arts Extension Service, please call 413-545-2360, or visit them online at www.umass.edu/aes. The Arts Extension Service offers arts management courses and workshops online, including the nation’s first and only online Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Administration for adult learners through the University Without Walls.