Page 17 - Toolkit

POLICYLINK (https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/summary_arts_culture_equitable-dev.pdf)
“PolicyLink believes that arts and culture is not only a strategy to achieve but also a core component of an equitable society. For centuries, low-income communities and communities of color have used arts and culture to navigate and survive systemic racism and oppression. These strategies are essential to retaining collective memory, promoting hea- ling, and liberating the potential within all of us.
“The equitable development movement—which brings a racial and economic equity lens to the community develop- ment field—depends on the engagement of communities of color and low-income communities in prioritizing, desig- ning and implementing aspirations for the futures of their neighborhoods, cities, and towns.
“The community-centered arts and culture movement—made up of social justice artists, arts and culture agencies with a focus on racial equity, and cultural centers that serve communities of color and low-income communities—leads in securing cultural assets, building greater social cohesion, and feeding economic vibrancy.
Across nine sectors PolicyLink documents best practices at the intersection of arts, culture, and equitable development, arts and culture
A. transportation
B. housing
C. infrastructure and community investment
D. economic development and financial security
E. health and food
F. youth and education
G. open space and recreation
H. technology and information access
(https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/summary_arts_culture_equitable-dev.pdf)
POLICY LINK’S 7 STEPS TOWARD CHANGE
1. Map the artistic and cultural assets of cities, towns, states, tribal communities, and the nation, with a focus on the cultural resources in communities of color and low income communities.
2. Evaluate economic conditions, including current investments in public works and arts and culture, using data disag- gregated by race, ethnicity, income, and neighborhood.
3. Identify barriers to resources for communities of color and low-income communities, and restructure processes to engender access.
4. Work with artists, designers, young people, and culture bearers to engage the community and inform equity driven processes for community development.
5. Expand equity-focused arts and culture investments across public agencies, through community-driven arts and culture plans, budget appropriations, and targeted allocations to disadvantaged communities, artists of color, and cultural institutions serving communities of color and low-income communities.
6. Ensure that governance and staffing are representative of the populations served by the agency
7. Rebalance disparities in support away from large institutions that reflect dominant culture, to “support capital cam- paigns, operations and programming that can become cultural and economic engines in underserved communities.” (https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/summary_arts_culture_equitable-dev.pdf)
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