Feature Article from The Whitewater Press - Holiday / Winter 2010  www.thewhitewaterpress.com

  
by Roni Telfer: President of the Whitewater Arts Alliance

What’s all this talk about a “creative economy” and what does it have to do with us? 

Initial findings of the Creativity Works! project were just released and what they show may surprise you.  Did you know that the creative industries of the M7 region (seven counties around Milwaukee) include 66,707 jobs, $2 billion in wages and make up 4% of all the jobs in the region?  To put it in perspective, that is roughly the same number of people who work in the construction or transportation industries in the same seven-county region.

The seven-county region includes Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Walworth counties.

What are the “Creative Industries”?
For the purposes reported here they are those organizations, individuals and companies whose products and services originate in artistic, cultural, creative and/or aesthetic content.  That includes for-profit creative businesses, non-profit arts and cultural organizations, and individual creatives who work on their own to  create, produce and distribute these types of products and services.  The segments of the creative industries include those working in design (46%), culture & heritage (2%), media & film (29%), performing arts (12%), and visual arts & crafts (11%).

What was actually being “counted” in this study?
• All jobs in commercial and nonprofit enterprises in the defined creative segments. (for example:  architects in architectural firms as well as the clerical and management staff in these firms)
• Jobs associated with freelance work and self-employment.
• Jobs in creative occupations in industries not in the creative industries (for example:  graphic artists in financial firms or industrial designers for manufacturers)

Why should we care?
The data illustrates that the creative industries of the area constitutes a sizable number of jobs and, as such, is a valuable part of the economics of the area.  We don’t always think of creativity as an economic engine, but it is.  Creativity has been defined as the “generation of a product that is not only novel and imaginative, but also useful and of good quality.”  Creativity is also about problem solving.

What the Creativity Works! project is demonstrating is that this region of our state already has a lot of people who work in a variety of jobs utilizing their creative skills in a variety of ways and this creativity is an asset for attracting economic development to this area.

The first task of the project was to identify the size and the specifics of the industry.  The next task is to generate economic development by elevating the identity, value, contribution and potential of the creative industries.  

Speaking about the next steps, Christine Harris, executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee that has led the project and released the initial findings said,  “There will be a strategic plan developed that links and leverages our creative assets in order to create new jobs, develop business opportunities, attract and retain professional talent, help sustain our nonprofit arts and culture, and grow our region’s creative capital.”

You always knew you were living in a vibrant, creative area.  Now you have data to prove it.  It’s time to let the secret out.

Note: You can find Creative Economy - Part 1 in Archives