ABC offers communities coaching in creative placemaking

Neighborhoods, towns, or regions interested in building, growing or sustaining creative communities can get help from Rutgers University's Arts Build Communities.

ABC is offering communities in and around New Jersey four months of coaching in creative placemaking.  This coaching will help community leaders who want to do such things as attract more artists to their communities, make their areas more welcoming for the arts, promote cultural tourism, or take advantage of the growing creative economy.

ABC will provide experts in arts planning, community development, or economic development to community teams.  Each team can have up to 10 people and must have at least one elected official and one working artist.  Teams will meet with their coaches five times over a 16-week period.

Coaches will challenge, support and guide community teams as they explore their creative placemaking goals.  Teams will come away from the experience being able to make smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable choices.

The initiative begins in May 2011 and continues into 2012.  Communities can choose any of three coaching periods -- May through September 2011, October 2011 through February 2012, or March through July 2012.

To learn more about community coaching or to apply, please read about the ABC Cultural Planning Leadership Program community coaching initiative.

Arts Build Communities helps leaders of communities and cultural organizations make better and more sustainable choices in connecting the arts and community and economic development.  It is produced by the Professional Development Institute of Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.