What were your major obstacles?
One major obstacle we had to overcome was in changing the brand of our program. In 2010 we reshaped the program from monthly first Thursday events (Destination World) to a multi-pronged program approach that includes 6 major events, a cross-marketing program, a film series and creative enterprise workshops (Discover Lowell). We made this strategic shift to better reflect the goals of our Creative Economy Plan. Some of the core goals—increasing foot traffic for local businesses and creating a more vibrant downtown, developing opportunities for Lowell’s immigrant communities to connect to our cultural resources and be showcased with programming—remain the same. However, we did experience a challenge as we shifted the brand of the program. We’ve addressed this challenge through strong communication with our partner networks, and by selecting major programs that involve the greatest number of potential partners, so we build as we go. Another obstacle we have is as Lowell continues to grow, we have a great number of cultural events downtown, which is excellent in terms of overall city development. And this also presents a challenge in that there are an increasing number of events for our cultural community to keep track of. We’ve addressed this challenge by working with stakeholders to develop a community calendar and encouraging new partners to put any and all events on the calendar. This way it serves as a planning and audience development tool for our cultural stakeholders.
The challenge for 2011 is to create a forward looking sustainability plan to continue the work of the past decade of AHA! for the next decade and to attract the resources to make the plan a reality. One major obstacle we had to overcome was in changing the brand of our program. In 2010 we reshaped the program from monthly first Thursday events (Destination World) to a multi-pronged program approach that includes 6 major events, a cross-marketing program, a film series and creative enterprise workshops (Discover Lowell). We made this strategic shift to better reflect the goals of our Creative Economy Plan. Some of the core goals—increasing foot traffic for local businesses and creating a more vibrant downtown, developing opportunities for Lowell’s immigrant communities to connect to our cultural resources and be showcased with programming—remain the same. However, we did experience a challenge as we shifted the brand of the program. We’ve addressed this challenge through strong communication with our partner networks, and by selecting major programs that involve the greatest number of potential partners, so we build as we go. Another obstacle we have is as Lowell continues to grow, we have a great number of cultural events downtown, which is excellent in terms of overall city development. And this also presents a challenge in that there are an increasing number of events for our cultural community to keep track of. We’ve addressed this challenge by working with stakeholders to develop a community calendar and encouraging new partners to put any and all events on the calendar. This way it serves as a planning and audience development tool for our cultural stakeholders. For those who are considering undertaking this effort, it will help if you have a solid foundation of some key partners. UMass Lowell, the City of Lowell, the Lowell National Historical Park, Revolving Museum, and the Greater Merrimack Valley CVB brought funding and some staff resources to assist with planning and production of programs. They also offered assistance in helping shape the strategic vision at every step of the way. The challenge for 2011 is to create a forward looking sustainability plan to continue the work of the past decade of AHA! for the next decade and to attract the resources to make the plan a reality. The partners continue to energize the downtown landscape.
Who or what was instrumental in overcoming these obstacles?
UMass Lowell, the City of Lowell, the Lowell National Historical Park, Revolving Museum, and the Greater Merrimack Valley CVB brought funding and some staff resources to assist with planning and production of programs. They also offered assistance in helping shape the strategic vision at every step of the way.
What top three suggestions would you give to others attempting a similar project?
For those who are considering undertaking this effort, it will help if you have a solid foundation of some key partners. The partners continue to energize the downtown landscape. United around the common goal of creating a vibrant, live-able, walk-able, and safe downtown, AHA! partners with the City of NB must focus on the marketplace and attracting additional investments, both financially and structurally. The task is a framework for sustaining and growing the arts and culture sector of the economy in the City featuring the pattern of collaborative effort which has propelled the work to date. United around the common goal of creating a vibrant, live-able, walk-able, and safe downtown, AHA! partners with the City of NB must focus on the marketplace and attracting additional investments, both financially and structurally. The task is a framework for sustaining and growing the arts and culture sector of the economy in the City featuring the pattern of collaborative effort which has propelled the work to date.
