Good ideas are everywhere

At Springboard for the Arts, we started writing toolkits with our Community Supported Art program. As we started sharing that resource – a practical, creative document – we realized that this was how we wanted to scale our work, by sharing it freely, and supporting replications and adaptations across the country.

Since then, we’ve created toolkits for our Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists curriculum, artist-led community development practice, the new Handbook for Artists Working in Community, and resources from more programs. We’ve partnered with other artists and organizations to create toolkits from their programs, and wrote a Toolkit Toolkit to help others share their work. And we’ve promoted toolkits from others that share this mission – to cultivate and support creative people power and the movement for local culture. Over 12,000 toolkits have been downloaded from Creative Exchange, used for replication, adaptation, and sparking new partnerships. Find highlights below, or see all the toolkits here.

New Toolkits

We’re always adding new toolkits and resources here at Creative Exchange, looking to respond to emergent situations, address ongoing needs, and collect resources from artists, colleagues, and peers. Check out new toolkits from Springboard for the Arts, and in April 2018 we announced our 2018 Toolkit Cohort, including the Toolkit Toolkit, working with artists across the country to create toolkits from their engaging, creative projects. Keep checking in for new additions!

Creative Placemaking

Springboard for the Arts is committed to creative placemaking that centers the people who live, work, and have significant connections to the affected community. This work must be asset-based, equity-driven and built on reciprocal relationships that benefit the existing community. And since artists are on every block, their creative power is key to creative placemaking that has an impact beyond the immediate action.

Community Engagement

Communities thrive when they are welcoming, creative and participatory, all aspects that artists can bring to the work. Use these toolkits to create events and programming to bring people together, share authentic narratives, and imagine new possibilities.

Support for Artists

For artists and communities to thrive, there must be meaningful supports to creative people to make a living and a life. Many of these issues – entrepreneurship, housing, healthcare – are not unique to artists and the creative community, and require cross-sector partnership and imagination. These toolkits offer professional and community resources to thrive.

Stay in touch

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