Upstate California creative corps in del norte county
What is the California Creative Corps?
The California Creative Corps program follows an unprecedented period in which communities globally have suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these years, creative sector professionals across the United States have been proposing ways to employ and deploy artists in programs similar to the Works Project Administration (WPA) and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). The launch of a statewide Creative Corps pilot program is the result of a recommendation from the Governor’s economic and jobs recovery task force, and is the first of its kind in the nation.
Upstate Region
Supporting local outreach with local knowledge – as well as technical assistance for artists, and program development and evaluation – are multiple county arts agencies serving what amounts to the largest, most diverse, geographic area in California, with more counties than any other Creative Corps region. Led by Nevada County Arts Council, county arts agencies across California’s Upstate Region are thrilled to be working alongside one another on a new workforce development opportunity for artists and cultural practitioners, arts and social service sector organizations. DNACA is honored to be the Del Norte County local partner for this program.
Why UPSTATE Creative Corps?
Upstate populations suffer from among the worst health inequities in California.
The State has offered The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) as a new method of evaluating the relative health of communities, and as a way to gauge the impact of projects funded by the Creative Corps. The Healthy Places Index shows, almost without exception, that there are health equity measures that fall within the lowest quartile of ‘Community Conditions.’ These indicators determine a community’s health, and provide us with vital clues about how to move the needle in our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood, the HPI maps data on social conditions that drive health — like education, job opportunities, clean air and water, and other indicators that are positively associated with life expectancy at birth. Community leaders, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders use the HPI to compare the health and well-being of communities, identify health inequities, and quantify the factors that shape health.
Listening Session
On November 15th of 2022, Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness co-hosted a California Creative Corps Listening Session at the Elk Valley Rancheria in Crescent City, to present key information and invite a conversation on how artists can help communities tackle issues most critical to them, as part of an Upstate Listening Tour across 19 counties.
Join the Conversation!
Our Conversation Cafe on Facebook is a space for artists, cultural practitioners and culture bearers, as well as those serving organizations tackling important local and regional issues, to communicate both within and beyond their usual circles, in order to promote deeper understanding of one another’s work, and to promote partnerships.
View all our informational meetings!
We have provided even more information, where you will find video recordings of online informational webinars and grant workshops as they roll out, as well as presentation slides in both English and Spanish.
Zoomed about it!
The Upstate California Creative Corps is about to launch, offering artists, and organizations and local government departments hoping to employ artists, an opportunity to apply for funding to create awareness around issues critical to society. But where to start?!
- Join us as we explore what it means for artists to create awareness for public health, environmental issues, climate mitigation, emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery, and civic engagement.
- We'll be brainstorming the sorts of projects that artists might consider in current contexts.
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