Creative Sector Advocacy Webinar Series

Recordings from our 2022 Creative Sector Advocacy Webinar Series held in December are now available. For more information about how to be a creative sector advocate in Vermont, visit our advocacy center or reach out to Vermont Creative Network Manager Johanna de Graffenreid.

Local Advocacy: Municipal ARPA Funding, the Creative Economy, and Strategic Plans

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included direct funding to municipalities. Since its passage, ARPA funding for municipalities has become easier to navigate, with many opportunities to support the creative economy in your town. In this webinar, you'll learn about municipalities across Vermont who have incorporated the creative sector into their town strategic plans to better access funding opportunities. This discussion outlines possibilities for how local governments can strengthen our cultural and creative fabric and what you can do to engage in the process. Presenters are Annie McLean, Community and Economic Recovery Specialist, Northeastern VT Development Association and Johanna de Graffenreid, Vermont Creative Network Manager.

Statewide Advocacy: Vermont’s Creative Sector Advocacy Priorities

With historic turnover in the Vermont Legislature this coming session, this webinar describes the new lay of the land and what you can do to engage your state elected officials in the creative sector. Key statewide advocacy priorities for the creative sector, changes to legislative committees, and how to ensure state representatives and senators understand the importance of the creative economy in Vermont are covered. Presenters are Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Executive Director, Vermont Humanities and Patti Komline, Government and Public Affairs, Downs Rachlin Martin.

From Town Councils to the Statehouse: Effective Creative Economy Advocacy in Vermont

In Vermont, we pride ourselves on freedom and unity. This webinar explains how to best engage with your elected officials. We review the Vermont Creative Network's 2023 local and statewide advocacy agenda, provide key insights into how to best make the case for the creative economy with Vermont decision makers, and share important research to support our advocacy efforts. Presenter is Johanna de Graffenreid, Vermont Creative Network Manager.

About the Vermont Creative Network

The Vermont Creative Network is a broad collective of organizations, businesses, and individuals working to advance Vermont’s creative sector. Authorized by the Vermont Legislature in 2016, the VCN is an initiative of the Vermont Arts Council. Learn more at www.vermontcreativenetwork.org

About the Vermont Arts Council

The Vermont Arts Council envisions a Vermont where all people have access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individuals, connects us more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live. Since 1965, the Council has been the state's primary provider of funding, advocacy, and information for the arts in Vermont. Learn more at vermontartscouncil.org