City is home to the 'creative class'

By Miguel Angel Corzo

Many Philadelphians have asked me what the future of the arts looks like for our fine city. What I tell them is: Ready or not, there is a game-changing transformation under way.

In the face of outsourcing, globalization and commoditization, more and more American companies are recognizing that value no longer resides predominantly in physical resources, tangible goods, or established procedures, but rather, it lives in our brains and specifically in our brains' ability to create. Innovation and creativity are core competencies that cannot be outsourced, and cultivating these resources is key for the U.S. to have a vital role in the world.

This landscape shift has spawned the "creative class," a powerful force whose membership cuts a broad swath - from scientists to architects to software programmers to performers - a diverse group of dreamers, thinkers, innovators and visionaries comprising 40 million people nationwide. Businesses are just waking up in this new world, and smart leaders are embracing it because they're recognizing creative thinking represents their opportunity for differentiation and success.

Philadelphia, a city that graduates more prospective members of this creative class than any other city in the U.S., has been tapping this resource. One-third of our city's workforce belongs to the creative class, and Philadelphia ranks sixth nationally in visual- and performing-arts graduates. According to Richard Florida, author of the groundbreaking The Rise of the Creative Class, Philadelphia and Chicago are the only two North American cities that have used the creative class' ascent to reinvigorate their economies.

In fact, to begin to quantitatively assess the effect of the creative class on Philadelphia, the University of the Arts engaged a research firm this year to conduct its first-ever economic-impact study. The research revealed that the University of the Arts on its own produces a total economic impact of more that $74 million annually in Philadelphia, supporting about 950 city jobs and $30 million in wage earnings.

The view of this crossroads, and the interpretation of its meaning, of course, depends on the vantage point. For artists, it means that we're moving beyond visual and aural delight. Creation exclusively for entertainment purposes is no longer sufficient. The stage has expanded noticeably and now a new world - where we can innovate, improve, and enhance bottom-line growth with our talents - is open for business. For executives, it means reaching across the divide and inviting new minds to participate and build. For educators and policy makers, it means fostering conditions that will enable this exchange to occur.

At the University of the Arts, we're accomplishing this with our Center for the Creative Economy. Founded in 2005, the center, which is the first of its kind, is designed to encourage the connection between creative people and business leaders. Recently, we attained several key milestones - fresh funding, a new name, and a permanent home - that mark our progress toward fulfilling our mission.

Of course, we are not alone.

There are a number of area leaders who have recognized the transformation in progress and the importance of taking action now. Both mayoral candidates, for example, have voiced their support for the arts and demonstrated an understanding of the importance of the creative economy to our city. Each has committed to bringing the Office of Arts and Culture back to life and to allocating increased funds and promotional attention to the arts.

We're on a positive trajectory, but we must maintain our leadership position and commitment to the creative economy. The region's economic growth depends upon it. We must replenish our sources of creativity, nourish and cultivate them, and fight the forces that work to suppress them. The efforts made (or abandoned) now will have far-reaching implications for the future of the arts and the future of Philadelphia.