Team: John Carnwath, Kacie Willis
We partnered with The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) to ask the musicians, writers, craftspeople, designers, makers, and performers who enrich the region with arts, culture, and creativity to tell us about their experience as creatives in St. Louis through Creatives Count.
Creatives Count was made up of two parts. First, there was a survey open to creatives in all fields, whether they were professionals or hobbyists, living in St. Louis city and county. The survey collected information about creative practices taking place in the city and county, how creatives pursue their creative practice (as an LLC, as a full time employee, etc.), and what resources creatives need to advance their practice.
The second part was a qualitative research study doing in-depth research focused on four distinct creative communities: fashion, film, music, and community-based arts. This study informed RAC about what was going on in the creative community right then. RAC is using the information Creatives Count collects to plan artist programs and services in upcoming years. As the only survey of its kind, Creatives Count is also a critical source of information for governments, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals who want to learn more about the region’s creatives.
This vital data has been made available to the public and was shared in a conference. Read the report here.