HOUSTON CULTURAL DISTRICTS
Defining Impact and Crafting a Vision for Arts & Culture in Houston
BACKGROUND
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The seven Cultural Districts across Houston are collaborating to create a vision for increasing the visibility of arts and culture in Houston locally, regionally, and nationally. As a part of this work, the Houston Cultural Districts have engaged our firm, Trepwise, to help lift up community needs and define a collective strategy.
How will the findings from the project be used?
The insights sourced from our research and outreach will be used to communicate the social benefits of arts and cultural activities in Houston to a broad audience. They will inform the creation of a unified strategy to support the Cultural Districts and the needs of their communities and stakeholders moving forward.
Project Row Houses in the Third Ward
DEFINING OUR SCOPE
WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS?
In 2005, the Texas Legislature granted the Texas Commission on the Arts authority to designate cultural districts in cities across Texas. Cultural districts are defined as special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community vitality.
Together, Houston’s Cultural Districts represent a cross-section of the diverse neighborhoods and arts experiences that make Houston so unique. While each has a distinct identity, function and goal, all of these districts use art as a tool to educate, entertain and improve quality of life while supporting our community and city economy. Collectively the cultural districts share concerns about preserving, strengthening and sustaining their districts so that they, in turn, will attract investment economic growth and creative/cultural engagement not only to the cultural districts but also more broadly for the arts across Houston.
Find more about each of the cultural districts at their websites: Arts District Houston, Midtown Cultural Arts & Entertainment District, Theater District Houston, Houston Museum District, East End Cultural District, Third Ward Cultural District, Fifth Ward Cultural District.
WHERE ARE THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS?
HELP ADVANCE OUR LEARNINGS!
SIGN UP FOR THE UPCOMING CONVENING FOCUSED ON COLLABORATION!
On Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 10a – 12:30p we’ll host an in-person convening focused on collaboration in the arts and culture ecosystem.
Specifically, this convening will provide:
- A recognition of past challenges with collaboration and inclusion in the sector.
- An opportunity to co-create the values that will lead us to a more collaborative arts sector.
- A review of the interventions the Cultural Districts have identified, and a discussion of how they can be implemented in a way that values diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and ensures all voices are heard and represented moving forward.
All members of the arts and cultural community are welcome to attend – please RSVP here.
PROJECT UPDATES
FAll 2023
We will be holding an in-person session on December 2nd from 10AM-12:30PM to provide an update on the strategies that will be included in the plan, and discuss how we can model collaborative implementation and inclusion during project implementation. This will be available to all who are interested. Please RSVP here.
SUMMER 2023
An in-person convening is planned for the end of August, bringing together key stakeholders to craft a shared vision. An additional virtual community conversation will take place on September 6th, which is open and available to all. RSVP for the Community Conversation here.
June 2023
Following a successful set of focus groups and interviews, the trepwise team launches a broader ecosystem survey, targeting anyone connected to one or more of the Houston Cultural Districts. The goal of our survey is to better understand the impact of the districts and begin to solicit content to inform the visioning and planning portion of the project.
JANUARY 2023
trepwise is selected as the firm to lead the planning process, and launches an initial scan of peer cities, using that to develop an initial set of questions and priorities to drive discovery.
OCTOBER 2022
The seven Cultural Districts release an RFP funded by the Houston Endowment to gather information about the collective quality of life and economic impact the districts make on Houston, and to develop a shared vision and plan for arts and culture across the seven districts.