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Our Work – Events & Convenings

Creative Vitality™ Summit

The Creative Vitality™ Summit is a signature event dedicated to exploring the intersection of arts, culture, and the creative economy and economic, social, and technological change.

David Holland -Headshot

Point of Contact

David Holland

Deputy Director

david.h@wearecreativewest.org

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Creative-Vitailty-Summit-18

Photo Credit Blake Jackson

This summit convenes artists, government and philanthropic leaders, and other creative professionals for insightful discussions, dynamic networking opportunities, and collaborative sessions aimed at enhancing creative vitality within our communities. The summit emphasizes innovative practices, policy advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration to enhance the impact of arts and culture.

Past Events & Recordings

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Creative-Vitailty-Summit-29

Photo Credit Blake Jackson

2024 Creative Vitality Summit™

Boulder, CO | April 8-11, 2024

The 2024 Summit brought together a unique community of creative economy enthusiasts and skeptics, new economy advocates, creative economy policymakers, philanthropy professionals, artists, designers, and trailblazers to consider the impact of new economic models, new forms of investment, and technological change in arts, culture, and the creative economy. Panels were held in Boulder, Colorado and streamed virtually to participants across the country.

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Creative Vitality Summit™ 2024 Welcome Video

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Session 1: Creative Economy Policymaking in States and Regions

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Session 2: Technology and Creative Practice

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Session 3: Immersive Realities

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Session 4: Artificial Intelligence and the Creative Economy

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Session 5: Transforming Investments in Artists, Creative Workers, and Communities

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Creative-Vitailty-Summit-14

Photo Credit Blake Jackson

2022 Creative Vitality Summit™

denver, CO | November 30 – December 2, 2022

Our second Creative Vitality Summit™ featured community-led, in-person panel discussions on how the creative economy intersects with technology and digital placekeeping and delved into belonging and civic imagination and creative economy development through liberatory investment models. Conversations took place in Denver, Colorado and were broadcast to a virtual audience.

CVS-2022-Session-Welcome Creative West

Creative Vitality Summit™ 2022 Welcome Video

CVS-2021-Session-1 Creative West

Session 1: Digital Transformation - Propositions, Approaches, & Futures

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Session 2: Decolonizing Methodologies - Arts & Culture in the Digital Age

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Session 3: Civic Imagination - Growing the Cultural Networks of Civic Infrastructure

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Session 4: Liberatory Investment Models for the Creative Economy

CVS-2021-Session-5 Creative West

Session 5: Transforming Investments in Artists, Creative Workers, and Communities

2021 Creative Vitality Summit™

September 20-21, 2021

The inaugural Creative Vitality™ Summit took place virtually, with 40 speakers and nearly 500 participants registered. The event brought together creative economy experts, economic development professionals, arts and culture leaders, solidarity economy advocates, and equity champions to share knowledge and practice in developing a more inclusive creative economy.

CVS-2021-Session-1 Creative West

Session 1: New Economic Models and a More Just Economy

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Grassroots Power Building - The upside of the uphill battle to maintain cultural sovereignty

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Session 2: Mapping Creative Vitality

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Session 3: Creative Vitality and Social Cohesion

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The Creative Economies of Belonging

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Session 4: Networks and Practice in the Creative Economy

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Next Generation Creative Districts in a New Economy

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Session 5: The Future of Creative Work

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Session 6: Creative Economy Policymaking and the Future

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Our Path to Creative Vitality: Reflection and Praxis

Check out our photo gallery for some highlights from this unique gathering.

Web Services powered by

Creative West

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CaFÉ is an online application submission system that strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply.

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GO Smart is an affordable grants management software that offers pre- and post-application forms, panel reviewing, and data reporting for grantmakers.

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The Public Art Archive (PAA) is a free, searchable, and continually growing online database of completed public artworks throughout the U.S. and abroad, with a suite of resources and tools built for managing public art collections.

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ZAPP provides art fair and festival administrators with a suite of tools to digitally collect and jury applications, manage booth payments, and communicate with applicants all in one easy-to-use digital platform. Artists can apply to hundreds of shows nationwide through a central website.