Amplifying Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy in Los Angeles

Amplifying Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has long been a beacon of creativity, innovation, and cultural expression. To further foster this environment, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs launched the Public-Space Activation Fund (PAF), a place-based initiative focused on building cultural equity for currently under-resourced neighborhoods. For the past 8 years, Community Partners has proudly served as the intermediary partner for PAF, a truly innovative model in community-focused government grantmaking, providing funding to artists and cultural producers who don’t normally engage in typical government and grant procedures. PAF works with grantees to accelerate ideas and enhance skills in participating, presenting and producing arts and culture experiences for their communities.

The impact and growth experience has been tremendous for a variety of grant recipients, many of whom go on to secure additional funding after participating in the program. Not only are local public spaces transformed temporarily into free, vibrant arts and cultural experiences, but artists and cultural entrepreneurs benefit from public investment to support Los Angeles’ creative economy, while serving as organizers in the neighborhoods where they live or work.

“Our longstanding partnership with Community Partners has enabled the City to fund promising new concepts in as little as 60 days. We’ve inspired budding, innovative entrepreneurs to build sustainable coalitions in LA neighborhoods where it can be difficult to access theaters, galleries, performance spaces, and other traditional creative resources.” Ben Espinosa, Arts Manager, Grants Division, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

The City of Los Angeles developed the Public-Space Activation Fund (PAF) to provide artists and cultural producers funding for the development of “creative-placemaking” projects in neighborhoods where there are comparatively fewer existing arts and cultural resources. Utilizing a competitive process that includes solicited proposals and a multi-level review of applicants, the Intermediary team provides the expertise in programmatic, technical and administrative assistance to the grantees, streamlining the process and reducing wait time for funding.

Community Partners’ Intermediary team offers deep knowledge and experience within the arts and culture ecosystem including the integration of cultural equity and inclusion practices, as well as long standing relationships with arts and culture leaders, culture bearers, artists, and communities. PAF represents a significant step not only towards culturally activating the diverse neighborhoods of Los Angeles, while enhancing public spaces, encouraging community engagement and advancing cultural equity and access.