Communities Are Sustainable,
Livable and Vibrant
Cultural Alliance: Arts provide
much more than entertainment
Arts and culture provide so many ways to make our community an exciting and inspiring place to live, and so much more. According to figures provided by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham, organizations and artists in the surrounding 12-county region generated around $125 million a year through salaries, taxes and events.
The Cultural Alliance came to life in 2003 with startup funding by the Community Foundation and others in part to oversee the implementation of the Cultural Master Plan of Greater Birmingham commissioned by Wolf, Keens & Company, a leading arts consultant. Today, the Community Foundation continues to provide support for the Cultural Alliance as a strategic partner in fulfilling that plan.
The Cultural Alliance nurtures and promotes arts and cultural organizations and working artists across all disciplines and levels of expertise in a number of ways, including:
- Birmingham 365: A calendar of community events and more, launched in 2011 in partnership with Birmingham Business Alliance, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Community Foundation.
- Artists As Educators: Launched with seed funding by the Community Foundation to help students in Birmingham City Schools learn in new and creative ways by integrating the arts into core academic areas.
- Kresge Arts grants: Available through 2012 to support innovative projects utilizing the arts as a tool to unite communities and address pressing social issues.
