Strong creative economies drive economic growth and prosperity, and Central Indiana is fortunate to possess a wide range of strengths and assets that support its creative economy, including a rich array of arts and cultural organizations and resources. Too often, however, these assets operate independently, limiting their collective impact and preventing the region from fully realizing their potential.

Significant gaps remain in the creative ecosystem—most notably the absence of a regional organizational structure to align efforts, harness existing assets, and build upon them. To elevate and grow the region’s creative economy while strengthening arts and cultural amenities, sustained, long-term collaboration that maximizes both assets and financial resources is essential. To that end, Central Indiana will establish a standing committee focused on the creative economy and implement a hub-and-spoke model that strengthens cultural nodes—creative organizations and places—by fostering collaboration across the region. The region’s unique differentiators, including its extensive trail system, unparalleled sports identity, and strong talent ecosystem, will be key ingredients in this work.

Elevating existing arts and cultural assets, strengthening the creative economy, and better leveraging it to drive broader economic growth are core priorities for CIRDA. To build momentum, CIRDA will focus on five key strategies:

1. Continued collaboration;

2. Strategic leveraging of assets and resources;

3. Connecting arts and culture with trails, parks, and the built environment;

4. Developing programming to attract, retain, and grow creative talent; and

5. Increasing public-sector support for the creative economy.