Continuing to advance its Cultural Development Plan “Belonging in Oakland,” the Cultural Affairs Division of the City of Oakland forged a partnership withThe Oakland Fund for Public Innovation to secure a multi-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to promote equity, belonging, and well-being for all communities of Oakland. The Cultural Strategist-in-Government Program will place Oakland-based artists and cultural workers as practitioners in City departments to infuse City problem-solving with new perspectives and creative thinking from communities historically under-represented in the City’s policy-making staff.
Nine different City entities are calling to have Cultural Strategists-in-Government (CSIGs) placed with them to address projects outlined in individualized case statements. They are:
• African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library Citywide Communications,
Office of the City Administrator
• Community Homeless Services, Human Services Department
• Cultural Affairs Division-Public Art Program, Economic & Workforce Development Department
• Environmental Services Division, Oakland Public Works Department Office of the Mayor
• Planning Bureau, Planning & Building Department
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Violence Prevention
Cultural strategists are meant to play roles different from typical artists-in-residence. There is no expectation that CSIGs will create an artistic product nor are they necessarily artists at all. CSIGs can be artists, but they could also be people who consider themselves cultural workers, creative entrepreneurs, traditional culture bearers, community historians, or others who are knowledgeable of culturally-specific practices, history, or heritage relevant to communities in Oakland. CSIGs should be civic-spirited, that is, interested in serving the community and believe that City government can and should work effectively for all Oaklanders.