Create Space Austin
A gathering place for the performing arts community and supporters to develop solutions to Austin's performance venue crisis. (March, 2016)
The Austin Creative scene produces nearly $500 million in revenue annually, and Austin Creatives account for 11% of the Austin workforce. No doubt, Austin has a vibrant, thriving arts culture.
However, the vibrant, diverse creative identity of Austin is under threat. A brilliant creative scene like ours in Austin is attractive to people all over the nation. The influx of new people to Austin has lead to massive new real estate development which has driven up property taxes, which has in turn raised the cost of creative spaces.
In the next year, Austin will lose two more of our performance spaces. In the last 3 years, several more closed. In fact, without a new plan to overcome this issue, the independent creative scene in Austin will face even greater obstacles maintaining Austin’s creative culture.
As a result of the Imagine Austin plan, many new initiatives have sprung up. Mayor Adler has made the need for Creative space a policy issue. ThinkEast is in the midst of a new creative space that will eventually help overcome the space deficit.
But Austin artists need solutions now.
The Creative Class in Austin is looking for a new way forward, to find a solution for space needs until the larger projects are realized. We’ve mobilized our efforts to reach out to property owners who know, love, and support the positive impact of the Creative Class in Austin.
Our plan for sustaining the Austin Arts scene through this time is to find the space around the city that isn’t being utilized.