What do local artists and performers really need to thrive in St. Johns County? What are the greatest needs for our community in Arts, Heritage and Culture?  Local people now get a chance to share their experiences, dreams, desires and expectations. 

On January 20, 2016 St. Johns Cultural Council is launching an Arts, Heritage and Cultural community planning and visioning process with the goal of elevating the local cultural and creative vitality and creating a grassroots vision for 2020. 

Community members, artists of all mediums, performers, musicians, Arts organizations of all genres, filmmakers, not-for-profit Arts Groups, venue managers and creative industry professionals are invited to attend one of the sessions and give feedback about his or her needs to thrive in St Johns County and what they would like to see in the future.  People who would like to attend are asked to RSVP at information@stjohnsculture.com. Details of the seven locations and schedule are attached.
 
Together, we will build ...
•    a proactive, supportive environment enabling St John's County's creative community to thrive;
•    a more dynamic market place and show place for creatives of all disciplines from musicians, writers, performers, and historians to visual artists;
•    our reputation as a cultural, historical and artistically rich place in the Southeast!
 
The Process is being referred to as LEAP. The Program's objective is to:
 
Learn 
•    Convene community conversations with artists and creatives across St. John's County in seven geographically diverse sessions at a variety of times and days of the week.
 
Engage
•    Attract far reaching involvement of artists and creative.
•    Quantify (inventory) the breadth and depth of talent we believe is here.
•    Better understand what creatives need in order to thrive.
 
Appreciate
•    Spread the word and build a greater understanding of the creative assets in St. Johns County and their extraordinary value to our community's soul, identity, quality of life, and sense of place.
 
Propel
•    Implement innovative, effective, successful ways to better connect our talent with our communities and our neighborhoods plus the millions of tourists who visit us every year.
•    By 2020, affirm our reputation as an historically, culturally and artistically rich place in the Southeast!
 
The Process is being led by the SJCC new Program Coordinator Nadia Ramoutar along with Diane Mataraza, St. Johns County resident and professional arts management consultant.  Based on similar projects around the country, this grassroots process will provide several opportunities for Arts advocates, artists and arts organization leadership to be heard inclusive of diversity community wide.
 
LEAP will launch January 20 and run through May, 2016 including:
Sharing, survey and syntheses to cultivate creating "Creative collectives"of doers, investors, leaders and innovators.
 
Structure:  There are three steps:

Step One:
Beginning January 20, 2016 there will be:
¥SEVEN vision community sessions
¥SEVEN different locations and times
¥SEVEN weeks' time span held throughout St. Johns County in various geographic locations and at different times. The schedule is below.
 
Sessions will be facilitated and allow us to hear all voices interested in cultivating creativity in SJC.
 
Step Two:
Based on remarks from the SEVEN SESSIONS, we will distribute a survey that will get feedback from at least 1% of the population. 
The Survey will be conducted for SEVEN WEEKS from March 1 to April 10, 2016. The data will be assessed by a professional research firm and compiled for public review.
 
Step Three:
When the listening sessions and survey have been completed and analyzed professionally with assistance from an outside professional research firm.  Findings will be put into a presentation and document to be presented to local leadership and the community.
Sessions will be held to present the findings and it will be available for review online.
 
These findings will allow us to create and plan for programming that meets the grassroots authentic needs of the community. This will provide a cultural development road map for St. Johns County. 
  

Schedule of LEAP SJCC Community Meeting Sessions
RSVP which session you will attend at  information@stjohnsculture.com

 1.    Main Library-Wednesday, January 20, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm 
1960 North Ponce De Leon Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32084
 
2.    Hastings Branch Library-Thursday, January 28, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
6195 S. Main Street, Hastings, FL 32145                                   
 
3.    Southeast Branch Library -Saturday, January 30, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
6670 US 1 South, St. Augustine, FL 32086                               
 
4.    Anastasia Island Branch Library-Tuesday, February 9, 6:30 pm -8:00 pm
124 Seagrove Main Street, St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080  
 
5.    Calhoun Center - Tuesday, February 16, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
1300 Duval Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
 
6.    Bartram Trail Branch-Saturday, February 20, 10:00 am -11:30 am
60 Davis Pond Boulevard, St. Johns, FL 32259                                    
 
7.    Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library -Tuesday, March 1, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
101 Library Boulevard Ponte Vedra Beach, FL  32082