Welcome to "How Creatives Can Be Seen and Found in a Data-Driven World"!

As a follow-up to the recently-released report, The Composition of the New Bedford Creative Economy, planning consultant Laurie Zapalac will review the how and why of industry classification codes and occupancy codes, including their relationship to categories of creative activity, and the importance of using them effectively in any type of registry process. She will also offer best practices for developing your free, user-generated and maintained profiles in the New Bedford Creative Directory and CreativeGround, the statewide creative directory managed by the New England Foundation for the Arts. We'll also explore other creative directories that you might want to join or use as sources of inspiration!

Peer-to-Peer Sessions is a free and accessible (mostly) online series geared to enrich, educate, and connect creatives through a series of workshops and training sessions. New Bedford is the home of artists, creatives, change makers, designers, entrepreneurs and community enthusiasts and the Peer-to-Peer Sessions embraces the pulse that makes New Bedford so unique while expanding our knowledge and connections.Funding for this initiative is provided by the City of New Bedford, through American Rescue Plan awards, and its Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund. Additional support comes from the Barr Foundation and Bristol County Savings Bank. Peer-to-Peer Sessions is one component of a larger initiative to support arts-based economic development.

More about Laurie Zapalac:

Prior to MIT, Laurie worked as a Cultural Resource Planner for Overland Partners | Architects and then launched a cultural heritage & historic preservation consulting practice with a client base that included real estate developers, institutional clients and architecture firms. She also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the School of Architecture and the School of Information.

More about New Bedford Creative:

New Bedford Creative is housed at the New Bedford Economic Development Council and tasked with implementing the city’s first-ever strategic arts and culture plan. The vision of the plan is that “In New Bedford, the creative community is an engaged and powerful partner, inspiring social, economic, and cultural growth. In this authentic seaport city, each and every person enjoys an opportunity to experience a diversity of cultures. Art is everywhere, encouraging fun, provoking thought, and nurturing the soul.” To learn more, visit newbedfordcreative.org

This event takes place during #ArtWeekSouthCoast - http://artweeksouthcoast.org/