Enhancing Community in Belfast: Creative Placemaking

This course explores the interdisciplinary field of Creative Placemaking, focusing on the integration of art, culture, and community engagement to shape or enhance vibrant and inclusive public spaces. What is it that makes a downtown attractive to both residents and visitors alike and makes them want to linger, stroll, meet friends and return again and again? Creative Placemaking brings us tools and ways to answer this question.

Students will learn about the history, principles, and practices of Creative Placemaking, as well as various techniques and tools for successful community-based projects. Through case studies, group activities, and at-least one hands-on project, participants will gain practical experience in planning, designing, and implementing Creative Placemaking initiatives.

The course will use Belfast as the class "laboratory", reflecting on all the things Belfast does well (or not so well) and opportunities to use Creative Placemaking strategies to improve the community.

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Instructor: Craig Watson

With a background that spans the not-for-profit community, the government sector and high-level business leadership, Watson brings a breadth of experience that will inform the course topic. Before retiring and moving to Maine, he served as the Executive Director of the California Arts Council, a state agency reporting directly to Governor Jerry Brown. Before leaving the Arts Council, Watson is credited with creating the largest Arts in Corrections program in the US, along with programs focused on Veterans, Cultural Arts Districts and Creative Placemaking.

Photo credit: Craig Watson