Hester Street partnered with Civic Impact Lab and the City of New Haven, Connecticut on their first-ever Cultural Equity Plan (CEP), building upon the city’s rich arts and culture history by elevating the role of arts and culture in public health, equitable development, and neighborhood preservation while leveraging the deep knowledge of local creatives, artists, art institutions, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and educators. HST served as a thought partner on strategy, defining key issue areas and priorities, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis to help frame the City’s community engagement and CEP development.
Drawing from experience and knowledge in developing CreateNYC, HST and Civic Impact Lab led a process that identified, discussed, and created recommendations and policy solutions that celebrate culture while bridging economic disparities and elevating previously-unheard voices.
The 59-page Cultural Equity Plan was formally released in January 2022. City Cultural Affairs Director Adriane Jefferson and members of the 14-person co-creation team are planning to facilitate community conversations around the CEP in different neighborhoods throughout the year to ensure the plan’s recommendations are implemented.
