The Bridge: Reimagining Public Events and Activation in the COVID-19 Era

Community: City of Grand Rapids
Population: 10,000+

The Bridge was a month-long series of events and art experiences that safely and responsibly brought our community together following state guidelines around Covid-19 pandemic protocols in the fall of 2020. After many of our traditional summer and fall events were cancelled sue to the pandemic, including the iconic ArtPrize, the City sought to facilitate a way to maintain activity, support event organizers and provide some financial relief to cultural and arts organizations and artists – in a way that challenged groups to think differently and demonstrate creativity in adhering to guidelines. It was also important to provide a forum for expression and discussion of timely issues on the heels of unrest seen in May and June due to the George Floyd murder at the hands of police. The Bridge leveraged limited funding to provide grants to organizations to present more than 60 reimagined events over six weeks in the late summer and fall of 2020.


Replicability:

The Bridge can be replicated by building partnerships and strengthening collaboration, and providing clear (but flexible) guidelines to potential partners. To be successful, municipalities should identify the pillars that make their city a great place to live, work, and play. For Grand Rapids, it was art, culture, community, and music. Then find partners who share the same values and priorities. Next, designate an organizer who can work with the partners to identify and coordinate activities with community leads. Collaboration is key as many cities have individual events and activities occurring that do not have a big impact. Bringing these organizers together under one umbrella during a specific period will create a bigger impact in your community. The city’s Office of Special Events (OSE) served as the overall coordinating authority, but the vast coordination, planning, and day-to-day attention was organized by a hired coordinator. In total the City was able to leverage $150K in funding set aside for ArtPrize and achieve a significant multiplier in terms of impact.

Creativity and Originality:

The Bridge was creative and original in uniting partners and event organizers to celebrate the best of Grand Rapids while generating opportunities for dialogue and experiences that advanced the progress toward racial healing, equity, and progress. For many, it was the first time that organizers were introduced and invited to collaborate on their respective visions. We incorporated as many of the elements that existed within our current event inventory – events that were not able to occur because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Art was an important component both for consistency of the experience and because visual art is a more passive experience that was most compatible with social distancing. Live planned music as well as “incidental” experiences through pop-up corner concerts, performances at social zones, and busking opportunities allowed engagement and economic reactivation - often using the city's social zones as a catalyst. The "community" aspect of the series was particularly notable, as it provided an opportunity to face difficult conversations in direct and meaningful ways that were hosted and led by community leaders, podcasters and social justice organizations.

Community Impact:

The Bridge served as a catalyst for economic recovery to begin. 61 events and activations took place over a 37-day period. (79 actual event occurrences including series and multiple event date). 37 event organizers participated, and 48% were BIPOC or members of minority groups (LGBTQIA). 40% of events were cultural festivals or activities featuring BIPOC or minority groups. 62% took place in the downtown core and 38% took place in surrounding neighborhoods. The Bridge successfully: • Encouraged locals and visitors to visit Grand Rapids businesses and restaurants. • Reinforced Grand Rapids’ resilience both economically and as a community. • Provided residents with an opportunity to celebrate the rich and diverse culture and creativity within our community. • Created a platform for healing and advancement of a culturally and economically equitable, inclusive, and diverse community.

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