Agency of Joy is excited to be in partnership with Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) and NOIR Labs in support of BAC’s efforts to build a digital platform for Artist advancement, currently known as the Dynamic Engagement Portal (DEP).
Building on BAC’s work of supporting Brooklyn artists in three spheres of catalytic impact – Creative Experiences, Creative Ecologies, and Creative Equations – the DEP will connect Brooklyn artist communities to larger markets while increasing investment in both artist content and Brooklyn communities. Agency of Joy is providing a Market Assessment to provide staff and leadership with analyses and recommendations for the potential impact of this new platform.
With seed funding from the New York Community Trust, this Brooklyn-wide effort will energize artists, arts organizations, political offices and community leaders in service of an even better Brooklyn, which means a greater New York.
Desirée Gordon–multidisciplinary artist, curator, and social innovation strategist–leads the charge from Brooklyn Arts Council. For over 15 years, Gordon has been a critical broker in NY’s Cultural sector, stimulating economic development with impact investments into cultural assets, while nurturing resource ecologies.
Who Is Brooklyn Arts Council?
Brooklyn Arts Council has been integral in shaping Brooklyn’s culture. For over 50 years, BAC has centered and empowered artists through programs building and investing in a thriving Brooklyn artist community; sustaining wonder, inspiration, healing, and a sense of communion across the borough.
As BAC strives for racial, gender, and ethnic justice in their grantmaking, services, and events, the DEP will supercharge these efforts by increasing opportunities for diverse creative engagement with civic solution design. BAC continues to build networks of artists and arts organizations committed to Brooklyn’s creative vitality, thus catalyzing human expression and creativity, something Agency of Joy seeks to do with all of our work.
Partnering in the Effort
In our efforts to support organizations building joyful and liberating futures for themselves, Agency of Joy provides thought leadership, brand strategy, project management, and strategic partnership for organizations and partners in the intersection of communications, digital, non-profit, activism, and cultural competency.
As announced by NOIR LABS, “We call on all creative communities of Brooklyn who are committed to social justice and economic equilibrium to join us in collaboratively envisioning the development of the DEP and galvanizing communities and resources in service of this mission.”
The first phase of User Experience Research, which is being overseen by NOIR Labs, launched on Wed, Jan 11, 2023, with the initial survey distributed to the BAC community. Future stages will include focus groups, interviews, and a borough-wide UI competition.
If you live or work in Brooklyn–or did so in the last five years–here are three things you can do now to push this work forward and join the movement, right from where you are:
- Complete the survey! Add your contact info if you’d like to stay close to the process
- Share the survey with your mailing list, social media community, and friend groups
- Subscribe to BAC’s mailing list to be kept up-to-date on DEP developments
To enquire about Agency of Joy services for your community, organization, or for yourself, please schedule a free consultation.
Article originally published and adapted from NOIR Press
Image: Loki Circus Theater, 2022 Brooklyn Arts Fund grantee. Artists from left to right: Toni Cannon, Summer Lacy, Copper Santiago, Susan Voyticky, Darielle Williams, Veronica Blair. Photo by Maike Shultz.