We didn’t put this up earlier because we were waiting for the resolution of bandwidth issues of the online video of Robbie Vitrano’s introduction speech to the conference his agency Trumpet put on in New Orleans recently. But now it’s up and ready – and we wanted to share this video to spark an idea: could New Orleans become the creative capital of the US.
In his speech entitled ‘The March Back From Death’ he talks about a new way to do business and to communicate and work with customers – but he also talks about the local community projects such as the Start Up Laboratory that have been attracting young creative minds to the area.
We left the city thinking that New Orleans was in a unique situation: a fairly blank slate rested upon a city with deep history and culture. After the post-Katrina exodus, young creative thinkers have been passing through the city exploring the idea of working there – Likemind New Orleans is a particular starting place for new folk to meet other likeminded people.
Almost half-way between New York and Los Angeles, there’s an opportunity to hold these young people here with a mix of jobs and culture and with their help encourage the region to boom as a creative center. The city has everything that creative minds seem to need: a deep authentic and slightly dark culture, cosmopolitan people, an unhealthy appreciation of alcohol, a local music and arts scene and a growing number of people that want to make things happen.
Just a thought.
Watch Robbie below and make your minds up:
Polygamous Weddings Robbie Vitrano from Peter Bodenheimer on Vimeo.
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We definately agree with this statement. New Orleans is a topic we have covered in our A/W 09/10 Fashion Designers Mudpie Trend books and online service http://www.mpdclick.com. We have called the trend Southern Soundbite. This trend reflects on the notion that New Orleans is Musics greatest birth place and is one of the most culturaly significant cities in the USA. Rock and Roll, and later genres such as hip-hop have all emerged from the original Big Easy blues. Politically New Orleans is also interesting following Hurricane Katrina. Disney is also taking an interest by producing a film entitled the Frog Princess which significantly stars Disney’s first black princess ‘Maddy’
November 28th, 2007 at 5:55 am
New Orleans can and should emerge as a great creative center. It is a place that embraces quality of life over quality of bank account and given that creative folks tend to focus on little things like life — we all hope the rest of the world learns what those of us that live here already do. Creativity is alive and well in NOLA.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:02 pm