What is this website?

Put simply, TheCreativeMecca.com is an online directory of creative people and projects based in the city of Reading, PA. In order to have a profile in this directory, you must have a Reading, PA zip code. The hope in building this platform is to inspire creatives within our city to pursue their passion projects and to connect them with other likeminded individuals. Our hope is to also create a centralized place where supporters of the arts can share, engage with, and possibly even fund local creative projects that resonate with them!

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Who is this website for?

TheCreativeMecca.com is for anyone interested in promoting, keeping up with, and supporting creative projects here in the city of Reading, PA. The site is being built to fulfill needs specific to everyone who signs on, including…

For creatives based in the city of Reading, PA, TheCreativeMecca.com will serve as a social network. Create a free profile, promote your latest projects, and collaborate with others in our community!

For supporters of the arts who want to directly help creative projects in the city of Reading, PA, TheCreativeMecca.com will serve as a discovery engine. Search through our featured creatives and projects and engage with the ones that resonate with you the most!

For promoters and curators looking to book local talent from here in the city of Reading, PA, TheCreativeMecca.com will serve as an open directory. Browse our full community or filter by medium to easily find creatives making things that match your requirements!

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What are the launch plans?

We hope to be up and running by the end of 2023. Upon launch, the goal is to establish a platform that is accessible to everyone in the city – free of paywalls or mandatory subscription fees. Once the platform is established and our online community begins to blossom, we then plan to add paid offerings (premium subscriptions, advertising for local businesses, branded merchandise, etc.) in order to cover our minimal operating expenses and then fundraise for local causes – such as assisting the homeless population and contributing to local food banks. Ultimately, we want to build an online platform here that makes it not only easier for local creatives to network and succeed with their passion projects – but to do so while also lifting up our local community! Together, we will change the narrative for our city and truly usher in an era of positive change.

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Where did all this begin?

The concept for The Creative Mecca popped into existence one day when local entrepreneur and creative, Jon Jordan, was driving across the Penn Street bridge into the city of Reading, PA. It was a drive he frequently took, and every time he did, he noted the digital sign welcoming him and fellow commuters. What really caught his eye about the sign, however, was the tagline that was given to the city. “Welcome to Reading – The City of Positive Change” the sign read. He always hated that tagline.

It’s impossible to ignore that the city of Reading – like so many other cities – has its share of issues including poverty, crime, and deteriorating industry. However Philadelphia, a closely neighboring and similarly troubled city, is affectionately tagged “The City of Brotherly Love”. Why then is the city of Reading tagged with such a falsely positive sentiment? Why, instead of promoting all the good in the city, does our tagline describe a gradual escape from despair? Being critical is easy though. Finding alternatives can be difficult. If not “The City of Positive Change”, then what?

Perhaps an emphasis on local sports. The city of Reading is home to a multitude of professional minor league sports teams – such as the Reading Royals and the Reading Fightin Phils. Or perhaps a focus on the various academic institutions in and around the city – such as Albright College, Alvernia University, and RACC. While these are great things that the city has to offer visitors, what about the people who actually live here in the community? How can a city of “local sports” or “continued education” compare with something as abstract and profound as a city of “brotherly love”? The tagline for the city has to be universal – something inclusive and inspiring.

In November of 2018, a special showcase event called Reading Rising 2.0 took place at RACC’s Miller Center for the Arts – spotlighting success stories throughout the city. The event featured demonstrations by local poets, dance groups, and public speakers. It also spotlighted an array of new businesses launching in the community and the unique products and services they offered. The sheer creativity on display from the community was absolutely inclusive AND inspiring. Naturally, the wheels started turning. What if the city of Reading could expand on its existing creativity and become an epicenter for creative people and businesses alike? What if we could lift our community by focusing this creativity that unites us all?

Since then, this simple rebranding idea for the city has evolved and taken digital form as TheCreativeMecca.com – an open directory of creative people and projects based in the city of Reading, PA. Once officially launched, TheCreativeMecca.com will be a one-stop-shop for discovering and promoting local creativity – all while helping a variety of local causes as we go!