Login

New Hampshire Creative Economy Network

The creative sector has always been an important driving force in New Hampshire’s economy. From traditional arts and cultural organizations, to the new economy of digital design studios and technology firms, New Hampshire is a hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurial gumption.

A vibrant mix of 90 business, arts, and government leaders came together on June 9 th to launch New Hampshire’s Creative Economy Network, a state sized variation of New England’s Creative Economy Council. The session began with an overview of terms and statistics that define the creative economy in New Hampshire, then progressed to roundtable discussions on eight related topics, ranging from “Artist as Entrepreneur & Entrepreneur as Artist” to “The Role of Arts and Culture in Workforce Development.”

The groundbreaking work on defining the creative economy began over three years ago through a research study sponsored by the New England Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts (and its member state arts agencies), and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. By gathering information on for-profit applied arts, nonprofit cultural work, and self-employed artists together in one place, the significance of this sector in New England’s overall economic competitiveness became apparent.

An ongoing partnership between the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts and the New Hampshire State Arts Council, with the aid of sponsors Ocean National Bank, PSNH and Business NH Magazine, launched the New Hampshire Creative Economy Network steering committee to design a way of moving this research forward into action for the state. Members of the steering committee were Chris Dwyer, RMC Research; Doris Burke, Public Service of New Hampshire; Mary McLaughlin, Bank of New Hampshire; Terri Beyer, Ocean National Bank; Stephanie McLaughlin, NH Business Review ; Byron Champlin, Jefferson-Pilot; Tom Putnam, Markem Corporation; Rebecca Lawrence, NH Division of the Arts; and Joan Goshgarian, NH Business Committee for the Arts.

The steering committee designed NH’s Creative Economy Network to spark new conversations about ways the creative sector can keep New Hampshire competitive in a changing economy and the urgency of supporting and investing in that sector.