More than 250 creative-economy advocates and practitioners will converge at the Providence Biltmore Hotel March 9-11 to discuss ideas for how to build a regional creative community in New England.
Dubbed “The Connecting Creative Communities Summit,” the gathering is being sponsored by the city of Providence, which has adopted the moniker The Creative Capital, in conjunction with the New England Foundation for the Arts.
“Our idea is to try and position the creative economy as a regional dynamic, and link it to the growth of the knowledge economy,” said Lynne McCormack, director of art, culture and tourism for Providence. She is a driving force behind the summit, with the help of a 36-person steering committee, a veritable who’s who of Providence creative-arts community leaders.
“It will be a conversation, more than a conference,” McCormack continued, describing the way the summit is structured. Many participants may not have met each other or know much about each other’s work, she said. “The definition of a creative community could be a city, a smaller region, a town. We are seeking to break down some of the boundaries; we want to discuss how we can work together.”
The summit fits well with ongoing plans by Providence to enhance its reputation as The Creative Capital. Providence creative-arts nonprofits generate $111.8 million a year for the state’s economy, according to McCormack, citing a 2007 study. The city is in the midst of establishing, with support from the Rhode Island Foundation, a cultural trust that will provide funding and support for creative community efforts.
The three-day event will also shine a spotlight on many of Providence’s arts, culture and food amenities. As part of the summit, walking tours and “dine-a-rounds” are planned, as well as a session on creative incubators to be held at AS220.
The link between the knowledge economy and the creative economy will be explored in a number of planned discussions. Jack Templin, the co-founder of Rhode Island Nexus and Providence Geeks, will help the group try to answer the question: What if New Englanders took the same “borderless” approach creative industries do to help develop regional prosperity?
As one way to break down silos and old social patterns, in order to encourage connectivity, Templin pointed to the example of the Providence Geeks. “We are software developers, designers, entrepreneurs, investors and executives. Our official home is at AS220 [an arts incubator]. We embraced them, and they have embraced us. It’s a real snapshot of how the creative and knowledge communities can connect.”
Templin also pointed to the work of Stephanie Gerson in bringing the worldwide phenomenon of Pecha Kucha to Providence, a monthly format where people share ideas within a strict time format – 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide. Since it began in Tokyo in 2003, it has spread to 196 cities worldwide.
Michael Kane, managing partner at Mt. Auburn Associates in Cambridge, Mass., did some of the very first work in 2000, looking at the economics of the creative sector for the New England Council. Since that time, he has worked on creative-economy studies for Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi, New York City, Washington, D.C., Lowell, Mass., the Berkshires in Massachusetts, Sheridan, Wyo., and the Greater Milwaukee region.
“Perhaps this conference will be at a really a good time for all these pockets of activity and clusters of activity in New England to [network],” Kane said. The conundrum, he continued, “is that it takes so much time, staff resources and money” to create a regional model. “Getting people in the same room to share stories and experiences is always important.”
Jason Schupbach, Massachusetts’ creative-economy industry director, and one of the panelists in the upcoming summit, agrees with Kane. “The whole point of this summit is to share stories, to share best practices, and to explore how best to bring about positive economic change,” he said. “That’s the creative-economy strategy – bringing about positive economic change in communities.”
David Byrne from the Talking Heads will moderate a panel entitled “Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around” at the second annual Sen. Claiborne Pell Lecture on Arts & Humanities, scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 9, at Trinity Repertory Theatre.
The event, hosted by Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, will feature Brown University Professor Samuel Zipp, assistant professor of American Civilization and Urban Studies, and Thomas Deller, director of Providence’s Department of Planning and Development. A limited number of tickets are expected to be available to the public. Byrne is conducting an informal tour for his new book, “Bicycle Diaries.”
Partners in the summit include numerous arts organizations, including: the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism; the International Centre for Creativity and Imagination; the Massachusetts Cultural Council; The MacDowell Colony; Cultural Organization of Lowell, Mass.; Americans for the Arts Animating Democracy; Massachusetts Office of Business Development; Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire; and the Worcester Cultural Coalition and City of Worcester Office of Economic & Neighborhood Development. Additional support for the summit comes from the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage at Brown University. •
