Our participation in this important research project will allow us to quantify the economic impact of the arts and culture industry in Greater Portsmouth. In 2011, our industry supported over 1,200 jobs and generated $41.4 million annually in revenue for greater Portsmouth. In June of 2017, we'll receive an updated report that we expect will bring equally impressive numbers.
TO COMPLETE THIS STUDY, HOWEVER, WE NEED YOUR HELP! The study requires that we collect detailed financial and programming information from all of the arts and culture organizations located in Greater Portsmouth (Portsmouth, Rye, Kittery), as well as a minimum of at least 800 audience-intercept surveys from people who are attending arts and culture events. So we will be asking you to help us with at least one of these two tasks-and maybe both-during the course of calendar year 2016.
Beginning in January and lasting
throughout the rest of 2016, we will be asking selected arts presenters and facilities to help us collect audience-intercept surveys from attendees at their events. We might ask if we may send a few volunteers to collect surveys during your events. Or we may ask you to help us directly by collecting the surveys on our behalf and returning the completed surveys to us. We will have both a paper survey as well as a web-based version of the survey that can be filled out on a tablet computer. Both will take less than three minutes to complete. We will never ask to collect more than 50 surveys from any single performance or event. The surveys will be completely anonymous!
In the spring of 2016, we will begin contacting all of the arts and culture organizations located in Greater Portsmouth and requesting that they complete a web-based organizational survey that is required for this important research study. We request that you take the time to fill out the survey as soon as it arrives. The organizational survey will be implemented by DataArts (formerly the Cultural Data Project). If your organization is already participant in the CDP, its data will be included automatically in this economic impact study.
The study is being conducted by
Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. Americans for the Arts has conducted similar economic impact studies in more than 400 U.S. communities since 1994. Their methodology is sound. In fact, their economic impact data is used consistently by the Congressional Arts Caucus on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to support federal arts support.
Thank you in advance for your support and participation in this very important study! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely,
Nancy Pearson
Director, Art-Speak
City of Portsmouth Cultural Commission
603-512-3953
artspeakportsmouth@gmail.com