Projects & Initiatives

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Overview

NEFA administers and participates in several non grant-making projects and initiatives that help to build the intellectual assets of the regional, national and international cultural community through research and documentation efforts. Below is a list with brief descriptions of current and past projects and initiatives in which NEFA has played a key role. For more information on a particular project or initiative, click on its name below.

Accessibility in the arts is promoted through information exchange and by hosting region-wide convenings and trainings for state arts agency Accessibility Coordinators and colleagues.

ArtistLink is a new initiative which helps artists, developers, and municipalities in the creation and preservation of affordable artist space.

The Creative Economy is a concept that in recent years has gained broad and avid interest among a range of communities seeking to foster local economic growth. The primary proposition of this movement has been that creative enterprises and individuals provide a significant contribution to local and regional economies, and that their contribution fuels other sectors of the economy in unique ways. NEFA works to define and measure this important economic sector by providing research reports, convening researchers in this field and sharing resources with regional and national partners.

CultureCount, New England’s Cultural Database, is NEFA’s online resource for engaging New England’s creative economy sector. This searchable, organization-level compilation of data is the only comprehensive and consistent data collection resource for New England's cultural nonprofits, businesses and professionals. Constantly being updated and expanded, CultureCount’s local data supplements the federal data analyzed by NEFA in research reports on the creative sector and fits within the definitional structure outlined in "The Creative Economy: A New Definition," 2007.

MatchBook.org endeavors to strengthen the creative industry by enabling artists to post and maintain their portfolios online, with special features like streaming video and audio samples. Presenters will use the tool to locate appropriate artists, view work samples, negotiate, and draw up contracts.

Mexico Exchange Initiative enhances the cultural exchange between Mexico and New England through projects in the areas of dance and puppet theater.