As the Designated Regional Service Organization (DRSO) for the CT Office of the Arts, Department of Economic & Community Development, the Cultural Coalition partnered with Americans for the Arts to conduct two separate AEP6 studies in Eastern Connecticut – one for the southeast region and one for the northeast region. AEP6 is the second study of Southeastern CT’s nonprofit arts & cultural economic impact-see comparison notes at bottom of this page. For National and State of Connecticut findings, return to: http://culturesect.org/arts-economic-prosperity-6-study-aep6/

Southeastern CT Region AEP6 Information

For the purpose of this analysis and unique report, the geographic region being studied – Southeast CT Region is defined as the cities and towns of Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington, Voluntown, and Waterford in Connecticut.
Note: these are all of the 21 municipalities in New London County.

Southeastern CT AEP6 Summary (2 pages)

Southeastern CT AEP6 FULL Report (58 pages)

Southeastern CT AEP6 Audience Demographics (2 pages)

AEP6 Economic Impact Calculator
Click link above and input your information to calculate the economic impact of your organization (or a group of organizations).

• Population of your Community (Population of  Southeastern CT Region estimated as 265,206 from U.S. Census Bureau.)
• Your Organization’s Total Operating Expenses
• Total Attendance to Your Organization’s In-Person Events

Southeast CT Region AEP6 Findings Info. Session (Cultural Coalition) – Presentation slides/links

Building a Healthier Community Through Arts & Culture (Randy Cohen event April 1st) – Presentation slides/links

10 Reasons to Support the Arts in The Southeastern Connecticut Region in 2024 – PDF

Many thanks to the following nonprofits in Southeast CT (80) who submitted the Organizational Survey to Americans for the Arts in 2023:

Ama Dance Theatre Foundation; American Guild of Organists (Local Chapter); Artreach; Arts Café Mystic; Ashbel Woodward Museum; Blue Slope Country Museum; Brookside Farm Museum (Former Smith-Harris House); Colchester Choir and Orchestra; Colchester Historical Society; Connecticut Art Trail; Connecticut College (Onstage Series/Palmer Auditorium); Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (Fort Trumbull State Park); Connecticut Early Music Society; Connecticut Lyric Opera; Connecticut Songwriters Association; Connecticut Storytelling Center; Cultural Coalition (Southeastern CT Cultural Coalition); Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center; Denison Society (Denison Homestead Museum); East Lyme Public Library; East Lyme Puppetry Project; Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus; Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra; Eugene O’Neill Theater Center; Florence Griswold Museum; Franklin Historical Society; Garde Arts Center; Green Planet Films; Groton Public Library; Hygienic Art; La Grua Center, Maurice C.; Ledyard Historical Society; Leffingwell House Museum (Society of the Founders of Norwich); Lisbon Historical Society; Lyman Allyn Art Museum; Lyme Art Association; Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center; Mohegan Tribe (Mohegan Sun Area & Wold Den); Musical Masterworks; MusicNow Foundation (Nightingale’s); Mystic Aquarium (Sea Research Foundation); Mystic Ballet; Mystic Film Institute (Mystic Film Festival); Mystic Museum of Art; Mystic Outdoor Art Festival (Greater Mystic Chamber Of Commerce); Mystic Seaport Museum; National Coast Guard Museum Association; New London Community Orchestra; New London Cultural District Commission (City of New London, Connecticut); New London Landmarks; New London Maritime Society; New London Music Festivals; Niantic Children’s Museum (Childrens Museum of Southeastern Connecticut); Noank (Mystic Community Band); North Stonington Agricultural Fair; Norwich Arts Center (Norwich Arts Council); Norwich Events Organization; Norwich Free Academy (Slater Memorial Museum); Norwich Historical Society; Old Lyme Historical Society; Old Mystic History Center; Opsail CT; OutCT; Preston Historical Society; Rose Arts Festival; Salt Marsh Opera; Southeastern Connecticut Community Orchestra (SECCO); Southeastern Connecticut Organization for Racial Equity; Spirit of Broadway Theater Now (dba Chestnut Street Playhouse); Stanton-Davis Homestead Museum; Submarine Force Library (Museum & Historic Ship); Thames River Heritage Park Foundation; Thames Valley Music School; The Stonington Historical Society; Tono Dolce; University of Connecticut-Groton – Alexey Von Schlippe Gallery of Art; Waterford Historical Society; Waterford Public Library; Writer’s Block Ink; Yellow Farmhouse Education Center.

In the Southeastern CT Region, a total of 738 valid audience-intercept surveys were collected from attendees to nonprofit arts and culture performances, events, exhibits, and special events during the period from May 2022 through June 2023. Thank you to the following partners in Southeast CT for their participation in conducting the Audience Intercept Surveys at their venue/event:  

Slater Library (Griswold); Sangam of Connecticut – Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka event; Lebanon Historical Society; Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center; Connecticut College-onStage; Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra at the Garde Arts Center; Expressiones – Art Opening Reception; Garde Arts Center; Lyman Allyn Art Museum; New London Youth Talent Show at the Garde Arts Center; Southeastern Connecticut Community Orchestra at Evans Concert Hall, Connecticut College; Taino Productions – Spring Salsa Social at the Garde Arts Center; Artreach – Music Heals at Chestnut Street Playhouse; Blooming into Greatness presents ‘The Awakening’ at Norwich Arts Center; Chestnut Street Playhouse; Miss Lottie’s Cafe at Norwich Arts Center; Norwich Arts Center – Gallery & Theater; Norwich Historical Society/Visitors Center; Rotary Clubs of Norwich – Celebrate Cultural Diversity event; Sikh Art Gallery; Florence Griswold Museum; Musical Masterworks at The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts; Greater Mystic Chamber – 100th Anniversary Mystic River Bascule Bridge; Greater Mystic Chamber – Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival; International Ocean Film Festival at Mystic Aquarium; La Grua Center – Music Matters; Mystic Aquarium – Earth Day Celebration; Mystic Seaport; Stonington Historical Society.

Locations of AEP6 Audience Intercept Survey Collection 2022-2023

COMPARISON – AEP6 (2023) with AEP5 (2017) 

Southeastern CT was a first-time participant in Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, that showed the region’s arts and culture industry generated $168 million in economic impact.

However, Americans for the Arts does not recommend study-to-study comparisons of AEP5 & AEP6 findings. Reasons:

• Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that occurred in the time between AEP5 and AEP6, causing damage, instability and challenges for the industry that is still in recovery. (see FULL Report p. 9 for more information about the pandemic’s impact on the arts & culture sector.)
• Also because of changes in data collection methodology, addition of social impact questions, and move to IMPLAN platform for economic impact modeling.