Creative Communities

• raise awareness of the characteristics that define a creative community;
• identify how best to develop a creative community; and,
• begin leveraging financial, intellectual and human capital to accomplish a strategic plan for six communities.

This two year project works to raise awareness in eastern North Carolina about the need to adopt new strategies for sustainable entrepreneurial development in the 21st century global economy.

The six participating towns are:  Ayden, Edenton, Hertford, Murfreesboro, Plymouth and Tarboro. To learn more about this project visit the About page.

Background Information

• Creative Economy Primer [233 KB] This document outlines the major tenets of the creative economy and details the corresponding principles of a creative community. It was developed to assist the Creative Communities Initiative partner towns in preparing their communities for the creative economy. 

• Competing in the Age of Talent: Quality of Place and the New Economy[273 KB] This article by Dr. Richard Florida offers background information on the various concepts behind the CCI.

Click here to see a short film highlighting the natural beauty, the towns and the people of the East.  This brief film introduces eastern North Carolina to entrepreneurs, investors, film and television production companies, travel and tourism professionals and people across the United States and beyond.  Venture East, to Eastern North Carolina is a production of Footpath Pictures, SAS, FoR ENC and the Eastern North Carolina Film Commission.

This project is funded by grants from:

CCI Update

The CCI Update is a monthly newsletter that highlights the accomplishments and events in CCI towns as well as resources that relate to community development. 

Arts Workshop

FoR ENC hosted Creative Communities: Crafting a Culture for the Arts in Rocky Mount on February 29, 2008.  For a summary of the workshop as well as participant feedback and the agenda, click here.

Planning Workshop

The Your Town: Planning in Creative Communties workshop was held on September 6-8, 2007 in Columbia, NC.  FoR ENC worked with the NEA to host this workshop that focused on natural resources as amenities, mixed-use development and diversified housing.

Other Workshops

For information on past CCI workshops, please click below:

Financing Creative Communities

Your Town: Planning in Creative Communities

Technology in Creative Communities

A Sense of Place