| Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln and 19th century newspaperman Horace Greeley are in big demand right now. So are talks on Native American history, life in contemporary Afghanistan, and the songs of old New Hampshire. Rather than hunker down in this recession, people are coming out in droves to their local libraries, historical societies, and community centers to spend time with their neighbors, learn something new, and trade ideas. The Humanities Council has received more than 320 applications for programs in our Humanities to Go speakers’ bureau so far this year, more than we received in all of 2008. Read more... |
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For 35 years the New Hampshire Humanities Council has provided high-quality free public humanities programming to the people of the Granite State. This year, citizens are coming together in record numbers to learn, to listen, and to share ideas. Never before in our history have we experienced the type of demand for our programs that is now taking place in every corner of the state – as you can see in our events listings.
Gifts to the Annual Fund are unrestricted and have an immediate impact, enabling us to fulfill the programming requests of libraries, historical societies and many other
community groups. For many organizations, the Humanities Council is the only source
of affordable programming.
In the last 12 months:
- the demand for Humanities to Go, our traveling speakers bureau, has increased by 78%
with more than 320 programs booked so far this year;
already surpassing the
288 programs booked for all of 2008;
- program attendance has increased by more than 40%;
- the number of adult new readers and new Americans accessing Connections,
our literacy program, has more than doubled.
In fact, last year more than 18,000 people attended programming in more than 137
New Hampshire cities and towns.
Our community of contributors, scholars, and volunteers is truly a partnership in“connecting people with ideas.” Your support of the Annual Fund ensures that
free public humanities programming will be available in New Hampshire.
Make your secure gift today. |
Give the teachers, graduates, Moms and Dads in your life a unique gift that celebrates the world of ideas. Humanities Moments: The New Hampshire Edition is a boxed set of 45 cards that offer quotes from deep thinkers and cultural icons from Marilla Ricker to Stephen Tyler. Each quote is followed by a thought-provoking question that invites you to open your mind and explore the world of ideas with others. Give a gift that opens doors to face-to-face discussion of meaningful topics. Your purchase supports the work of the Humanities Council: to inspire joy in learning, reflection, and community engagement. Click below to order on-line, or call 224-4071 to order by phone. You can also purchase Humanities Moments cards at independent retail outlets around the state. Click here for a list.
This year you can purchase Humanities Moments: The New Hampshire Edition directly from several independent retail shops around the state in addition to placing orders through the Humanities Council. Support independent businesses and the Humanities Council by purchasing Humanities Moments cards from these community retail partners. Supplies are
limited - call ahead to check availability.
Annie's Book Stop
1330 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-4445
Bayswater Book Co.
23 Main St., Center Harbor,
253-8858
Gibson's Bookstore
27 South Main St., Concord,
224-0562
Innisfree Bookshop
Mill Falls Marketplace, 312 Daniel
Webster Highway, Meredith, 279-3905
NH Historical Society's Museum of NH History
Eagle Square, Concord, 228-6688
NH Statehouse Visitors' Center Gift Shop
Main Street, Concord, 271-2154
Strawbery Banke Museum Shop
420 Court St.,
Portsmouth, 433-1114
Toadstool Bookshop
Colony Mill Marketplace,
222 West Street, Keene, 352-8815
White Birch Books
2568 S. Main St., North Conway,
356-3200
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Learn more about the people featured in our Humanities Moments: The NH Edition set
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Learn more about Humanities Council programs and events on Human Ties, our cable access television show produced at Manchester Community Access Media. Humanities Council Executive Director Deborah Watrous welcomes guests from all humanities disciplines who are offering innovative programming in New Hampshire.
Recent guests have included Rebecca Rule and Catherine McDowell discussing the Telling Our Story oral history project in Berlin and Gorham ; Jim Garvin, New Hampshire State Architectural Historian, and Maggie Stier, Shared Field Service Representative for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, discussing the Seven to Save project focusing on endangered historic sites in New Hampshire; Mary Russell, Director of the Center for the Book, and Brian Hackert, Reference Librarian at the Peterborough Town Library, discussing the Big Read project, and historian Glenn Knoblock sharing photos and stories from his Humanities to Go program on New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones.
The show airs on community access television stations in Manchester, Andover, Bedford, Chester, Concord, Derry, Exeter and Weare. It will also air soon in Nashua. We’re working to add more stations to our community access network. Contact Anne Coughlin at 224-4071 x16 if your community access station would like to air the show.
View the episode with Dartmouth history professor and Humanities to Go presenter Jere Daniell
View the episode featuring Janet Ward and Mohamed Defaa discussing the Council's Shifting Ground initiative
View the episode featuring Tom White, Educational Outreach Coodinator at the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College
View the episode featuring musician and folklorist Jeff Warner
View the episode with living history presenters Steve and Sharon Wood
View the episode featuring living history presenter Christopher Emerson as Horace Greeley
View the Telling Our Story episode with Rebecca Rule and Catherine McDowell
View the Seven to Save episode with Jim Garvin and Maggie Stier
View the NH Cemeteries and Gravestones episode with Glenn Knoblock
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The Humanities Council has made Humanities to Go programs available to non-profits, civic organizations, clubs, and other community groups for more than 20 years. Organizations select from a catalog of more than 200 pre-approved lectures and living history presentations (the folks in the costumes) and receive the program for the cost of a small application fee. The Humanities Council pays the speaker $200 and up to $50 in mileage. We also publicize the program statewide in our monthly Calendar, which reaches 11,000 people in the state, and in our electronic newsletter, which is sent to a list of nearly 5,000 e-mails. The hosting organization does local publicity, provides the site, shovels the walk, and supplies the juice and cookies. Every talk is free and open to the public.
“We are astonished at the surge in bookings,” said Deborah Watrous, NH Humanities Council Executive Director. “Demand for this program demonstrates that cultural programs are not a luxury in challenging economic times — they are a highly-valued necessity. ”
“Humanities to Go programs have been a very valuable part of our programming for years,”noted Robbin Bailey, Reference Librarian at the Concord Public Library. “With the Humanities Council’s help we have been able to provide a book discussion series every year, programs on art, New Hampshire history, humor, Concord Reads programs, Chautauqua living history presentations of Einstein and Lincoln, and are looking forward to seeing Susan B. Anthony this May!”
“The economic crisis is putting tremendous pressure on small non-profits like libraries and historical societies, and they are looking for resources that help support programs for their patrons,” said Watrous.
“Without the Humanities Council’s Humanities to Go we would not be able to offer either the quality or the quantity of programming that the community has enjoyed,” said Olga Morrill, Program Coordinator at the Conway Public Library. “The many grants that the Humanities Council has provided have made an enormous difference. There is no doubt in my mind that without the Humanities Council, programming throughout the state would be a shadow of what it now is and what it has been since the implementation of the Humanities To Go program grants.”
As of today, the Humanities Council has provided $73,480 in grants for Humanities to Go programs around the state and anticipates spending more than $105,000 this fiscal year, about $40,000 more than budgeted. “Even though our contributions are slightly down like every other non-profit, we will do what it takes to keep funding Humanities to Go this year, especially since we know how much our community partners are suffering in this recession,” said Watrous.
Tom Haynes, Director of Education at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, said Humanities to Go programs provide a vital service for community organizations like his. “Humanities to Go helps make organizing quality programs easy,” Haynes said. “Even more important, it provides a service that educates and enriches the community we serve, thereby increasing interest in the other programs and activities the Historical Society of Cheshire County offers throughout the year.”
Learn more about Humanities to Go here or contact our office at 224-4071 to obtain a print copy of the Humanities to Go catalog.
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