The Confluence Project gets funding from SCVA

Posted 8/21/12

REGION — The dictionary definition of “confluence” is “1. a place where two rivers or streams join to become one or 2. a situation in which two things come together or happen at the same …

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The Confluence Project gets funding from SCVA

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REGION — The dictionary definition of “confluence” is “1. a place where two rivers or streams join to become one or 2. a situation in which two things come together or happen at the same time.” So it’s fitting, then, that a group whose mission is to collect and share stories from local artisans to unite and promote tourism on both sides of the Delaware River would call itself the Confluence Project.

The Confluence Project began in February 2014, when the Common Waters Partnership sent an interdisciplinary team of local leaders to the Appalachian Gateway Communities Regional Workshop. Common Waters is a regional partnership of public and non-profit organizations and agencies focused on supporting the development of sustainable communities and working landscapes in the Delaware River watershed, primarily upstream of the Delaware Water Gap. The team of local leaders included, among others, writer Laura Moran, Delaware Highlands Conservancy Executive Director Sue Currier, and Heather Jacksy, associate planner of the Sullivan County Division of Planning & Environmental Management. While at the conference, they learned from national experts about how to create sustainable tourism and economic development and also discussed what makes our region special.

Jacksy said they did an exercise where you write down the community’s assets. “We’ve got views; we’ve got artists; we’ve got goat cheese!” she said. “Clearly our communities are different, but what makes us different? It’s our stories. Our stories tie us together and make us unique.” Moran said the conference helped with “connecting the dots between arts, culture, natural resources and tourism as being a viable economy.”

Out of this conference, the Confluence Project was born. Moran is its co-founder, along with artist Thomas Bosket of Beautiful Traditions, LLC. The project collects stories from such cultural entrepreneurs as local artists, writers, natural resource specialists, farmers, stonemasons, musicians and chefs and then posts a three-minute clip of audio on the website. The tagline of Confluence is “People, Places, Stories. The Upper Delaware River Watershed self-guided, place-based, audio-tours.” The website can be used in many ways in addition to listening to the audio stories. For example, you could create your own customized tour of the area by listening to people’s stories and then visiting where they are located, either a town, landmark, attraction or business, etc. Also, the website will soon have a feature where, for example, you can listen to stories from musicians and then click on a list of music events in the area. The fact that it is online and has visual and audio elements makes it user-friendly, interactive and accessible.

Phase one of Confluence happened in Hawley, PA. Local people were interviewed talking about how where they live is important to what they make. There is Kathy LaTournous talking about glass cutting, and Sandy Gabrielson talking about The Ritz Playhouse. Currier said, “We can capture those stories in a way that becomes an interactive guide to what makes this area so special. And that’s great for tourists; that’s great for people that live here and seasonal residents. It’s going to foster a pride and respect of all of those things that we have. It’s going to make us treasure them more and draw other people to come and see them, which brings money into our local economy.”

Moran said Confluence is a way to honor and showcase the Delaware River. “It’s the center of everything,” she said. “It unites us rather than divides us.” Recently, the project got funding from and partnered with the Sullivan County Visitors Association (SCVA) to bring it to the New York side of the river and record and share stories from the people of Sullivan County. “We’ve been so blessed to be working with the SCVA,” said Moran, “They have a wonderful awareness of the area and a compendium of knowledge of the tourist economy.” Moran and her team will collect six stories from people in New York river towns. They will go into the towns and talk to people who will help them build leads. They follow up on the leads and do research, meet with the people, talk to them, record their stories and then edit the audio. This goes up on the website along with an artisan bio and some photos.

Roberta Byron Lockwood, president of SCVA, said they are pleased and delighted to be a part of the Confluence Project. “It’s going to positively enhance tourism and also show… the unique stories, artisans and histories that lie along these towns. It brings the whole story to a rich fullness. I’m very excited about it,” she said.

Phase one was Hawley and phase two will now be Sullivan County. Moran said there is more to come, as they layer more and more like a mosaic, and it’s a big project that will take several years to complete. All involved with the Confluence Project are looking forward to the future and seeing where they can take it. “I’m hoping that the stories will help us understand more about the communities and help them connect with each other and use them for planning purposes,” Jacksy said. “But also, [the stories] are really good for economic development. They capture the character of who we are.”

Visit www.confluencevoices.com.

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