BOSTON – Today Mass Cultural Council launches a one-time COVID recovery grant program intended to assist Massachusetts cultural organizations, collectives, and businesses with ongoing pandemic recovery needs. A second one-time recovery program to provide similar financial assistance to Massachusetts artists, creatives, and gig workers opens on August 15.
“Mass Cultural Council is poised to invest a historic amount of public dollars into the cultural sector this year,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “With these one-time pandemic recovery funds cultural organizations and individuals can access unrestricted aid to support their ongoing economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which we hope sets them on a path towards growth.”
On December 13, 2021 Governor Baker signed Chapter 102 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs into law. This multi-billion-dollar pandemic recovery spending plan invests both federal ARPA and state surplus revenue dollars into key economic sectors to spur activity and growth. The Act directs Mass Cultural Council to develop and implement new, one-time grant programs to assist Massachusetts artists and cultural organizations with their pandemic recovery, and funds this initiative with $60.1 million.
Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations
The Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations program offers unrestricted grants, ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 to Massachusetts cultural organizations, collectives, and businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Mass Cultural Council proposes to award up to $36,080,000 in recovery grants to organizations through this program in Fiscal Year 2023. The deadline to apply is September 28. Grant announcements are expected to happen in late January 2023.
Those interested in learning more about this program are invited to register to attend a virtual Information Session on August 10 or August 11. The sessions will also be available to view at any time on the Agency’s YouTube Channel. Applicants wishing to speak directly to staff or seeking additional guidance can also register to attend virtual small group office hours, which will be held throughout the month of August, or email an inquiry to Organization.Recovery@art.state.ma.us.
“Through this program Mass Cultural Council is making a significant $36.1 million state investment into the financial and economic viability of cultural organizations,” said Bobbitt. “This is an unprecedented and historic opportunity. I strongly encourage all Massachusetts cultural nonprofits, for-profit businesses, and collectives to apply.”
Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals
Mass Cultural Council’s Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals program offers unrestricted grants of $5,000 to creatives and gig workers to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set a path for growth. The Agency expects to award a total of $15 million to 3,000 Massachusetts artists, creatives, and gig workers in FY23.
To apply for this grant, an applicant must be a full-year resident of Massachusetts, 18 years or older, and:- an artist or cultural practitioner active in any artistic discipline or cultural tradition.
- a teaching artist/scientist/humanist.
- or a cultural worker in the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences.
In all cases, the individual’s work should be independent/self-employed.
The application for this program opens on August 15; the deadline to apply is November 1. Grant announcements are expected to occur in late January 2023.
Those seeking further information or assistance are encouraged to register for a virtual Information Session on August 23 or October 6. The sessions will be made available on the Mass Cultural Council YouTube Channel as well. Agency staff will be also be available for small group virtual office hours in September, and potential applicants can submit an inquiry directly by email to Individual.Recovery@art.state.ma.us.
“Mass Cultural Council has never administered a grant program supporting Massachusetts artists, creatives, and cultural sector workers with this much available funding,” said Bobbitt. “This is a historic undertaking – which I believe will propel thousands of creative individuals across the sector forward in their recovery efforts and financial growth.”
In May Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment jointly announced the recipients of the FY22 Cultural Facilities Fund grant round, which was supplemented with $5,568,500 in cultural sector pandemic recovery funds. The Agency expects to announce further pandemic recovery initiatives in the coming months which will fulfill the legislative directives contained within Ch. 102 of the Acts of 2021 and fully invest the $60.1M appropriated to Mass Cultural Council to spur COVID relief for Massachusetts artists and cultural organizations.
Those wishing to stay up to date with Mass Cultural Council grant opportunities, events, and services are encouraged to visit MassCulturalCouncil.org and sign up for the monthly Power of Culture e-newsletter or follow @masscultural on social media. |
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