Lisa Simmons, Program Manager
At Mass Cultural Council, we recognize that festivals celebrate the essence of our local communities. From cultural celebrations to art fairs and holiday strolls, they provide opportunities to bring people together for shared experiences in the arts and culture.
Last year we came to understand the ups and downs of producing festivals during a pandemic and were able to respond by supporting both online and in-person events. And we were wowed by the incredibly creative ways festival producers were able to keep producing during COVID-19.
As we begin a new year of Festivals Program work, we are proud to be able to increase grant amounts from $500 to $1,500 in FY22 in recognition of the hard work of event producers and understanding that festivals are the fabric of communities. We want to provide deeper support so festivals can hire local talent and create innovative programming.
The Fall/Winter Festivals Program grant round will support festivals that take place between September 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. Program guidelines are now available. The online application opens on September 13. Applications are due November 3. 2021. Spring/Summer Festivals can apply starting January 10, 2022.
Mass Cultural Council has also created a Festivals Toolkit, a resource for all festival and event producers. This toolkit is a product of the Festivals Audience Lab, a project between the Mass Cultural Council and ArtsBoston that is intended to help organizations build diverse audience in the arts and culture sector through disruptive innovations in marketing practices, using collaborative and data-informed experimentation.
We hope the toolkit helps people reimagine what is possible and effective as they develop and produce festivals. We are excited to support your work and look forward to seeing what communities create!
The Festivals Program supports Mass Cultural Council’s goal of enriching communities.