This year’s grant funding by the Boston Cultural Council will go to 181 arts organizations, including four operating in the North End and Downtown Waterfront community. A total of $472,955 in funding is being provided by the City of Boston and Mass Cultural Council to support cultural projects. In the local North End / Waterfront area, grant recipients include:
— Paul Revere Memorial Association/Paul Revere House
— North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC)
— The Boston Arts Festival
— Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Organizations applied for the funding through a competitive process, and projects were selected based on their potential to enhance the quality of life, and the economy and design of the City of Boston, in addition to advancing the goals of the Boston Creates Cultural Plan.
“This is an exciting time for the City of Boston because we are investing in organizations and projects that have the potential to enhance Boston’s arts and culture community,” said Mayor Walsh. “I’m looking forward to seeing how these organizations use art to unite, lift up and inspire Boston’s communities.”
The City of Boston contributed $300,000 in funding and Mass Cultural Council contributed over $170,000 to the Boston Cultural Council (BCC).
The selected organizations represent an array of disciplines, including visual arts, theater, film, music, dance, and the humanities. For a complete list of grantees, click here.
The BCC received 208 applications for this year’s grant program. Applicants were required to show how they plan to help grow access to the arts in underserved areas lacking cultural opportunities, elevate the work of Boston’s creatives, inspire the creation of new works, and support the achievement and provision of excellent, high quality arts and culture in the City of Boston.
“The Boston Creates planning process led us to realize the disparity of arts opportunities across the various neighborhoods of Boston,” said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture. “By investing in arts organizations across the City, we’re a partner in their success and we’re helping to expand access to arts opportunities in every community.”
This year, grants were categorized based on budget size, with general operating support for those with an annual budget under $1 million and project-specific grants for organizations with annual budgets over $1 million. The BCC is also participating in a pilot payment program with the Mass Cultural Council this year, through which grantees will receive their payment upfront instead of through reimbursements.
