Medway, Franklin Get Small Chunks of State "Creative Experience" Grants

Mass Cultural Council has  announced $3,442,500 in grants to support 738 festivals, residencies, performances, and other cultural activities through the Creative Experiences grant program. These awards of $2,500 or $5,000 support public activities that incorporate the arts, humanities, and/or interpretive sciences. Medway and Franklin received a combined $12,500 under the program.

“These grants put public investment directly behind the activities that bring culture to life across Massachusetts,” said David T. Slatery, Acting Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “Culture is strongest when people can experience it in their own communities. By supporting hundreds of locally driven activities, such as these, we’re expanding access to creativity and ensuring that public investment in culture reaches and benefits residents across the Commonwealth.”

As the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the cultural sector, thereby advancing economic vitality, supporting transformational change, and celebrating, preserving, and inspiring creativity across all Massachusetts communities.

Creative Experiences is one of three grant programs administered by the Agency providing financial support for creative and cultural projects, activities, and events that are open to the public. [The other two, the Local Cultural Council (LCC) and Tribal Cultural Council (TCC) programs, are currently accepting FY27 applications; the deadline to apply for LCC or TCC support is October 15.]

Through Creative Experiences, Mass Cultural Council invests in organizations bringing cultural experiences directly to residents and communities across the Commonwealth.

This was a highly competitive grant cycle, with 47% of eligible applicants receiving Creative Experiences funds. Of these 738 recipients:
• 97% are hiring cultural workers from Massachusetts.
• 93% are voluntary participants in the Agency’s Card to Culture program or are otherwise providing activities/experiences that are entirely free.
• 67% haven’t received funding from Mass Cultural Council in the past three years, including previously unsuccessful applicants and new applicants.
• 49% are BIPOD-centered organizations or BIPOD-majority schools.

Medway Art Association ($25000
for Medway Art Association, Inc. to provide a creative experience in the arts, humanities, and/or sciences through their program Art In Bloom.

Medway Marches ($5000)
for Medway Marches Incorporated to provide a creative experience in the arts, humanities, and/or sciences through their program Medway Marches 7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration.

[Franklin]Washington Street Complex PCC ($5000)
for Washington Street Complex PCC, Inc. to provide a creative experience in the arts, humanities, and/or sciences through their program Artist in Residence.