FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2008
Contact: Gregory Liakos,
Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343
or Rob Watson, Communications
Coordinator 617-727-3668 x268
MASS. CULTURAL COUNCIL GRANTS FUEL CREATIVE ECONOMY
Adams Program Invests More Than $1.3 Million Across the State
Boston, MA--The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) today announced the release of more than $1.3 million in grants that draw on the state's extensive arts and cultural assets to stimulate economic activity and create new jobs and income.
MCC's Adams Arts Program for the Creative Economy is the most far-reaching program of its kind in the nation. This year the program will support 36 projects spanning dozens of communities in every region of Massachusetts.
The grants fuel a creative sector that has a $2.1 billion impact on the Massachusetts economy and provides more than 109,000 jobs, according to a recent report from the New England Foundation for the Arts, “The Creative Economy: A New Definition.” Massachusetts ranks among the top ten states nationally in employment in several key industries, including designers, architects, writers, and musicians.
“Our state offers a unique blend of innovative spirit, culture, and geography that attracts and retains creative industries and entrepreneurs,” said MCC Executive Director Anita Walker. “The creative economy provides a viable path for sustainable growth, economic development, and community revitalization. These grants will foster that growth in the coming year.”
A sampling of funded projects include:
- Refocusing the Lens
Lead Partner: Center for Independent Documentary, Sharon
Refocusing the Lens seeks to provide skills training and workforce development for the state's motion picture industry, and to organize and host a prestigious national film conference in Boston.
2008 Adams Grant: $65,000
- Expanding Boston’s Theatre District
Lead Partner: Arts Boston Inc.
This effort will boost revenue for small and mid-sized arts organizations by transforming the way in which visitors, residents, and frontline tourism professionals access information and purchase tickets to Boston's cultural activities.
2008 Adams Grant: $55,000
- Arts Uniting Fall River
Lead Partner: UMass Dartmouth
This project will unify diverse arts, culture, education and economic organizations in greater Fall River for a single purpose: to revive the identity and spirit of the city. Arts Uniting Fall River will build on the success of Arts on Main Street, as well as introduce new projects to engage residents, draw visitors, and bolster the local economy.
2008 Adams Grant: $55,000
- Discovering the Worcester Way, Worcester
Lead Partner: Worcester Cultural Coalition
The MCC provided seed funding in 2000 that helped fund the development of the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the city's cultural economic development agenda. The Coalition now seeks too actively engage approximately 24,000 college students and visitors in the cultural life of the city through special promotions, events, and marketing strategies.
2008 Adams Grant: $50,000
Besides stimulating new jobs and income, MCC's Adams Program also
fosters long-term partnerships between cultural institutions, businesses,
and local governments. This funding must be matched dollar for dollar,
so the program generates new public and private investment in communities
across the state. Adams grants will also fund projects in Somerville,
Cambridge, Lawrence, Lowell, Gloucester, Holyoke, Hyannis, Pittsfield,
North Adams and many more communities. A full list can
be found here.
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the state’s economic vitality.
MCC is a state agency committed to building a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. It pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.
