Margarita Muñiz Academy Foundation’s Spring Concert. Photo: Francisco Santos.
Since 2021, with the launch of our first-ever Racial Equity Plan (and subsequent equity plans), Mass Cultural Council has been working on internal and external steps we can take to support and encourage an anti-racist, equitable, and inclusive cultural sector in the Commonwealth. As part of our equity work, the Agency has committed to sharing our progress on this work regularly:
SECTOR EDUCATION, SERVICES & ACHIEVEMENT
Public Affairs continues its successful media partnership with El Planeta to ensure proactive external communications and outreach to Spanish speaking potential grantees, promoting both our funding opportunities and the investments made in this community by the Agency.
In December the Public Affairs team hosted a Spotlight Series webinar for members of the creative and cultural sector with Open Door Arts to promote their Arts & Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment tool.
PROGRAMS
Numerous grants programs have announced their FY25 awards and with them, some stats on our progress towards our equity goals:
76% are offering their program free to the public.
59% have not received Mass Cultural Council support in the last three years.
46% will bring programs to under-resourced communities.
32% are BIPOC-Centered Organizations.
And notably:
98% of eligible BIPOC-Centered applicants received funding.
Universal Participation (UP) Initiative’s Innovation Fund: 93 UP Designated Organizations received a total of $465,000 through the Innovation Fund to plan and implement accessibility systems within their organization.Building innovative solutions to address access barriers are self-defined by the current practices of each UP Designated Organization. This funding looks to go beyond compliance to inspire direct actions and fresh ideas.
Redesigning the the Universal Participation (UP) Initiative’s Innovation & Learning Network (ILN) continues. We are still working with our partners Open Door Arts to build a foundation for the future UP program work. The Arts & Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment is available to all organizations for free. UP-Designated Organizations are required to complete it as part of their grant requirements. Additionally, organizations that complete it will get funding priority points on their FY26 Operating Grants for Organizations application. We have provided funding to Open Door Arts for their work on an access information and training hub that we hope will support our future UP ILN and re-envisioned UP Designation.
Together, the Public Affairs and Program Teams have begun collaborating to create a resource guide and training series for all employees on how to create accessible documents. This effort supports our commitment to making all materials usable for diverse audiences and reinforces our equity goals.
We are finalizing scopes of work for both the Native American and Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee and the d/Deaf & Disability Advisory Committee. Invitations will go out to potential members in the coming weeks.
As a part of Public Affairs’ ongoing efforts to depict diverse cultural activities across Massachusetts, we recently worked to secure high-quality images of various cultural events in Massachusetts, including:
Gateway Arts 2024 Holiday Market, which showcased the work of adult artists with disabilities.
Origins of the eternal art of the Maya. presented by traditional artist and educator, Rosalba Solis.
In April all staff will take part in an Anti-Ableist training as part of our continued internal learning.
