Rochester Cultural Council
The Rochester Cultural Council is a group of volunteers appointed by the Rochester Select Board for three year terms. Our mission is to promote excellence, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences in order to enhance the quality of life in Rochester. The Rochester Cultural Council strives to achieve these goals by diligently evaluating grant requests and allocating the funds provided by the Mass Cultural Council to projects best serving Rochester residents.
Contact
Kate Duggan - Chairperson
[email protected]
508-763-3871
https://www.townofrochestermass.com/cultural-council
Address
1 Constitution Way
Rochester, MA 02770-2036
Connect on Social
Facebook
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$5,900
FY26 Local Priorities
The first item below is a Mass Cultural Council requirement; we are emphasizing it here because it is important to us.
– All events must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Additionally, the Rochester Cultural Council will prioritize funding for projects that address the following:
– Projects or events that will directly benefit Rochester residents by being held in the town. Other events must be hosted in surrounding towns which are easily accessible to Rochester residents.
– Projects that are free to participants or available at a reduced rate.
– We strive to support proposals appealing to a large range of ages.
FY26 Local Guidelines
The Rochester Cultural Council has created a document titled ‘Grantwriting Tips.’ These slides will present the RCC application questions and provide details and advice on how to answer them fully, giving you the best chance of conveying your project idea and getting funded. You can access this file at the following link: https://bit.ly/RCCTips
Additional guidelines are:
– To the best of your ability, provide the proposed date, time and location of the event.
– Projects should have a clear, justified budget request.
– If working with another entity (library, school, etc.) it is strongly recommended to provide a statement of support showing the cooperating organization has accepted the program and is partnering with you.
– If your proposed project has a track record of success in this or another venue (well advertised, well attended, well liked), tell us about it! Include letters of recommendation from past events, photos supporting the event or demonstrated planning with your RCC application.
– Include a good back up plan(s). If the event is susceptible to changes (i.e. sickness, weather), what will you do to still reach your audience?
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY26 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acushnet Public Library | Summer Concert Series | $450 | Camarao, Christian | New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival 2026 | $100 | Education Committee of the Mattapoisett Land Trust | MLT Education Committee Educational Programs FY 2026 | $500 | Evans, Midori | “Write with Community South Coast” Literary Calendar | $200 | Friends of Old Rochester Drama, Inc. | Here We Go Again!- A Mama Mia! Musical | $500 | Marion Art Center, Inc. | MAC Youth Theater 2026 | $500 | New Bedford Festival Theatre, Inc. | New Bedford Festival Theatre Summer Academy 2026 | $250 | Onset Bay Association, Inc. | Chalk-Full-of-Fun Festival | $150 | Parisi, Rita | Women of '76 | $600 | Rochester Council on Aging | Nat.Good Neighbor Blck Party Celebrating Amer.250th | $600 | Rochester Historical Society, Inc. | Rochester and the Revolution | $400 | Rochester Memorial School Parent-Teacher Organization, Inc. | Crocodile River Music | $500 | Sippican Choral Society, Inc. | Winter Wonderland: A Choral Tribute to the Season | $250 | South Coast Children's Chorus | Hear Our Voice! | $250 | SouthCoast Children's Theatre, Inc. | SCCT Presents "Beetlejuice Jr" | $250 | Tri-County Music Association, Inc. | Complimentary Senior Tickets | $200 | Your Theatre, Inc. | Original Works Lab | $200 |