Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire

CCNB regrants funds from the Mass Cultural Council to individuals and organizations for projects in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences.

Eleven municipalities are represented. These municipalities are: Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams, Monroe, Savoy & Williamstown.

Contact

Cecilia Hirsch
[email protected]
413-441-7401

Address
10 Main Street
City of North Adams - Auditors Office
North Adams, MA 01247

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Application Information

FY27 Allocation

$91,000

FY27 Local Priorities

The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire (CCNB) represents 11 mostly rural municipalities: Adams • Cheshire • Clarksburg • Florida • Hancock • Lanesborough • Monroe • New Ashford • North Adams • Savoy • Williamstown

The CCNB prioritizes funding for events and projects that take place within one or more of these municipalities and/or are proposed by applicants who reside in one of our 11 municipalities. Requests from organizations or entities with no clear evidence of an address, previous record of activity, or presence in the Northern Berkshires will have a high likelihood of not receiving a grant.

We fund individual and organizational projects in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences that provide a public benefit, encourage collaboration, and strengthen community.

Applications may cover activities taking place between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027.

In FY26, the CCNB awarded 112 grants totaling $101,343. Grants ranged from $140 to $2,700 and supported cultural programs throughout the Northern Berkshire region.

FY27 Local Guidelines

The following information should help you assemble the strongest possible application. We look forward to reviewing it!

1) GRANT ACTIVITY should fall within one or more of the following areas:

Arts: refers to the creation of work in the crafts and performing, visual, media, folk, design, literary, digital, and interdisciplinary arts. Arts includes but is not limited to the presentation, preservation, and education about works in these disciplines.

Humanities: refers to human values and aspirations, human thought and culture, language, and creativity. Humanities includes but is not limited to history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, or literature.

Interpretative Sciences: refers to nature, science, sustainability, and technology in ways that explain how they relate to people’s lives. Interpretative Sciences includes but is not limited to farms, forestry, gardens, green initiatives, natural science education & outdoor centers.

More specifics on project types:

A- Operational and Program Development Funding
CCNB generally supports operational, salary, and other promotional costs, along with expenses for program development (from performing arts to curriculum writing).
In your narrative, explain how the grant will contribute to future community programming, and/or how and when residents of our 11 municipalities may experience the resulting program.

B- Projects in K–12 Schools
For projects taking place in K–12 schools within our municipalities:
-All applications must include a letter of support from the school.
-Schools and applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds from the school’s parent advisory organization, such as a PTO or PAC.
-Applicants should explain why the school cannot fund the field trip, program, materials, or other proposed activity through its regular funds.

C- Digital Content
If your project includes digital content, explain:
-What public benefit and/or local engagement the project will provide to residents of our 11 municipalities.
-The applicant’s connection to one or more of these communities (if any).
-Any partnerships or collaborators involved.
-How the project will be implemented, including relevant technical requirements or setup.

2) PROJECT READINESS & PLANNING

Projects must be beyond the ideation stage. Programs and projects must have progressed beyond brainstorming and initial concept development. This means:
-The concept has moved from brainstorming to active planning and execution.
-The location and date(s) are ideally confirmed, although they may be tentatively confirmed at time of application.
-There is a firm commitment from community partners, collaborators, and/or additional funding sources, when applicable.

The stronger and more specific the planning is demonstrated in an application, the better the Council can understand and support the project’s feasibility and potential community impact. CCNB does not fund applications that show no evidence of specific local planning.

A. Supplemental Materials
Applicants should use supplemental materials strategically and provide information that helps the Council understand the project. If additional supplemental materials are necessary, they should be sent as an attachment to the Council at [email protected]

B. Previous Funding
For recurring or previously funded activities, explain why the program continues to be valuable and important and describe the impact of previous CCNB support. Information on audiences, project outcomes, take-aways, and overall community cultural engagement gives great context.

C. Out-of-Area Applicants
Applicants who are not based in one of the CCNB municipalities must include a letter of support from a local partner or host.
A commitment letter from a local venue may satisfy this requirement- it does not need a specific date or official letterhead, but must specifically describe how the project will benefit the community.

D. Partners and Advisors
When listing local contributors, partners, presenters, or advisors, provide:
-Their name
-Their qualifications or relevant experience
-Their role in the project
-How they will assist with the project
This information helps reviewers understand each person’s contribution without needing to conduct additional research.

E. Multiple applications

a) One Applicant for One Activity
The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire will not fund applications from multiple individuals, organizations, or programs for the same activity.
Example: If an individual applies for funding for a program at a local venue, the venue cannot also request organizational funding for that same activity.

b) One Applicant for Multiple Presentations of the Same Activity
If you are an individual offering the same activity in multiple locations, submit one application.
Example: The same music performance being presented at three different libraries should be submitted as one application, with the locations and associated details itemized in the narrative and budget.

c) Accessibility
All events and programs funded by the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire must consider access for persons with disabilities in their planning. Think about:
-The accessibility of the facility or event location
-Access to the program itself
-Other barriers that could prevent participation

3) BUDGET PLANNING

The project budget must be balanced, realistic, and accurate.
Connect the budget to the project. Budget line items must correspond directly to the proposed activity, from materials, personnel, venue, promotion and project expenses.
It should indicate the entire project budget, with as much detail as possible at the time of application. The budget should include all anticipated income and identify whether each source is confirmed, pending, or an identified opportunity.

A. Other funding
Please list all other sources of financial assistance and grants that you have applied for and/or received.

B. Fundraising
Grant funds cannot directly support fundraising activities.

4) GRANT AMOUNTS

Most CCNB requests are between $500 and $5,000.
Available funds are limited. The Council is generally unable to fully fund projects. Smaller requests are more likely to be fully funded.

Pay careful attention to the section of the application asking how your project would be adjusted without full funding. What could your project look like if the grant is only partially funded? We want to know.

Projects with larger budgets may apply for funding for a specific activity or component of the entire project. In that case:
-Clearly identify the specific activity for which CCNB funding is requested.
-Describe that activity within the context of the overall project.
-Clearly explain the impact of the requested component.

We are happy to discuss your ideas and applications before the deadline!

How Grant Recipients Are Paid

Direct Grants

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FY26 Funding List

Name	Project Title	Amount
Adams Council on Aging	Adams Rythm Keepers	$1,019
Adams Free Library	2026 Adams Free Library Programs	$2,311
Barrington Stage Company, Inc.	Playwright Mentoring Project	$1,019
Barton, Ricky	Robot Paintings Color Interactions	$500
Bates III, Davis R.	Under One Sky: A Performance for Seniors	$475
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School	Choreography for BART Spring Musical	$1,358
Berkshire Children's Chorus, Inc.	Joyful Voices of Berkshire Children; North, South and Central County	$951
Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative, Inc.	Your Voice Through Video	$1,019
Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative, Inc.	BFMC-Your Voice Through Video BART Mockumentary Program	$553
Berkshire Pride, Inc.	North Adams Pride Night	$1,154
Bradley, Dale	Thermal Embossing with 12th grade art class	$550
CRMX LLC	Teen Clay Lab	$696
Canary, Alicia	Mugwort Paper	$679
Canary, Alicia	2025 Unbound	$519
Canary, Alicia	Community Garden Garlic Collaboration	$747
Charles H. McCann Technical School	2026 McCann English and History Field Trip Fund	$696
Cheshire Council on Aging	Seniors to the Theatre 2026	$543
Cheshire Library Association	Summer Reading Program	$679
Common Folk Artist Collective	Common Folk Shared Studio	$500
Community Images, Inc.	Earth Month Film Festival	$1,019
Convivo LLC	Stories for the Common Good: A Community Storytelling Project	$1,358
Demo, Sergio	Resurrection	$679
Domkarova, Sonia	GLOW OCEAN	$1,486
Drury High School	Drury Stage Company- Theater Season	$1,358
Elkus, Eli	Musical Storytelling & Folk Songs by Eli Elkus	$400
Floating Tower Development LLC	World Refugee Day Weekend: Voices Without Borders	$1,358
Freshgrass Public Foundation	Sound Asylum Series	$1,019
Friends of the Lanesborough Public Library, Inc.	Check Out Our Favorite Places	$620
Galietti, Danielle	Winter Snow Drawings at the Natural Bridge	$1,019
Greenagers, Inc.	Greenagers Education and Environmental Stewardship	$500
Heart & Soil Collective Inc.	Emma Miller Elementary School Garden	$1,358
Hooper, Vanessa	Hatchlings North Adams	$1,324
Hoosac Valley Elementary School	Chain Reactions and Creative Contraptions	$815
Hoosac Valley High School	Backdrop Rental for Musical Production	$500
Hoosic River Revival, Inc.	Hoosic Riverwalk Support	$1,387
Hoosic River Watershed Association, Inc.	River Health Series	$1,095
Howard, Rye	NAMATIDIA: Seeing Together	$491
Howard, Rye	Printing History	$1,019
IS183, Inc.	ARTcentric After-School Program at Brayton Elementary School	$679
Ives, CJ	Ceramic Explorations of River Ecology	$951
Jones, Glory-Anne	Vessels of Voice	$679
Kaye, Marjorie	Opaque Dimension	$552
Kids 4 Harmony	Kids 4 Harmony	$950
Lanesborough Public Library	Preschool Music and Literacy Enrichment	$747
Lewis, Bernice E.	History Alive	$541
Lewis, Bernice E.	Songwriter Series	$600
Linden, Livia	Fallen/Risen	$553
Lyracle, Inc.	Lyracle's Fall '26 Performance in Williamstown	$1,559
MUSIC Dance.edu	Hip Hop SQUARE Dance for Seniors! and chair dance	$500
MUSIC Dance.edu	Hip Hop Popular Culture: Where's the Beef? Kendrick Lamar and Drake	$680
MacDaniel, Mac	North County Shakespeare Festival	$1,651
Maichack, Gregory	Vincent van Gogh’s the Iris: How to Pastel Paint	$580
Maichack, Mary Jo D.	Fairy House Make and Take Craft Program	$497
Mankita, Jay	Chain Reactions & Creative Contraptions	$815
Mendel, Lisa	Glass Flowers	$450
Mendel, Lisa	Spring Flowers	$450
Nadler, Charlie	Pop-Up Punchlines	$1,519
Nelson, Dawn	All in the Same Boat Now	$586
New England Puppet Arts	The Wondrous Festival of New and Unfinished Performance	$1,019
North Adams Chamber of Commerce, Inc.	North Adams First Fridays	$1,358
North Berkshire Community Dance	North Berkshire Community Dance - 2nd Saturday Contra Dance Series	$1,019
Northern Berkshire Community Television Corporation Inc	Teen Voices News Initiative Pilot Program	$1,205
Nutshell Playhouse, Inc.	Nutshell Playhouse at the Adams Theater	$553
Ouellet, Alvin	"Painting Berkshire Landmarks 2026: Highlighting Landscape Architecture".	$679
Parisi, Rita	Women of '76	$625
Pellegrini, Carlo	The Circus Corner, with Mr. Amazing	$1,019
Piontkowski, Megan	Visible Mending Workshops	$1,331
Porcino, John P.	Performances at Firefly Hike & Sheep To Shawl Events	$668
ROOTS Teen Center, Inc.	ROOTS Arts Programming	$1,981
Raymond, amanda	Roots of Connection: A Community Gardening & Mindfulness Project	$530
Reynolds, Emilee	Community Craft Time	$500
Reynolds, Emilee	Learn Through Play: Big Kid Edition	$533
Reynolds, Emilee	Doodle Bugs	$250
Reynolds, Emilee	Forrest Babies	$200
Reynolds, Emilee	Pop-Up Atelier	$300
Roomful of Teeth Vocal Arts Project Inc.	Roomful of Teeth 2025 Residency and Performance at MASS MoCA and Studio 9 Listening Party	$1,358
Ryan, Elizabeth	Totality	$660
Ryan, Elizabeth	Totality	$660
Second Chance Composting LLC	Pumpkin Smash Festival, Composting Education and Rosco the Optimist	$747
Seeing Rainbows Inc	Multidisciplinary Art Salon	$250
Shakespeare & Company, Inc.	2026 Fall Festival of Shakespeare	$1,019
Small Planet Dancers	The Victorian Ballroom: Afternoon Tea and Murder	$600
St. John III, Edmund	Summer concert series	$1,222
St. John's Parish of Williamstown Mass.	St. John's Concert Series	$1,981
St. Stanislaus Kostka School	Field trips to engage in local culture	$618
Staples-F, Noel	"Roots & Rhythm: A Celebration of Dance and Drum"	$1,651
Sweeney, Jessica	Textile Repair Cafe	$856
Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, Inc.	Berkshire Rhythm Keepers at Ramblefest w/ Guests Adams COA Seniors	$650
Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, Inc.	Forest and Field Ecology and Exploration at Youth Center Inc and Mt Greylock summit	$1,019
The Adams Theater Presents, Inc.	The Adams Theater Season 2026	$2,623
The Berkshire Fife & Drum Corps	The Berkshire Fife & Drum Corps	$2,212
The Plant Connector LLC	100 Terrariums, 1 Community	$500
The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, Inc.	All Aboard the Democracy Limited: Prison Special!	$655
Tincknell, Roger L.	Old Time Sing-along	$500
Tincknell, Roger L.	Blues to Bluegrass	$500
Tool, Kristen	Lanesborough 6th Grade Impactful Messages Mural	$679
Tool, Kristen	Repair and Repurpose Sewing Workshops	$1,019
Town of Cheshire	Cheshire Hoedown (Former Summer Festival/Block Party)	$1,358
Town of Florida	Birds of Prey Presentation and Watercolor Painting	$600
Truss III, Tom	Mixed Nuts: a Reimagining of The Nutcracker Ballet	$1,019
Tsui, Cheung	North County Chorale	$679
Tupper, Lara	Pick Up the Pen: Start Your Writing Project	$525
Van Egmond, Timothy	Performances For Baby Animals Festival	$140
Wallen, Eric	Birds Bricks and Bozos	$650
Weber, Stefanie L.	A Body That is Yours to Find	$679
Westchester Circus Arts, Ltd.	MILL TOWN CIRCUS 3: The Next Wave	$2,629
Williamstown Cultural District	Cultural Collab Monthly Series	$568
Williamstown Cultural District	Creative Futures: Emerging Voices	$700
Williamstown Farmers Market	Music & Arts at the Market	$1,770
Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Inc.	Nature Education Through Multiple Media	$2,311
York, Matt	Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - Songs & Stories w/ Matt York	$500
Youth Center, Inc.	School Break Play & resin & glass art project	$1,154

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