Lawrence Cultural Council
The Lawrence Cultural Council is a volunteer group of Lawrencians appointed by the Mayor to disperse funds awarded to the city from Mass Cultural Council. Funds are awarded through a grant process. Grants may be submitted from individuals, schools, artists, and cultural groups. Activities receiving support from the council must take place in the city and serve all facets of the population, from children to the elderly.
Lawrence Cultural Council Mission Statement:
Our mission is to support programs in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences that contribute to the enhancement of the quality of life in Lawrence.
Contact
Patricia Mariano, Chair
lawrenceculturalcouncil@gmail.com
978-620-3950
Address
PO Box 326
Lawrence, MA 01840-0023
Application Information
FY25 Allocation
$140,900
FY25 Local Priorities
Lawrence Cultural Council (LCC) grants are open to individual artists, art organizations, community organizations, schools, and municipal agencies. All projects funded by the Lawrence Cultural Council must primarily serve and benefit the Lawrence community through exhibits, performances, readings, cultural events and/or field trips. Celebrating the diversity of our “Immigrant City”, we encourage projects which highlight our rich culture, equity, diversity and inclusion. The Lawrence Cultural Council prefers to fund local artists who live in the city.
FY25 Local Guidelines
The Lawrence Cultural Grant process is governed by requirements and regulations established by the Mass Cultural Council; failure to comply with the Lawrence Cultural guidelines may jeopardize a grant application. Additional information about grant programs may be found at: https://massculturalcouncil.org/.
New this year is assistance in translation services. We urge applicants in need of such help to access MCC at this address:
On September 18, @ 6:00PM, the Local Cultural Council will also hold an Informational Session concerning the grant process on Zoom. The link is listed below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89784551560?pwd=hGeATMHYzfgrMBiRVQdeiW7cnrUZ9p.1
Meeting ID: 897 8455 1560
Passcode: 775257
All grants for FY 2025 must be submitted online. Application deadline for this funding cycle is October 16, 2024. Please add a letter of support verifying that a venue is secured to the supplemental materials. Field Trip requests are submitted on the same online application. The Lawrence Cultural Council does not fund transportation and/or food or beverage expenses.
Grants are awarded for projects taking place for the period January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
Grants are evaluated based on the following criteria: quality of project, community benefit, budget, and funding.
Quality of the project
Is the project well thought out with evidence of planning? Are the specific dates and venues identified? Do the qualifications of the artist, humanist or interpretive scientist leading the activity suggest that the project will be of high quality? Does the proposal adhere to local priorities?
Community Benefit
Is there evidence that the proposal will benefit the citizens of Lawrence? What is the impact this proposal will have on the city of Lawrence and its citizens? Does the project contribute to the cultural vitality and well-being of the city as a whole? Is there community support for the project?
Budget and Funding Support
A budget limit has been set for $5000. Please adhere to the following guidelines when establishing your budget documentation.
Does the budget balance? Does the budget follow LCC guidelines? Is the budget realistic and clear? Are there other sources of funding or is Lawrence Cultural Council the sole source of funding? Is the project budget specific?
Reimbursement –
As part of our new Direct Grant Payment Option, you will receive your funding as a direct grant that will not require you to expend your own funds and request reimbursement. To accept your grant and receive payment, you must complete and return a Grant Agreement and W-9, which will be enclosed in the award letter within two weeks. In addition, you will be required to fill out a final report on your project once your program is complete.
Recognition requirements –
Acknowledgement is required in all published materials and announcements regarding activities supported by the Lawrence Cultural Council through funds. The sponsored individual or group must acknowledge this support with a written and/or verbal credit statement and by using the MCC logo. This credit is required by the MCC and failure to do so may jeopardize funding.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY24 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 8 | Irish Heritage Month 2024 | $4,000 | Ancient Order of Hibernians Ladies Division 8 | Irish Christmas Festival | $2,000 | Arlington Middle School | Nemo Kids! | $3,950 | Arriagada Saieh, Josefa | "Making Downtown Lawrence a Destination | $2,500 | Ateneo Dominicano de Nueva Inglaterra | Bohemian Sunset 2024 | $2,500 | Bellesini Academy | Field Trip to see Mr. Popper's Penguins at Wheelock Family Theater | $700 | Bellesini Academy | Field Trip To Wheelock Family Theater to see A Wrinkle in Time | $700 | Bread & Roses Heritage Committee, Inc. | 40th Annual Bread and Roses Heritage Festival | $4,000 | Cambiando El Mundo de Necesidades Especiales | Family Advocacy Training Program | $2,000 | Chinese Cultural Exchange of the Andovers, Inc. | Chinese New Year Festival | $500 | Clear Path for Veterans New England, Inc. | Connecting with Veterans through the Healing Power of Music: A Live Music Series | $1,000 | Colectiva Wellness & Healing | BIPOC Retreat Scholarship Fund | $2,000 | Collazo, Felipe | Presente! Festival | $2,000 | Colombian Cultural Committee of the Merrimack Valley | Colombia is Passion - Huila and its treasures. | $3,000 | Communities Together, Inc. | Respect the River | $1,500 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $300 | Down By Riverside, Inc. | Spirit of Music Potluck Concert | $3,000 | Essex Art Center, Inc. | Fiesta en la calle | $3,000 | Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. | Pop-Up Puppet Books of My Ethnic Heritage!-Roots of Lawrence | $2,000 | Friends of Lawrence Heritage State Park, Inc. | Historical Trolley Tours of Lawrence | $2,000 | Grainy Daze Studios | Encounter the Real | $2,000 | Greater Lawrence Fellowship of the Arts, Inc. | Greater Lawrence Fellowship Arts Festival | $2,000 | Groundwork Lawrence, Inc. | Kite Festival 2024 | $3,000 | Immigrant City Archives, Inc. | 2024 Community Symposium: The History and Evolution of Education in Lawrence and Similar Communities | $4,000 | International Book Fair, Inc. | XVIII International Book Fair 2024 | $3,500 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Digital Arts | $3,000 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Dance Academy | $3,000 | Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc. | Movement City Annual Showcase | $2,000 | Lawrence High School | Live Performance Integration - Music Technology | $2,972 | Lawrence High School | Tarzan | $3,500 | Lawrence High School | Jimmy Awards - Vocal Coaching | $3,500 | Lawrence High School | Stagecraft! | $4,000 | Lawrence High School | Re-establishing LHS's Darkroom | $3,000 | Lopez, Fernanda | Queer, Trans & Here! | $2,000 | Lucas, Robert | Frost Middle School Best Buddies Field Trip | $1,380 | MUSIC Dance.edu | I am Autistic I am Fantastic The Musical | $580 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! a dance series | $800 | Maloney, Scott | I AM ... | $600 | McGary, Diane | Resident Therapeutic Musician | $3,000 | Merrimack Valley Immigrants and Education Center, Inc. | Chinese/Vietnamese New Year Cultural Dance | $3,000 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Music Therapy for Elderly | $2,400 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Private and Semi-Private Lessons for Lawrence High School Students | $3,500 | Nguyen, Y-Binh | Vietnamese Diasporic Research & Showcase | $3,000 | O'Shea/Chaplin School of Irish Step Dancing | An Afternoon of Irish Dance, Music and Song | $1,000 | Olde Essex Stage Company | 4th Annual Shakespeare in the Park | $4,000 | One Broadway Collaborative, Inc. | Lawrence DJ Video Art and Showcase | $2,000 | Pa' La Cultura | Salsa en el Barrio | $2,500 | Pal, Mouli | SpringFest Indian Dance Concert | $150 | Robert Frost Middle School | Seacoast Science Center Field Trip | $1,925 | The Musary, JRP Inc. | Musary Musical Instrument Lending Acquisitions | $750 | Three Saints, Inc. | 101st Feast of the Three Saints | $4,000 | UP Academy Oliver Middle School | Little Mermaid Jr. | $3,200 | Waterman, Jon | Live Music Making History Live | $300 | Xotyeni, Amy | Lawrence Dance Intensive | $3,000 | Xotyeni, Mcebisi D. | Studio Sessions | $1,500 |
