Announcing a new source of one-time funding for individuals working in the creative sector whose income has been negatively impacted by public safety measures surrounding COVID-19.

WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, is addressing the acute and long-term needs of arts and culture workers and nonprofits, through a modest grant program.

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund will award grants in the amount of $500 to artists who live or work in Worcester and have had their creative practices and incomes adversely impacted by COVID-19. The Fund is designed to support Worcester artists of all types (visual, performing, design, etc.) who have been financially impacted by event/gig cancellations, the inability to exhibit their work/book shows, and/or have lost revenue from their day jobs being eliminated due to COVID-19.

Apply Now

“In Worcester and across the world, workers in the arts and cultural sector already functioning on thin margins have reported increasing pressure,” said Erin Williams, Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. Local, national, and international authorities have established strict guidelines in order to “flatten the curve” and reduce the spread of the virus through banning large gatherings. These guidelines have resulted in the temporary closure of institutions and venues, and cancelled performances, shows, events, and classes. Further, many artists supplement their incomes with part time jobs, often in the service industry, which has also been hit hard by these guidelines.

“Arts and culture have long been an important component of life in Worcester and beyond. We’re proud to support our area’s vibrant culture in good times, and we have a responsibility to not just our creative sector, but to the community at large, to ensure the creative sector can survive these uncertain times,” Williams noted. “It has been inspiring to see our community transcend adversity, innovating how we can connect through an active embrace of creative arts and culture. Through these expressions, we’re engaging despite physical distance, which is a testament to the power of culture!”

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund has been established to meet immediate needs for individual artists as defined below.  Applications will be accepted online until April 8 at 5pm. The Worcester Cultural Coalition will convene a panel to review applications and make recommendations. These efforts are in line with long-term plans to protect and support the creative sector in Worcester.

Eligibility
The Worcester Creative Relief Fund is focused on current loss of income, providing relief for artists who live or work in Worcester, with a limit of one grant awarded per applicant and priority given to lower-income artists. Worcester Arts Council 2020 grant recipients are not eligible for this award.

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund is open for, but not limited to, the following uses:

• Recouping financial losses due to cancelled events, including but not limited to:
  • Performances in all performing arts discipline
  • Readings, panels, or speaking opportunities
  • Classes, workshops, or demonstrations
• Reimbursement for creative work expenses which have already been paid, including but not limited to:
  • Cancelled conferences or convenings which cannot be refunded
  • Artist Residencies
  • Touring
• Offset loss of income for teaching artists who experienced loss of income due to cancelled classes and/or school closures
• Support for artists working full or part-time in the service industry who have lost supplemental income used to support their creative practices.

Application Cycle
Applications will be accepted from Wednesday, April 1 through Wednesday, April 8 at 5:00 p.m. The application may remain open, or reopen at a later time, if need remains and funds have not been exhausted.

Grant Award Criteria
Grants are one-time payments of $500. For an application to be considered, applicants must provide the following:

• A 100-word summary of personal financial hardships due to COVID-19,
• Evidence of lost opportunity/income due to COVID-19. This may be a cancelled contract or letter of validation from a local nonprofit/civic leader, venue host, employer or gig organizer. In leu of a formal contract, this may be in the form of an email from an authorized agent of the 3rd party,
• A completed W9, and
• Proof of residence, for example a recent utility bill, paycheck, or bank statement.

Complete applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2020 and can be submitted through Google Drive.

For questions or concerns, the public may contact the City of Worcester Cultural Development Office: culture@worcesterma.gov or 508-799-1400 x 31414.

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Hello Cultural Community,

Worcester City leadership held a press conference on March 12 to outline its response to the COVID-19 virus. The priority is to ensure safety for all residents. All City-sponsored events hosting 50 people or more are cancelled, the Senior Center is closed temporarily, and Worcester Public Schools are closed Friday for deep cleaning. As of now, they reopen Monday, March 16.

We thank the public venues who are following protocols regarding public hygiene in response to the COVID-19 virus, and for sharing this information with the public. This furthers our goals of prevention and public safety.

Regarding events anticipating over 50 attendees, City Manager Ed Augustus requests that institutions, venues, and organizations urge the elderly and immune-compromised not to attend as a matter of public health and safety. In addition, we are sensitive to the community’s needs at this time, and ask that each institution be flexible and accommodating around reimbursement practices and policies.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition is actively involved in local and statewide discussions around the impact to the cultural community, possible mitigation responses and measures, and processes to support the cultural community – from the large organizations to the individual artists. The WCC will continue to be proactive in advocating for health and safety while supporting the financial and operational sustainability of our creative community.

For more information on the COVID-19 virus and proper protocols, visit the City of Worcester website. You are also welcome to review the Executive Order from City Manager Augustus, and watch the March 12 COVID-19 Media Briefing.

My best,

Erin I. Williams

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Worcester Arts Council Awards Over $163,000 in Grants for Local Arts and Cultural Programs in 2020

Worcester, MA- City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. and Worcester Arts Council Chair Yasmin Goris have proudly announced the awarding of 53 grants totaling more than $163,000 for arts and cultural programs in Worcester in 2020.

The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is part of a statewide network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences on an annual basis. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. The current Worcester Arts Council members are Yasmin Goris (Chair), Mitchell Perry (Treasurer), Stephanie Mireku (Secretary), Lisa Malo, Thomas Conroy, and George Sedares.

This year WAC received over a $30,000 increase in funding from the MCC, enabling the Council to fully fund 85% of its 2020 applicant pool. The 2020 grants will support a diverse range of programs and organizations in Worcester, including some familiar programming as well as new engagement opportunities for the local community. A few examples of 2020 WAC funded programs include:

• ArtsWorcester’s Annual College Show
• ACE’s Saturday Program Field Trips
• A Woman of Color Arts Weekend
• Central Mass Jazz Festival
• Refugee Artisans of Worcester’s Cultural Heritage Makers

This year, the Worcester Arts Council also allocated funding toward two $5,000 Artist Fellowships. The recipients are local puppeteer Amanda Gibson and local filmmaker Cyrille Vincent NDOMAKETTE SAMBA. The complete list of grant recipients and amounts is included below. WAC will host a grant reception celebrating all of the grant recipients in late spring 2020, with more details to be announced electronically.

“As an active member of Worcester and its artist community, it is with great pleasure to see first-hand the extraordinary impact of a city that values, encourages and supports creative expression,” said Worcester Arts Council Chair Yasmin Goris, enthusiastically celebrating the range and depth of the applicant pool and the diverse talent represented by the 2020 grantees. “Every year the Worcester Art Council successfully works on showcasing and offering our residents and grantees the opportunity to continue to inspire and produce impactful art and events for the community. I am very grateful for our past success and will look forward to a wonderful 2020 as I am excited to see these upcoming projects come to life.”

Between October and December 2019, WAC reviewed nearly 80 grant applications ranging in topic from public art installations to classical music performance to wellness programs. The Council took various criteria and details into consideration including quality, public benefit, and alignment with 2020 granting priorities which include: Public Art, Children’s Programs, and Performing Arts.

Statewide, more than $4.3 million will be distributed by local cultural councils in 2020. Grants will support an extensive range of grass-roots activities: concerts, exhibitions, radio and video productions, field trips for schoolchildren, after-school youth programs, writing workshops, historical preservation efforts, lectures, First Night celebrations, nature and science education programs for families, and town festivals. Nearly half of LCC funds support educational activities for young people.

The Worcester Arts Council will seek applications again in Fall 2020 for the grant year 2021. Applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org. Application deadlines and specifics will be announced on www.worcesterma.gov.

The 2020 Worcester Arts Council grant recipients and amounts are as follows:

About the Worcester Arts Council:

The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is a municipal body consisting of nine members appointed by the City Manager. The Council is charged with promoting the cultural affairs of the City of Worcester and allocating funds received by the Council for cultural projects and programs. The mission of the Worcester Arts Council is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences to improve the quality of life for Worcester residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our City. The Worcester Arts Council is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For questions, please email ArtsCouncil@WorcesterMA.gov. For more information visit: www.worcesterma.gov/development/cultural-development/worcester-arts-council.

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council:

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. The Council pursues this mission through a combination of grant programs, partnerships, and services for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. For more information visit: http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/about/about.asp

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Community Input Needed for Outdoor Concert Series

With enough community support, Worcester will host a new 10-day outdoor concert series in the summer of 2020

UPDATE – November 21, 2019 – the Worcester Cultural Coalition has made it to the final round of the Levitt AMP grant application. Thank you to everyone who voted, shared, and encouraged others to do the same! The Levitt Foundation will announce the 15 recipients of the $25,000 matching grant on December 20, 2019. View the top 25 cities at LevittAMP.org.

WORCESTER, MA November 1, 2019 – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the City of Worcester and Green Island Resident Group, Inc., have advanced to the voting round of the Levitt AMP [Your City] grant application process. Should Worcester be awarded one of 15 available grants, the funds will be used to create a 10-week free, live music concert series during the summer of 2020 at Crompton Park.

Supporters are asked to register and vote at levittamp.org/vote  before November 20 at 8 p.m. Once voting closes, the Levitt Foundation will review the Top 25 finalists’ proposals and announce the 15 Levitt AMP 2020 winners on December 20.

The Levitt AMP Worcester Music Series would take place at Crompton Park with weekly concert programming tentatively scheduled for 10 Wednesday evenings beginning June 24, 2020. In addition to live music, the event would feature food vendors, community performances, interactive amenities and more.

“One of the criteria for the Levitt AMP grant is to host a program in an underserved section of your city,” said Yaffa Fain, program assistant of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division. Fain recently completed curation and management of the popular Out To Lunch Festival & Farmers Market series on the Worcester Common during the summer of 2019. “There’s a lot that goes into coordinating performers, vendors, and the public, and it’s great to give people a reason to stop and enjoy what’s going on around them. We’re looking forward to hosting Out To Lunch in 2020, and we’re also excited to hopefully bring a new major summer concert series to Worcester and activate another space in the city,” she said.

A successful campaign for Worcester requires community participation to secure Worcester’s place as one of 25 national finalists. Community support, as measured by the number of online votes received, will be one of the key factors considered when the Levitt Foundation determines the 2020 Levitt AMP Grant Award winners. “We’ll only be able to do this with enough votes,” Fain cautioned.

Worcester’s Crompton Park was selected for several reasons, including proximity to public transit and highways, and renovations currently underway. According to a recent press release from the City of Worcester, Crompton Park is undergoing a $1.4 million renovation, including new accessible pathways, benches and bleachers, safety upgrades, and construction of two NBA-sized basketball courts. “The City of Worcester is investing in making Crompton Park a safe, beautiful, and accessible space. We’re doing our part to make it a fun, creative, and well-used space for everyone,” said Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester.

Sponsored by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a national foundation dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of America through free live music, the Worcester Cultural Coalition hopes to qualify as one of the Top 25 finalists competing for a $25,000 2020 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition asks supporters to spread the word to family, friends, colleagues and neighbors and to rally the community to sign up and vote for the Levitt AMP Worcester Music series proposal. With the Worcester community’s vote, the Worcester Cultural Coalition is thrilled to offer new, diverse cultural programming to the community.

#ArtsForAll #MakeArtEverywhere #ArtsMatterHere

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition

The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. Today, membership stands at 78 organizations, accounting for more than 2.7 million visitors to Worcester annually. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active, creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets these creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement. Learn more at www.worcesterculturalcoalition.org

About the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant:

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is matching grant opportunity created by the Levitt Foundation to serve small to mid-sized towns and cities to create thriving community destinations. Grant recipients will each be awarded $25,000 in matching funds to produce their own Levitt AMP Music Series—a free, outdoor concert series featuring a diverse lineup of professional musicians. Learn more at levittamp.org.

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WORCESTER, MA – October 1, 2019 – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the Worcester Business Development Corporation and City of Worcester, have announced the naming rights for downtown Worcester’s first black box theater. Jean McDonough has contributed $2 million for construction and operations, bolstering the launch of theater operations scheduled for spring 2020.  The naming right will include exterior signage on Franklin Street, and will rebrand the arts complex as the Jean McDonough Arts Center.

The theater will offer 5,000+ square feet of flexible performance space, with seating for nearly 300. The black box layout can be customized to suit the needs of individual events, such as theatrical performances, live music, lectures, and special events.

Located at 20 Franklin Street, the theater directly connects to the Worcester PopUp, a creative catalyst and support space which began hosting interactive exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community meetings in April 2018. Its focus is on providing accessible, professional facilities and guidance in the business of art for Worcester’s dynamic spectrum of creatives and entrepreneurs.

Together, these sister spaces with corresponding missions will establish a hub as the Jean McDonough Arts Center: an exciting intersection of community and creativity. Both spaces exist to give residents of all ages and backgrounds the time, space, tools, and training to celebrate and share their cultures while growing their craft. The ultimate goal is to foster community connection and engagement while supporting the growth of the creative economy.

The Jean McDonough Arts Center will support the broader City goals of economic revitalization, creative engagement for all, and promotion of a strong cultural identity for Worcester. These goals are laid out in the City of Worcester’s recently-adopted Cultural Plan, which will be incorporated into the City’s forthcoming Masterplan. This deliberate, proactive partnership between a city and its cultural organizations is one of only a few such alliances in the nation. In a recent discussion of the Plan, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus noted that, “it’s not just the City government’s plan, it’s a community plan. We all have a role in it.” Augustus went on to say that, “the Worcester renaissance isn’t real unless it includes everyone. We need to make sure that every person, and their gifts, and their talents, are part of that renaissance.”

Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester, echoed Augustus. “We are creating this venue because the WCC members identified a strong need for theater and performance space. Our focus as a City, and our focus as artists and creators, is to make art of all types: dance, theater, music, poetry, film, accessible to the entire community. We’re building on Worcester’s formidable foundations of arts and cultural institutions which means we’re actively working to embed creative thinking, partnerships, and beauty throughout our City. The Cultural Plan does just that: arts for all. We are so grateful to Jean McDonough and family for their impeccable support for the arts and culture in Worcester.”

“I’ve always had a love for regional theater and couldn’t pass up this opportunity to support Worcester’s arts community and bring the stage to life. This new theater and Worcester PopUp tie right into my vision for a vibrant city,” noted Jean McDonough.

“The generosity of the McDonough family helps us fill a need felt in the community—a flexible performance, event and gallery space,” said Honee Hess, Coalition Chair. “The Jean McDonough Arts Center kicks off the City’s Cultural Plan with a bang.”

Construction of the Worcester PopUp and the black box would not have been possible without the generous contribution of many key community organizations and individuals including: the Barr Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council/MassDevelopment Cultural Facilities Fund, the George I. Alden Trust, the Mildred H. McEvoy Foundation, the Jeanne Y. Curtis Charitable Trust, Mary DeFeudis, the Ruth H. and Warren A. Ellsworth Foundation, the Stoddard Charitable Trust, the Fred Harris Daniels Foundation, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Berkshire Bank, Francis A. & Jacquelyn H. Harrington Foundation, National Grid, The Fletcher Foundation, Bank of America, Fidelity Bank, UniBank for Savings, bankHometown/Millbury Savings Bank, Bay State Savings Bank, WebsterFive, William J. McKee Charitable Foundation, Bradley C. Higgins Foundation, and the Hoche-Scofield Foundation.

Craig L. Blais, President of the Worcester Business Development Corporation says, “I am honored and thrilled to be placing Jean McDonough’s name on the front of a prominent downtown Worcester property.  On behalf of the WBDC, I am humbled and grateful for this generous contribution.”

Each year, the City of Worcester becomes more of a hub for cultural and creative life in New England. An estimated $125.7 million is spent in museums, shops, theatres, and restaurants by locals and nearly 3 million visitors annually. In Worcester’s downtown alone, recent public and private investments are in the hundreds-of-millions of dollars. When paired with the comparative costs of living and doing business in nearby metropolitan areas, as well as increasing transportation options and the ever-expanding creative economy, Worcester is a City which actively attracts new businesses and a young, diverse, educated workforce.

#ArtsForAll #MakeArtEverywhere #ArtsMatterHere

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition

The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. Today, membership stands at 78 organizations, accounting for more than 2.7 million visitors to Worcester annually. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active, creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets these creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement.

www.worcesterculturalcoalition.org

About the Worcester PopUp

The Worcester PopUp is an exciting new intersection of community and creativity comprised of 3,500 historic-storefront square feet of flexible exhibition, performance, workshop, creative experimentation, and meeting space, and an additional 9,000+ square feet (seating for up to 289) devoted to what will be the City’s only black-box theater. The PopUp exists to give people of all ages and backgrounds the time, space, tools, and training to celebrate and share their cultures and to create their futures. By doing so, it fosters community connection and engagement that in turn supports the shared goals of economic revitalization, creative engagement for all, cultural equity and promotion of a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester.

This “permanent popup” space offers a place for local artists, organizations, and creatives to create, display, and develop a variety of creative-based events ranging from art shows, open mics, music performances, and more. In its first year of operation it hosted over 125 events.

www.worcesterpopup.org

About Worcester Business Development Corporation

On July 19, 1965, the Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC) was founded by a large group of public-minded citizens. The mission of this organization was to collaborate with community officials in the Greater Worcester area to create a comprehensive approach to the economic challenges that face a community. In the spirit of civic responsibility, the WBDC was established to serve as an innovative and leading force in the economic development of the City of Worcester and the region, expanding the tax base through the creation and promotion of employment opportunities, while assisting in the development and growth of business and industry. Grounded in a tradition of economic development accomplishment, the WBDC has played a key role in strengthening the Worcester region’s position as an economic leader in Massachusetts. Through targeted investment and strategic partnering, the WBDC brings skills and resources to challenging and complex projects. The WBDC looks forward to assisting in the planning and development of this exciting project.

###

Media Contact:

Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer

Cultural Development Division, City of Worcester

WilliamsE@WorcesterMA.gov

508.826.1145

Lisa Drexhage, Project Manager

Worcester Business Development Corporation

drexhage@worcesterbdc.com

508-755-5734

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Funding Available for the Arts and Culture!

Worcester, MA- Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is now accepting grant applications for its 2020 funding cycle. The deadline for all grant applications is October 15, 2019.  Based on community input received during 2019, WAC will give preference to community projects in the following categories:

• Children’s Programs
• Performing Arts
• Public Art

However, all projects within the realm of arts, sciences and humanities will be considered.  WAC will accept grant applications from the following: individuals, non-profit organizations, associations that can establish a non-profit objective, schools, libraries and other public agencies.

WAC will be offering two types of competitive grants in 2020: Project Grants and Fellowship Grants.

Fellowship Grants are awarded to assist artists, scholars and literary persons in developing and exploring their work outside the structure of a specific project or presentation. Two Fellowship grants will be awarded in 2020 in the amount of $5,000. Through these grants, WAC intends to honor innovative individuals who demonstrate excellence in their field and represent the best of Worcester’s creative community. Fellowship applicants must maintain a residential, commercial or studio address in the City of Worcester.

Project Grants are offered to encourage Worcester County individuals or organizations to develop projects and programs that are innovative, collaborative in nature, provide a public benefit, reach under-served populations and demonstrate artistic excellence. All projects must occur within the city of Worcester within the 2020 calendar year.

To download a copy of the 2020 guidelines and the applications please visit: http://www.worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/grants

To use the new online Application visit https://www.mass-culture.org/Worcester

Online Applications must be submitted by October 15, 2019.

Paper Applications must be postmarked or hand delivered by October 15, 2019.

For a full a description on how to submit, review the 2020 guidelines online at: http://www.worcesterma.gov/uploads/34/b0/34b0a37a0b0a717e90bd7b6d0556cc43/2020-grant-guidelines.pdf

About the Worcester Arts Council:

The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is a municipal body consisting of nine members appointed by the City Manager. The Council is charged with promoting the cultural affairs of the City of Worcester and allocating funds received by the Council for cultural projects and programs. The mission of the Worcester Arts Council is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences to improve the quality of life for Worcester residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our City. The Worcester Arts Council is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information visit: http://www.worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/grants.

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council:

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. The Council pursues this mission through a combination of grant programs, partnerships, and services for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. For more information visit: https://massculturalcouncil.org/about/

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