Local Cultural Councils: Benefiting the Commonwealth's Communities
Did you know?
The funds received by your Local Cultural Council can:
- Support festivals and cultural events which attract visitors to your community, and contribute to the local economy.
- Enhance arts education in local schools.
- Offer environmental education programs for families.
- Preserve historic town documents and landmarks.
- Enable artists and other creative individuals to implement unique projects for the community.
- Leverage other funding through local businesses, individual contributors, private funders and public sources.
There are 2,400 volunteer members on 329 local and regional councils representing 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.
Local Cultural Councils represent a decentralized funding system that brought a total of more than $2.65 million public dollars to nearly every city and town in the Commonwealth in FY08.
A majority of Local Cultural Council funds are granted to support education-related activities. Through the PASS program in particular, Local Cultural Councils provide opportunities for school children to make field trips to arts, humanities and interpretive science destinations across the state.
In 2008, there were 5,197 grants awarded totaling more than $3 million.
As of 2008, Massachusetts is home to 15,451 arts-related businesses that employ 77,598 people. Arts and arts-related businesses, including Local Cultural Council activity, annually generate approximately $4.2 billion dollars in economic impact in Massachusetts.
In a 2004 UMass poll of voters, 95% of Massachusetts taxpayers agreed that arts education is as important as English and Math.
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