Cultural Council

The Holden Cultural Council is currently accepting grant proposals for the 2022 grant cycle. The deadline to apply is October 15.

Grant money is available for distribution to organizations, schools, and individuals that support cultural activities in the community. These grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Holden -- including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures. Previously funded projects include: the concert series at the Senior Center bandstand, the summer concert series at the Gale Free Library, and numerous projects within Holden’s schools.

For local guidelines and complete information on the Holden Cultural Council, including volunteer opportunities, contact Jessica Milliken at jhchase1@gmail.com. Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org.

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

The Holden Cultural Council dispenses state funds to promote artistic endeavors within the community. Funds are dispensed to organizations based on applications submitted annually.

In Massachusetts, public funding for the arts, humanities, and sciences is provided through a central state agency, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and through a network of Local Cultural Councils that serve every city and town in the state. The mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council is to promote excellence, education, diversity, and inclusion in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council distributes funds through two channels:

1. Direct grants to individuals and organizations, available through statewide competitive grant processes; and
2. Distributions to Local Cultural Councils, which then re-grant funds to individuals and organizations in their own communities.

The Holden Cultural Council is made up of volunteers who are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The Council is responsible for making decisions on how it will award monies granted to the Town by the Massachusetts Cultural Council in ways that will serve Holden’s cultural needs.

Applications and guidelines are available at www.mass-culture.org.