Creative Economy and Workforce
Strengthening Massachusetts’s Creative Economy and Growing our Creative Workforce.
In Massachusetts, the creative sector delivers $27.2 billion in economic value to our economy. Our sector includes non-profit cultural organizations, creative small busienses, artists, creative workers and arts administrators. MASSCreative endorses policy and programmatic solutions that strengthen pathways to creative jobs, grown small creative businesses, and strengthen cultural non-profits.
What are we doing about the creative economy?
MASSCreative supports a strong creative economy by advocating annually for state funding for the Mass Cultural Council and budgetary line items that will benefit the creative sector. In FY24, these efforts resulted in $25 million for the Mass Cultural Council and $895,000 for specific local cultural projects: an 11% increase in public funding over the FY23 Budget.
We’re also fighting for the Massachusetts creative economy by organizing support for our 2023-2024 Creative Sector Agenda. These policy priorities are the product of engaging in a statewide listening series in Fall 2022, where MASSCreative gathered feedback from artists, creatives, cultural organizations, advocacy groups, regional planning councils, and changemakers about the policy changes the sector needs to become more equitable, just, and visible.
The Creative Sector Agenda includes five bills to keep artists in their communities, make creative spaces more accessible to people with disabilities, support equity in cultural tourism promotion, and dedicate revenues for cultural districts.
Read more about each of the bills and how to support Massachusetts cultural policies by visiting the MASSCreative Action Network Take Action page.
A hearing for The Creative Space Preservation Act is set for Monday September 18 - learn how to join advocacy leaders in supporting this crucial bill.
A hearing for The PLACE Act is set for Monday, September 18 - learn how to join advocacy leaders in supporting this crucial bill.
Support the Downtown Vitality Act by endorsing the legislation, encouraging your elected officials to co-sponsor, and sharing with your networks.
Join a coalition of artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and sector allies to advocate for the PLACE Act.
Learn more on how you can join a coalition of artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and sector allies to advocate for the ACE Act.
MASSCreative Action Network is building a coalition of artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and sector allies to advocate for the Cultural Equity in Tourism Bill - learn how you can join.
During this month's webinar, we reviewed the FY25 House Ways and Means Budget, the state budget process, and the federal STAGES Act and CREATE Art Act. We also provided updates about our inaugural Creative Advocacy Institute happening on May 17th in Lowell, as well as this year's Create the Vote campaign season.
Read Catherine Headen’s blog on her reflection as a 2023-2024 Advocacy and Organizing Fellow and her work supporting creative volunteers.
On Friday, March 8, 2024, MASSCreative used their monthly Policy & Advocacy Webinar to provide a federal funding update, review the Governor’s Economic Development Bond Bill, give a status update on the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda, and preview the FY25 State Budget. Read the blog to watch the recording and download the slideshow.
Three months into the new year, the Massachusetts creative sector is celebrating significant policy milestones through the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda, Economic Development Bond Bill, and FY25 Budget.
It’s been an eventful and exciting year! In this letter, Emily shares her thoughts on our accomplishments in 2023 and things we’re looking ahead to in 2024.
Meet our 2023-2024 Advocacy & Organizing Fellows!
In November 2023, we held a town hall on the Downtown Vitality Act and the Co-Creative Center New Bedford.
Join us for a Town Hall on the Downtown Vitality Act on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 4 PM in New Bedford.
Four Massachusetts communities were featured in the National Center for Arts Research released the Arts Vibrancy Index Report for 2022.
