Past PRIORITY Wins
Learn about past advocacy wins for the creative and cultural sector.
Since its founding in 2013, MASSCreative has worked with advocates across the Commonwealth to build a stronger, more equitable and inclusive creative sector. From local and state elections to increased public funding for creative and cultural work, our organizing efforts have shifted how Massachusetts values our community:
Public Funding
The most significant investment in the creative sector is the Commonwealth’s annual investment in the Mass Cultural Council through the budget process. Thanks to our network of advocates and our annual state budget advocacy we’ve increase the Mass Cultural Council’s budget line by 244.7%
Youth and Arts
As part of Arts for All Coalition, MASSCreative worked with teachers, parents and students to ensure arts education accountability metrics were part of Massachusetts’ implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This includes collecting data on student participation in arts education courses by grade and by arts discipline, publishing the data collected in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) School Report Card website, and working with DESE to produce updated curriculm frameworks for each arts course for every grade level. Arts for All Coalition partners included Arts | Learning, EdVestors, BPS Arts Expansion, Mass Cultural Council, Massachusetts Art Education Association, and Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Creative Spaces
MASSCreative lead the grassroots advocacy campaign to secure Boston’s Percent for Arts program which devotes funding to public art equal to 1% of the City’s annual capital borrowing budget. During his campaign for Mayor, former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh identified a muncipal percent for public art initiatve as a top priority. Once in office, Mayor Walsh made good on his promise while MASSCreative and our adovcay partners ensured the public support for the program was there.
COVID-19 Relief and Recovery
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic officially arrived in Massachusettsm when former Governor Baker declared a state of emergency ordering the closure of public spaces and mobilizing healthcare resources to care for communities ravaged by the pandemic’s spread. Like many sectors, the creative community sustained a massive economic shock in the wake of the pandemic. Thousands of artists and inpendent workers lost jobs and gigs, cultural nonprofits cancelled programs and furloughed staff, and creative small business owners saw revenues disappear. Throughout, MASSCreative lead adocacy and case-making campaigns to ensure the creative economy was a top priority for lawmakers when developing reopening plans and allocating reocovery funding.
Thanks to the network of stakeholders, advocates and partners, MASSCreative successfully secured $71M for creative sector support. This included $10M in Nonprofit Organizational Relief Funds and $61M in Creative Sector Recovery Funds both equitabilty distrubted by the Mass Cultural Council.
On May 7, the Senate Ways and Means Committee announced their plan to fund the Mass Cultural Council at $25.5 million in FY25. Read for more information about the Senate Ways and Means Budget and take action for the Mass Cultural Council and Downtown Vitality Act.
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.
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.
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.
In this month's webinar, we recapped Creative Sector Advocacy Week in January and shared Joint Rule 10 outcomes for the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda. We also shared the news that Boston City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the Creative Space Preservation Act.
On Friday, January 12, 2024, MASSCreative held the first of two trainings preparing arts and culture advocates for Creative Sector Advocacy Week 2024. During this Webinar, the MASSCreative team reviewed the schedule for Advocacy Week and shared tips and outlines for meeting with lawmakers and organizing advocacy meetings.
MASSCreative was joined by the Massachusetts Health Connector for a presentation on their open enrollment period. Open enrollment lasts now through January 23, 2024. See our webinar recording and linked resources to get started.
Check out the resources we shared at November’s Policy & Action Webinar.
There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.
Check out the resources we shared at October’s Policy and Action Update Webinar.
During our September Policy & Action Update Webinar, we discussed how to prepare for Fall hearings and announced our Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship!
During our July Policy & Action Update Webinar, we reviewed the Federal FY24 Budget and proposed NEA appropriations, discussed the status of the State FY24 Budget, and previewed advocacy opportunities in Fall 2023.
During this webinar, we provided a status report on the FY24 State Budget process, final Senate Budget outcomes, reviewed the Senate’s tax relief plan, and welcomed Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, to lead a conversation on cultural facilities policy.
During this webinar, we talked about FY24 House Budget outcomes, the Senate Ways and Means Budget, and previewed the upcoming Senate Budget debates. We also hosted MassINC for a briefing on H.228/S.130, An Act to promote downtown vitality.
During this webinar, we talked about the upcoming Creative Advocacy Training series, FY24 House Ways and Means Budget, House tax relief bill, changes to open meeting laws, and announced our new website!
A recent piece of legislation provides nonprofit organizations more flexibility for governance and board activities.
Building relationships with elected officials and their staff is crucial to every advocate's work. Take a moment to learn who represents you on Capital Hill and at the State House.
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 and 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.
