The pandemic exposed—and deepened—racial and economic disparities across the Commonwealth leaving us with an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild our cultural and creative institutions with an eye toward greater diversity, equity, accessibility, and the elimination of structural biases. 

All MA residents should have access to the economic benefits, better quality of life, community building, and mental well-being that the arts and cultural sector provides. 

This is important because arts are an economic driver in the Commonwealth, building community and boosting health and well-being. 

The arts and cultural sector is committed to ensuring that all funding opportunities consider the needs of BIPOC people and communities and historically underfunded communities, including: 

• easing of the application process to remove barriers to more artists, ensuring equity
• creating grant funding tools that ensure access for BIPOC, non-English speaking, and diverse immigrant communities 

The sector also supports the creation of a commission to focus on issues of Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion within arts and cultural funding, which would focus on developing best practices for the sector to improve diversity training, accessibility to arts and cultural centers for all communities, and equality of opportunity of funding resources to both creative workers and organizations.