Informational meeting to be held by Milton Cultural Council for 2018 grants

When: Wednesday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Keys Room at the Milton Public Library

The Milton Cultural Council will hold an informational session and community input meeting on Wednesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Keys Room at the Milton Public Library. Anyone interested in applying for a grant is encouraged to attend the information session to learn more.

Last year, the Milton Cultural Council approved grants totaling nearly $9,000 to local cultural organizations. Grant awards ranged from $40 to $1,156 and supported a variety of arts, humanities, and interpretive science activities in Milton, including exhibits, festivals, artist residencies, demonstrations and performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.

The Milton Cultural Council welcomes applications from individuals, artists, non‐profit organizations, and schools. The application website will open on Friday, September 1, and the application deadline is Monday, October 16.

We prioritize funding for projects that:

• are innovative, collaborative in nature, and demonstrate artistic excelence
• originate in Milton and benefit Milton residents
• reflect knowledge of specific Milton neighborhoods’ artistic, humanist, and cultural needs and are collaborative efforts with neighborhood councils and organizations
• celebrate diversity.

Applicants should read the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Program Regulations and Guidelines before preparing their grant application. Guidelines, the online grant application, and other important information can be found on the Milton Cultural Council’s web-page at https://www.mass-culture.org/Milton.

The Local Cultural Council Program (LCC), of which the Milton Cultural Council (Council) is a part, is a grant program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency. The MCC receives an annual appropriation from the State Legislature and from the National Endowment of the Arts. The MCC provides allocations to each of Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns to support cultural activities. The Council’s responsibility is to re-allocate these funds to support public programs that promote excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences in Milton.

Annual LCC allotments are distributed to each LCC based on a local aid formula devised by the state. The formula takes into account population and property values. It is weighted in such a way as to give larger distributions to less wealthy communities. Collectively, Massachusetts’ cultural councils distribute more than $1.6 million a year in grants. Each LCC, including the Milton Cultural Council, has the obligation to distribute these funds through grants to individuals, schools and organizations for projects that address the cultural needs and objectives of the Town of Milton.

The Council is composed of volunteers appointed by the town’s Board of Selectmen. Milton Cultural Council meetings generally occur six times a year. All regularly scheduled meetings are open to the public.