The mission of the Worcester Arts Council is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences to improve the quality of life for Worcester residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our City.
The Worcester Arts Council is a municipal body consisting of nine members appointed by the City Manager. The Council is charged with promoting the cultural affairs of the City of Worcester and allocating funds received by the Council for cultral projects and programs.
Worcester Arts Council Profile
Meet monthly on the 2nd Thursday at 6 p.m. During grant review season meetings will be held weekly until all grant applications have been reviewed. Grant review season is typically mid-November through December, due to the impacts of COVID-19 on finalizing the state budget, application due dates have been extended to December 14, 2020, and grant reviews will be completed in January 2021. A virtual Grant Writing Workshop was held in October 2020, which walked through the application process and answered questions from attendees. Watch the Workshop and View Slide Deck with additional information for applicants.
Date/Time of Next Meeting: TBA
The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is seeking community input through its 2021 Funding Priorities Survey. This survey will help the Council determine its funding priorities for the upcoming 2022 grant cycle, which begins in September 2021.
The survey is an opportunity for the community to provide input on arts and culture in Worcester. The responses directly influence where the Council allocates grant funds. The survey takes about 3-4 minutes to complete. The survey will be open through early August 2021.
The Council accepts grant applications based on guidance from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Grants are issued to support arts, humanities and interpretive sciences; visual artists, performing artists, science educators, historians and other humanists; as well as community, business and civic groups, social service organizations, schools, neighborhood centers, and youth, senior and family associations.
The Worcester Arts Council is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Worcester Arts Council
City Hall, 4th Floor
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-799-1400
Fax: 508-799-1406
Email Us
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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