Grants for Creative Individuals (Massachusetts Cultural Council): Application Open Through December 11, 2023

Taking the place of long-running programs such as the Artist Fellowship, Cultural Sector Recovery Program, and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships, the Grants for Creative Individuals program seeks to “equitably advance creativity throughout the Commonwealth with unrestricted grants to individuals who demonstrate achievement of creative expression and commitment to their artistic/cultural practice.”

Eligible applicants can apply for unrestricted grants of $5,000, which will be awarded to “artist[s], culture bearer[s], or creative practitioner[s] active in any artistic/creative discipline… [who] demonstrate achievement of creative expression and commitment to their artistic/cultural practice.”

Who Can Apply

MCC encourages you to apply if you are:

An artist, culture bearer, or creative practitioner active in any artistic/creative discipline. For this program, the definition of “artist/culture bearer/creative practitioner” includes individuals whose creative expression is based in: community-based arts, crafts, dance, design, digital, film/video, folk/world/traditional arts, native/indigenous arts, literature, music, performance, photography, theater, and visual arts.

If you have any questions about whether your work is eligible for this grant, contact the MCC.

AND you meet all the following requirements:

• You are 18 years of age or older.
• You are a full-year resident of Massachusetts for calendar year 2023 AND when grants are awarded in Spring 2024. This means you maintain your “legal residence” in Massachusetts, and you meet the definition of a “full-year resident”. Both terms are defined in the Massachusetts tax code.
• You are not currently enrolled at a college or university as a full-time undergraduate student or as a graduate student in the arts.
• You did not receive a Cultural Sector Recovery Grant, Artist Fellowship grant, or a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant over $2,000 in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
• You are not a governor-appointed Mass Cultural Council member. Mass Cultural Council staff and family are likewise ineligible to apply.

Additional Information

As this award is made directly to the individual, submission through Emerson College and coordination with ORCS is not required.