The Massachusetts Cultural Council is pleased to release a new strategic plan for the next five years. Our long range planning process has spanned the course of two years. We have surveyed legislators, artists, and cultural leaders across the state, reassessed our mission and vision statement, and collected information about the current scope, scale, and health of the cultural sector. The result is more than just an internal document -- it's a roadmap for strengthening our communities by building a better future for the arts, sciences and humanities across the Commonwealth for the next several years.

The following strategic plan is also available as a PDF. [You will need Adobe's FREE Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher to access this PDF.]

2005-2010 Strategic Plan

Mission
The mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council is to promote excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.

 Vision
The Massachusetts Cultural Council believes that the arts, sciences, and humanities have the power to build healthier, more livable, more vital communities. They enrich, exalt and provoke. They are an essential part of a strong educational system. They contribute enormously to our economy. They build bridges across cultures. They can be used to address — or better yet, prevent — some of our most stubborn social problems. They help us interpret our past and shape our future. They help us understand what it means to be human.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council is committed to promoting a central place for the arts, sciences and humanities in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. The Council pursues this mission through a combination of grant programs, partnerships and services for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities and individual artists.

Goals

• To increase the pool of financial resources — public and private — available for the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences across the Commonwealth.

• To invest state dollars in cultural organizations, local cultural councils, schools, and artists.

• To help cultural organizations, local cultural councils, schools, and artists develop tools, skills, and relationships they need to increase cultural participation and thrive in the 21st century.

• To expand awareness and understanding of the power of the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences in building healthy, livable communities.

To increase the pool of financial resources — public and private — available for the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences across the Commonwealth.

• Maximize the Massachusetts Cultural Council's state and federal appropriations, in order to increase funds available for MCC grants and services.

• Support and encourage efforts by other public agencies, private grantmakers, municipalities, and individuals to increase their own support for the arts, sciences, and humanities in the state.

• Promote statewide programs and policies that encourage schools, districts, and communities to make deeper financial commitments to arts education.

• Aggressively promote new and increased public and private investments in cultural facilities and workspaces for artists.

To invest state dollars in cultural organizations, schools, and artists through increased funding for the following:

• The Organizational Support Program, to support public programs of not-for-profit cultural organizations with track records of excellence and community service.

• The Local Cultural Council Program, to promote efforts to make the arts, sciences, and humanities part of everyday life in every city and town in the state.

• Artist Fellowships, to support the development of Massachusetts artists — the individuals at the core of our cultural community.

• The Creative Schools Program and the YouthReach Initiative, to promote the education and development of our young people, both in school and out of school.

• The John and Abigail Adams Arts Program, to promote economic development and job creation through the arts, sciences, and humanities.

• Other grant programs initiated in response to the needs of our constituents — as opportunities and resources allow.

To help cultural organizations, local cultural councils, schools, and artists develop tools, skills, and relationships they need to increase cultural participation and thrive in the 21st century.

• Provide workshops, seminars, and one-on-one assistance for cultural organizations, local cultural councils, artists, and educators, to enhance their effectiveness, visibility, and long-term survival.

• Develop practical web-based tools to support the work of artists, cultural organizations, local cultural councils, and educators, and to facilitate business transactions within the cultural community.

• Provide opportunities for cultural leaders of all kinds to meet and learn from each other, creating networks that foster collaboration and cooperation.

• Help artists and cultural organizations integrate their work into school curricula and school cultures.

• Support, promote, and build public appreciation for the cultural traditions and expressions of the many diverse populations in Massachusetts.

To expand awareness and understanding of the power of the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences in building healthy, livable communities.

• Demonstrate the role of arts and culture in community development, economic development, youth development, education, and health care, both by funding innovative projects and by promoting the lessons learned and best practices within these projects.

• Build relationships with leaders in the fields of human services, community development, economic development, education, and healthcare to build the broadest possible coalition of advocates for the arts, sciences, and humanities in our communities.

• Provide current, pertinent information to cultural leaders and to the general public about the health of the cultural sector and the state of arts education in Massachusetts.

• Provide information and communication tools to local cultural councils, cultural organizations, arts educators, and artists to help them tell the story of the public benefits of their work.