Innovative Programs Funded by Local Cultural Councils

The Gold Star Program annually honors exemplary projects funded by Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) across the state. These projects celebrate diversity, foster collaboration, showcase artistic excellence, and provide learning experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Gold Star awards are nominated by Local Cultural Councils and are evaluated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council based on a variety of criteria including: artistic quality, success in reaching out to underserved constituents, educational value, and ability to engage with the community. Collectively, Gold Star Projects demonstrate the ways that culture contributes to the quality of life in cities and towns across the Commonwealth.

The 2008 Gold Star Projects are as follows:

Light of Cambodian Children was established in 1998 by a group of Cambodian college students and young professionals. Recognizing the challenges that many Cambodian youth face, the organization offers mentoring, scholarships and programs that encourage self-reliance and a commitment to their community.

The Cambodian Folktale Project introduced Cambodian youth to storytelling and book illustration through an intensive scholarly and artistic exploration of Cambodian folktales. The students were trained in interview techniques and then used their skills to collect the age-old folktales from their Cambodian elders.

Written in Khmer and English, the illustrated folktales have the potential to boost literacy for students of all ages who want to learn these languages. The Tiger and the Elephant, produced in 2007, is the inaugural book in the series. This is the first bilingual Cambodian folktale to be published in the United States.

“The Big Read,” a national project organized by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their community. The city of Attleboro took part in "The Big Read" with the “1 Adventure, 1 Book, 1 City” project. 7,000 Attelboro residents read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and participated in more than 40 literary and cultural events. The events promoted community dialogue and included a movie screening and discussion, public book groups, and school programs where students created art based on themes from the book.

Recognizing that digital technology has brought a means to many aspiring filmmakers, the Ashfield Cultural Council established the Ashfield Short Film Competition as a way to include a younger generation in council programs. The contest, dedicated to the legendary filmmaker and Ashfield resident Cecil B. DeMille, required that all entries be five minutes or less in length and feature an aspect of the town of Ashfield. A panel of volunteer judges viewed the submissions and winners were chosen.

The event culminated in a screening of the films, shown free of charge at Town Hall to an audience of more than 200 residents, including the filmmakers and many of the actors featured in the films. The winners were announced and prizes donated by local business were awarded. The enthusiastic response by the community has resulted in a second film competition being planned by the Ashfield Cultural Council for 2008.

The 3rd annual Arts & Music Festival, hosted on September 29, 2007, has evolved into the biggest cultural event in Lakeville. This annual event is designed to be a model of celebration and inclusion for the community of Lakeville.

The festival features local music, crafts, visual and performing arts, and demonstrations of fine art, pottery, weaving and wood carving. It also includes a high-quality juried art show and is a venue for local businesses, nonprofit organizations, churches and schools to spread awareness within the community. Lakeville residents and neighboring communities will enjoy another year of festivities, as the cultural council is planning the next “Arts & Music Festival” for fall 2008.

Jane Burke, a professional potter with degrees in chemistry and science education, developed “Teaching Math and Science through Ceramics.” This unique, interdisciplinary project served 80 3rd grade children and taught them about the geology of local clay and the chemistry of glazing. Students started by making their own clay recipes that taught them about fractions and quantities. They learned how to shape the clay into pinch pots which were then fired in a kiln, demonstrating how the firing process is like a volcano returning rock to a molten state.

Ms. Burke worked closely with classroom teachers to develop a tailored lesson that aligned with the students’ curriculum. After seeing the success of this program, Ms. Burke is looking forward to strengthening her relationships within the school so that more programs like this can come to fruition. She is currently collaborating with the math department in Great Barrington.

Therese Brady Donohue founded the Picture Book Theatre in 2006. The organization aims to provide an authentic experience to the many children whose first theatre experience is with the Picture Book Theatre. The productions aim to replicate illustrations from books onto the stage so that children will be able to easily follow along.

The company brought to life the Leo Lionni story Tico and the Golden Wings in the fall of 2007. The performance blended life size puppets, puppeteers and young dancers from the Amherst Ballet for audiences at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Original music was written by Massachusetts composer Karen A. Tarlowand and the costumes, puppets and backdrops for the show were designed and created by Ms. Donohue. Each child left the performance with a complimentary copy of the book with the hope of increasing an interest in reading after having visually experienced the story.

In its sixth year, Open Mic night is hosted by the Royalston Cultural Council. On the first Friday of every month, musicians of all ages and genres gather in the Royalston Town Hall to perform in front of a full house. Each month a “house band” emcees the evening and acts as a mentor to new performers and young musicians who are attending the Open Mic for the first time.

The Royalston Open Mic provides a great venue for live entertainment in the area and draws participants from neighboring communities. The evenings are a result of collaboration between many residents and town committees. It provides the opportunity for the community to gather and connect with one another and for musicians to perform and network.

The Writer's Group of the Salem Council on Aging is made up of 16 Salem residents in their 70’s 80’s and 90’s. The seniors worked on a project documenting their personal recollections on the changing face of Salem over the years. From these accounts, the Writer’s Group produced a book, Personal Perspectives of a Changing Salem, featuring 60 short essays.

The initial print run sold out and the book is now in its fifth printing. Having sold more than 1,200 copies since October of 2007, the book’s profits go towards the Senior Center. The work spawned many events at which the authors read from their work, signed books, and learned about marketing techniques from professional authors. The writers will be going into a Salem Elementary School to work with students on another writing project. The book was so successful that a second edition is in the works.