East Longmeadow Cultural Council helps community events come to life
EAST LONGMEADOW – Cultural events often add to the sense of community in a town. For East Longmeadow, many of these events are made possible through grants from the East Longmeadow Cultural Council.
The East Longmeadow Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils serving 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said council member Jane Riley. The Mass Cultural Council receives funding from the state each year, which is then allocated to each community.
Organizations, programs and others can apply for funding from the City’s Cultural Council. Grant applications are reviewed at the beginning of the calendar year and award winners are notified in February or early March.
“These grants support a variety of arts projects, educational opportunities, activities and performances at our local library, the Pleasant View Senior Center, the East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade, Celebrate East Longmeadow 2022 and the series of East Longmeadow concerts. The goal is to provide programs for all age groups,” Riley said in a press release.
The East Longmeadow Cultural Council approves about a third of the applications it receives each year. This year, the organization approved 13 of the approximately 35 applications received. The main criterion for the grant is that the program or event benefits the community. “Organizations seeking funding don’t have to be based in East Longmeadow, but programs must take place in town,” Riley added.
“We try to give them as much as they ask for,” Riley told Reminder Publishing, but sometimes the council funds part of a project, instead of the whole thing.
From a watercolor program at the library to rotating concerts to the 4th of July parade, certain programs apply each year. In June, for the first time, the council will help fund an “arts and beer festival”.
The 2022 recipients of East Longmeadow Cultural Council funding are:
New England Swing Orchestra Concert
Celebrate EL 2022
4th of July Parade
The jellyfish: warm pastel painting
Her hop dance chair exercise for seniors!
It’s an insect life
Jeff Gavioli and His Jazz and Blues Orchestra Bad News
Music & Education Event
Boston University Model United Nations
Earth Rhythms: Songs for the Environment
Introducing cultural diversity through music – “Songs of Diversity”
World War II Songs
2022 Summer Concert Series
For more information on performance, visit https://www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/266/Cultural-Council.
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