ACTION: HEARING FOR THE CULTURAL EQUITY IN TOURISM GRANT

Written By Kelsey Rode

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Sculptor works on project imitating a head. Other features are decorative.

HEARING SCHEDULED

On Monday, October 16th, 2023 at 10 AM, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development is holding a hybrid hearing at the State House in Room A-1 covering tourism marketing, statewide laureates, and special events. One of the bills scheduled for a hearing on Monday is the Cultural Equity in Tourism Grant. 

The Cultural Equity in Tourism Grant (H.3244/S.2194) is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, October 16th, 2023

The Cultural Equity in Tourism Grant (H.3244/S.2194) would increase local and regional tourism to more culturally diverse events and spaces in order to support economic vitality for the whole Commonwealth. It would establish a grant program within the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to support tourism marketing and promotional expenses for arts and cultural organizations. The grant program would prioritize amplifying the stories of historically marginalized or underrepresented cultures.  

Now’s the time for advocates to share their support!

THREE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

  • One of the best things you can do to support this bill is to testify in person or virtually on October 16th. Both in-person and virtual attendees must register to testify by Friday, October 13th at 10 AM. Attendees testifying virtually will be emailed a link the day before the hearing to join via Microsoft Teams.

    The link to sign up to testify can be found here.

    Things to consider when testifying:

    Individuals testifying orally will have 3 minutes to speak. Those who will be testifying on more than one bill must adhere to the 3 minute time limit as well.

    If you miss the deadline to pre-register to testify, you may attend the hearing in person and sign up to speak on forms provided by committee staff. Individuals on this list will be called upon only after all pre-registered individuals have testified, time permitting.

    Individuals who would like to attend as a part of the panel must also fill out the pre-registration form mentioned above. Contact Derek Dunlea with any questions at Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov.

    ADA Accommodations:

    ADA accommodations shall be approved and requests must be submitted before Wednesday, October 11th at 10 AM. Requests should be made via email to Derek Dunlea at Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov.

  • Written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email with the subject line “Written Testimony - TACD 10/16/23.” This can be sent to Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov and Gabrielle.Hanson@masenate.gov.

  • Building support in the House and Senate is a crucial part of advocacy.

    You can look up your State Representative and State Senator here.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

Our team put together a suite of resources to help you share your support for the Cultural Equity in Tourism Grant. Here’s a quick list:

MASSCreative also put together a guide to help you feel confident in preparing for the hearing and testifying. You can find the guide HERE.


Have questions on whether your nonprofit organization can advocate on bills? We have a guide for that, too! You can find the guide for Nonprofit Organizations & Advocacy HERE.

Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we took time to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month, and talked about the status of arts education funding and voting protections.

6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we discussed mapping our roles in a social change ecosystem, talked about proposed legislation to address COVID-19 voting options, the 2020 Census, and reviewed federal and state supports for the creative sector.

6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars

In this webinar, we had a community conversation about mapping our social change roles during times of crisis.

News
MOAC CULTURAL INVESTMENT GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Last week, MOAC for the City of Boston announced that they are establishing a $10M multi-year Cultural Investment Grant funded through local ARPA appropriations.

Creative Sector Advocates Request $5 Per Resident in Healey’s FY24 Proposal

“Budgets are a reflection of our priorities: what we choose to spend public funds on is in direct relationship to what we value. The creative sector plays a crucial role in the vibrancy of our cities and towns. Artists, creative workers, and cultural organizations strengthen our connections to each other and our communities.” said Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative

Kelsey Rode
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