PAST ACTION: FY24 State Budget Say Thank You to the House

Written By Jaz

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On April 27, 2023, the House passed its FY24 Budget and included $25 million for the Mass Cultural Council’s annual operations and grant programs. MASSCreative Action Network is preparing a thank you letter to House leadership sharing our appreciation for this 11% increased investment in arts, culture, and creativity in the Commonwealth. We are collecting signatures from artists, creative workers, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and arts, culture, and creativity supporters. Please add your signature to our letter today.

Dear Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz and Chair Domb,

First, thank you for your leadership and service to the people of the Commonwealth. We wish to thank you for including $25 million for the Mass Cultural Council’s line item 0640-0300 in the House FY24 Budget. This represents an 11% increase from the FY23 allocation and $3.58 per capita of annual state investments - keeping Massachusetts within the top ten states, nationally, for creative sector support. 

In the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' most recent Creative Economy Satte profile report, Massachusetts’ creative sector generated $27 billion in economic value for the Commonwealth, more than the construction and utilities sectors. Thanks to this year’s budget allocation, we know you and your colleagues in the House understand the significant impact of artists, creative workers, cultural organizations, and creative businesses that comprise the Massachusetts creative sector. 

As a sector, we are eager to continue our work: connecting communities, amplifying their voices, celebrating the diverse cultures in Massachusetts, and generating significant economic activity in every region of the Commonwealth. The $25 million state investment in the Mass Cultural Council will make this possible. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Members of the Creative Community

We closed sign-ons for this petition on Friday, May 5th, at 5 pm. We will update this post with the names of the individuals and organizations who signed on shorty.

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
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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.

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“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

Jaz
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THE CREATIVE SECTOR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA