2025-2026 CREATIVE SECTOR AGENDA
From left to right, Joanna Lydgate, Leah Abel of Circus Up, and Gov. Maura Healey.
ORGANIZING AND ADVOCATING FOR A STRONGER CREATIVE SECTOR IN MASSACHUSETTS.
We develop the Creative Sector Agenda every two years by organizing statewide listening sessions with artists, creative workers, cultural nonprofit leaders, creative entrepreneurs, and other members of the sector across Massachusetts. In these listening sessions, we ask the sector to identify what they need to continue to live, work, and create in the Commonwealth. We administer a statewide survey to collect feedback and use these insights to inform the Creative Sector Agenda.
In Fall 2024, the MASSCreative Action Network completed its latest statewide listening series. From this evaluation and analysis, the MASSCreative Action Network and Metropolitan Area Planning Council, along with our cross-sector allies and legislative champions, proposed three bills at the start of the 2025-2026 legislative session to build a stronger creative economy, increase the sector’s access to public funding and resources, and both grow and maintain creative maker spaces in Massachusetts.
THE 2025-2026 CREATIVE SECTOR AGENDA:
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H.3587 / S.2334: An Act to grow and maintain space in cities and towns for the creative economy
Sponsored by Rep. Dan Cahill and Sen. Liz MirandaThe Creative Space Act establishes “creative space” and “presentation space” land restrictions to protect and develop new creative production and exhibition spaces in Massachusetts. Spaces that are primarily used for the creation and practice of art, culture and creative expression by artists, creative workers, and artisans could be protected through these definitions. Applicable creative space use examples include, but are not limited to, sketching, design, prototyping, writing, rehearsing, composing, and recording, as well as developing, expanding, and maintaining skills and competencies that support creativity.
The Creative Space Act also establishes the option for municipalities to create their own Municipal Creative Space Trust Fund to acquire, purchase, maintain, and otherwise hold onto creative maker space assets.
This bill was assigned to the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
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H.224 / S.160: An Act improving accessibility in the creative economy
Sponsored by Rep. Dan Donahue and Sen. Paul MarkThe ACE Act would create a grant program so that arts, culture, humanities, and interpretive science organizations can have additional resources to make their programs and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.
The ACE Act would be funded through a small percentage of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services budget and would establish a commission to set the criteria for grant eligibility. The commission would be made up of a majority of individuals with disabilities and experienced disabilities advocates.This bill was assigned to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
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H.3592 / S.2332: An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement
Sponsored by Rep. Mary Keefe, Rep. Steve Ultrino, Sen. Paul Mark, and Sen. Robyn KennedyThe PLACE Act creates a percent-for-public-art program in Massachusetts. Under this bill, a percentage of public construction costs spent on Commonwealth-owned property would go to a public art fund to create and maintain public art. This bill creates a commission with representation from the creative community to set the criteria for eligible public art projects.
This bill was assigned to the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
Download the PLACE Act Fact Sheet.
Share your support by endorsing the PLACE Act.
The MASSCreative Action Network is endorsing the following legislation put forward by our partners at the Mass Cultural Council and SAG-AFTRA New England:
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SD.2045, An Act clarifying eligibility to the Massachusetts cultural facilities fund
Sponsored by Sen. Paul Mark
This legislation proposes a narrow, technical change to the Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) statute to ensure the CFF can invest in the state of good repair of all eligible municipal, nonprofit, and tribal cultural facilities, regardless of square footage or age. Today, state law requires municipal cultural facilities to be either a certain size or age to be eligible for a CFF grant. By amending and streamlining the statute’s definition of a “cultural facility” as it relates to municipal or tribal owned facilities, SD.2045 ensures all primarily cultural facilities owned by either tribal governments or municipalities are eligible to receive CFF grants. This legislation is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, which believes that this update to the statute allows the program to function as it is expected to and will allow the CFF to support investments into public cultural facilities in communities of all sizes and across all regions of the Commonwealth.
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HD.2132, An Act advancing Massachusetts from STEM to STEAM
Sponsored by Rep. Mindy Domb
This legislation proposes a small technical change to the Mass General Laws in the three sections where “science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM” is currently cited, by changing the wording to read “science, technology, engineering, art and math” and/or “STEM” to “STEAM”. This legislation is supported by Mass Cultural Council, which believes this step is key to a larger and more important policy conversation. The Mass Cultural Council believes that the arts, humanities, and sciences – the cultural sector – are key to harnessing creativity to problem solve and demonstrate skills that often bring economic success.
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HD.3986, An Act relative to the contracting of digital replicas
Sponsored by Rep. Tackey Chan
This bill would require a performer’s informed consent in executing a contract for any transfer of rights of that individual’s likeness or voice. This legislation is supported by SAG-AFTRA New England Local.
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HD.3987, An Act preventing an individual’s image and voice from exploitation
Sponsored by Rep. Tackey Chan
This bill expands on the Commonwealth’s current right-of-publicity law by including likeness and voice to covered protections and also adds postmortem rights. This legislation is supported by SAG-AFTRA New England Local.
HOW TO SUPPORT THE AGENDA
The MASSCreative Action Network is building a statewide, cross-sector, and cross-disciplinary coalition to advance the 2025-2026 Creative Sector Agenda. Take these actions today to support the creative sector in Massachusetts:
Endorse the Creative Sector Agenda
Endorsing these bills demonstrates that we have broad support for the Creative Sector Agenda. We will list you as a public supporter on our website and in communications with legislators.
Question: Can a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization endorse legislation without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status? Answer: Yes! Check out our guide for nonprofits to learn more.
Ask your State Senator and State Representative to co-sponsor these bills
Our elected officials need to hear from you, their constituent, about what matters to you and your community. Use this form to send a note to your elected officials asking them to co-sponsor the Creative Sector Agenda.
Get the word out - tell your colleagues, board, and people in your network about the Creative Sector Agenda
Help us increase public education around these bills by using your platforms to share these fact sheets and endorsement forms. Ask others to join you in supporting the Creative Sector Agenda.