Cultural Council

Overview

Dear Reading Residents & Friends

Welcome to The Reading Cultural Council. We are part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) serving all cities and towns in the Commonwealth. Together we are the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation! LCCs award over $3 million every year, supporting more than 6,000 cultural programs across Massachusetts.

The Reading Cultural Council (RCC) is comprised of volunteer residents of Reading. The RCC accepts and reviews grant applications and awards funds to individuals and organizations hosting cultural programming that serves our community. These include school field trips, after school programs, concerts, festivals, lectures, theater, dance, music, and film. The projects take place in schools, community centers, libraries, elder care facilities, town halls, parks, and wherever the community comes together.

Funding for the Reading Cultural Council comes from the Massachusetts state legislature. The Town of Reading supplements those funds to encourage a vibrant cultural community in our town.

What You Need to Know to Apply for a Reading Cultural Council Grant

The Mass Cultural Council has moved the application process to a new Grant Management System. Even if you have applied in the past, you will probably have to register again to create an account on the new system.

To start, read the RCC guidelines and priorities. There is a button on the page that says "Apply Now" that will take you to the login page. Your previous account may have been moved to the new system, but you will probably have to register again. There are brief instructions at the bottom of the login page that tell you how to reset your password. If that does not work, simply register again to create your account.

Filling out the contents of the application will be mostly the same as it has been in the past, but because of the new Grant Management System, there are some minor differences. The MCC held a webinar on September 9, 2021 to do a walkthrough of the new process. You can view a recording of the webinar on the MCC YouTube channel.

General information about the MCC is available on the MCC website. There you will find general guidelines, promotional tips, and links to their webinars.

https://massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/reading/

Join the Reading Cultural Council

If you have a passion for local arts and culture, or just want to work to continue to make Reading a great place to live, consider joining our Council. Members of the Reading Cultural Council are volunteers appointed by the Reading Select Board. Email the Reading Cultural Council, or submit a Volunteer Application (PDF) to the Reading Town Clerk.