Got art? Apply for a grant

The Andover Cultural Council is committed to reaching all members of the community through supporting a cross section of activities. Concerts, vocal performances, live theater, dance, public art installations, storytelling, and family, student, and senior citizen programs have all been recently supported.

Funds are awarded annually. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) website. This year’s application period opened on September 1, 2022 and the application deadline was October 17, 2022 at 11:59pm(ET).  It is a selective process, and not all applications are approved. You can read more about our requirements and priorities below. ACC members are easily available and eager to talk with you about your project proposal or idea.

Do you have an idea for a project that will directly benefit Andover? Are you an individual artist? Cultural organization? How about a teacher, library or school? Local and regional individuals and organizations in the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences are all eligible to apply. Religious organizations are eligible if the project is cultural in nature and open to all. Remember, the application deadline was October 17, 2022 at 11:59pm(ET), and all applications must be submitted online through the MCC website. Interested? Visit the MCC website for complete information and instructions.

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at the Andover Council directly. We’d love to talk with you, and we can’t wait to see what you have in store!

ACC Funding Requirements

Your project must address local needs benefiting the Andover community. It must also be able to proceed with partial funding.

Your application must:

  • Name a lead artist, scholar, or scientist
  • A confirmed date and venue is strongly preferred. However, given uncertain, and sometimes changing conditions and requirements surrounding COVID, we realize that currently may not always be possible.  If that is the case, we request you make note of that in your application
  • Include support letters from any partners or co-participants involved (collaborators, partner organizations, venue and location partners, municipal and permitting agencies).  Applications will not be considered without this confirmed support information
  • The project budget must be balanced, realistic, and accurate.  It must reflect the entire project budget with as much detail as possible at the time of application.  And it must include all income, with notations about whether that income is confirmed, pending, or an identified opportunity.
  • All applications for arts-related projects taking place in Andover Public Schools, no matter the department or originating identity, must include a letter of support from the district’s Fine Arts Program Coordinator.  School projects are also urged to seek matching funds from their respective Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)
  • Field trip requests will only be considered from school groups.  Funds may not be used for transportation costs.

Andover Cultural Council supports excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences, and seeks to fund a range of projects that have a lasting cultural benefit, support working artists, and impact all segments of the community, particularly underserved populations.

We Prioritize Projects That…

  • Are innovative and take a new approach to addressing cultural change in our community, highlighting diversity, and inclusion of artists/scholars/scientists and target audiences (race, ethnicity, gender, cultural background, physical ability, and discipline)
  • Include collaborations, involvement and support of multiple constituencies in Andover
  • Have an element of flexibility, enabling them to be seen or experienced by an audience regardless of current public gathering concerns, and are not dependent solely on physical presence to experience

FIRST TIME APPLICANTS please note that we strongly encourage you to contact a council member well in advance of submitting your application.  This is to ensure that you are including all the necessary components in your application, and to give you the best possible chance for success in receiving a grant. 

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