Grants

Online Grant Writing Workshop: Wednesday, October 21

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The Winchester Cultural Council grants program is continuing this year! Cultural activity is more important than ever in this stressful time, and it appears that our lawmakers will recognize that with grant funding levels similar to last year. The application deadline is November 16. The Cultural Council encourages everyone to consider applying for a grant. While the future is uncertain—many "traditional" projects (such as performances or in-person talks) might not be possible for a while—this could be an ideal time to try something new.

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2020 REVISED Cultural Council Grant Schedule

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Each year, the Winchester Cultural Council gives grants for cultural activities in town with funding provided by the Massachusetts legislature and the governor and distributed through the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Because of the current health crisis, the grant application schedule has been delayed, but grant applications are  now available. Following are the important dates:

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Winchester Cultural Council Announces 2024 Grants

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The Winchester Cultural Council awarded $16,275 in grants for 2024 to 16 individuals and organizations.  Funding for these grants came from the annual Local Cultural Council funding program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and from the citizens of Winchester, through the Town of Winchester's own budget. Following is a list of the grants, in roughly chronological order.

  • Creatives on the Common (all year 2024)
    A series of artist gatherings hosted at the Studio on the Common arts and pottery studios, providing an opportunity for artists (and aspiring artists) to gather in order to share skills, seek inspiration, work on unfinished projects or start new ones and share in opportunities to create together.
  • Tanglewood Marionettes: An Arabian Adventure (January 30, 2024)
    The Winchester After School Program (Kids’ Corner) hosts the Tanglewood Marionettes for a performance blending story-telling, culture and the art of puppetry.
  • Chinese New Year celebration (February 11, 2024)
    An annual festival for everyone at held Winchester High School, organized and hosted by Winchester School of Chinese Culture for nearly 20 years.
  • Mapping & Data Art Project (February 2024)
    Supporting transportation for Winchester High School Honors Art students to the Boston Public Library’s Leventhal Map Center and the Mary Baker Eddy Library Mapparium, with STARS resident SciArtist Soren Meibom.
  • Kid Art with Studio on the Common (April–September 2024)
    In support of monthly single-session art classes at the Winchester Public Library for students in grades 3–5, led by an artist from the Studio on the Common.
  • Tales of Now & Zen: A Story Program for Adults (May 11, 2024)
    Nationally-acclaimed Japanese storyteller Motoko presents a performance of charming tales for adults and seniors at the Winchester Public Library. Clad in a traditional kimono and armed only with a fan as a prop, Motoko weaves together ancient Asian lore, traditional songs, the 17th-century Rakugo tales, and oral memoirs from her childhood in Osaka and her life as an immigrant artist and mother.
  • Winchester Steel Pan Project (Spring 2024)
    In support of the formation of a traditional Caribbean Steel Pan Ensemble at the Winchester Community Music School through the purchase a basic set of steel drums. The ensemble would perform at various community events, especially those in outdoor settings. Supported in part by town funding.
  • Seniors and Young People—Linking Generations Through Music (Spring 2024)
    An interactive performance by the Boston Saxophone Quartet (BSQ) at the Jenks Center. Beginning with guided discussions where participants share their experiences, the BSQ plays music based on those experiences, drawing on diverse musical styles, including Classics, Ragtime, Swing, Jazz, Musical Theater, and Pop.
  • Winchester Porchfest (June 8, 2024)
    Porchfest is a unique, volunteer-organized, one-day community-building music festival where Winchester residents lend their porches as pop-up micro-stages to amateur musicians, who showcase their musical talent to neighbors, all other community members, and visitors from other towns.
  • Photoville x Winchester V (June–September 2024)
    Now in its fifth year produced by the Griffin Museum of Photography and Photoville, the exhibit is a public art project filling the outdoor spaces of Winchester with photographs and the stories behind them. Fifteen cube structures with four-sided panels display images from local, national and international artists, communities and cultures. In addition, the Winchester Cultural District and the Griffin work with the Winchester Community Music School to add unique musical performances to the images. Supported by town funding.
  • This is Us—Our Town (June–September 2024)
    A photographic essay about what makes a community, featuring the work of the local residents of Winchester and produced by the Griffin Museum of Photography. Residents of all ages are invited to submit images for printing on a banner that will hang on the walls of the Griffin Museum Rotary Terrace. Supported by town funding.
  • Arts Exploration for Adults (June–October 2024)
    A series of five 90-minute hands-on art lessons for adults conducted by the Pop Up Art School at the Winchester Public Library. Each class will focus on a different medium: wool felting, clay sculpting, pencil drawing, acrylic canvas painting, and watercolor painting. The instructor demonstrates basic techniques for the medium and then guides participants step-by-step in completing a project.
  • How COVID brought a community together: The making of Save Erce (Premiere in July 2024)
    Brio Integrated Theatre will produce a short documentary about the making of the podcast Save Erce, which it produced before, during and after COVID. The video will illustrate how this project brought hope to the community despite the hardships of the shutdown. Brio is a small non-profit arts organization that works with people with disabilities.
  • Japanese Textile Art / Peace Prayers (Summer 2024).
    A cultural creative experience for participants of all ages led by Kiyomi Yatsuhashi that culminates in an outdoor public art installation of Prayers for the Earth and Prayers for peace. Participants learn to shibori dye a small piece of fabric which will become part of a public art outdoor installation of prayer flags in locations such as Wright-Locke Farm, Winchester Town Common and the Middlesex Fells. If desired, prayer flags could also be made and sent to areas affected by war and natural disasters.
  • Griffin Terrace Series (Summer 2024)
    An outdoor summer concert series at the Griffin Museum of Photography produced by the Winchester Cultural District. Past events have included music, Porchfest, poetry, children's theater, and beer gardens. The three events in 2024 will focus on world music. Supported by town funding.
  • Winchester Cultural District Sculpture Sponsorship (October 2024)
    To support continuation of the outdoor sculpture exhibitions along the Riverwalk in the Winchester Cultural District. Supported by town funding.

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Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant Opportunities

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On October 5, 2023, the Massachusetts Cultural Council shared the following list of six grant programs that offer support to cultural creators throughout the year. We encourage everyone to consider applying for a Winchester Cultural Council grant (deadline Oct. 17, part of the Local Cultural Council grant program), but you might also find one of these programs to be a great fit.

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Apply Now for a Grant! Deadline is Oct. 17, 2023

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The Winchester Cultural Council invites applications from organizations, schools and individuals of all ages for grants that support cultural activities in the community. Those activities can include performances, workshops, lectures, exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies, historical preservation, or other artistic projects and activities in Winchester.

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Winchester Cultural Council Announces 2023 Grants

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The Winchester  Cultural Council has announced the awarding of $22,500 in grants in 2023 for 17 projects by 15 different individuals and organizations. The awards represent the largest total giving by the WCC in its 42-year history. This level of support was made possible by an increase in state funding together with strong support for culture and the arts from the town of Winchester. Grant projects and recipients are listed below.

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Porchfest 2022: set for June 11, now open for sign-ups

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Winchester's second annual Porchfest is moving ahead with a performance date of June 11, 2022 and a location of all around the town. Performances will be in the afternoon, from noon to 5:30 p.m. Organizers are actively seeking

Winchester's Online Chinese New Year Celebration

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All are welcome to join the Winchester School of Chinese Culture and many of your neighbors to enjoy a show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtq7nIeIF2w that is packed with exciting performances by parents and students in a joyous celebration the New Year of the Tiger. The performance was originally streamed on February 5, 2022. It was supported by a grant from the Winchester Cultural Council.

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