The Gaming Mitigation Program provides capital to non-profit and municipal performing arts centers in Massachusetts to preserve their ability to compete in a new, unbalanced marketplace.
Donor Name: Mass Cultural Council
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/08/2022
Details:
The Gaming Mitigation Program, established by MGL Section 59 chapter 23K, aims to mitigate a direct threat to the sustainability of non-profit and municipal performing arts centers in Massachusetts by providing capital to preserve their ability to compete in a new, unbalanced marketplace.
This is important because performing arts centers:
- Are economic engines for communities
- Ensure access to the arts across the Commonwealth
- Are centers of community gathering and place making
- Provide young people creative learning opportunities
Grants will be awarded using a formula as the primary factor. However not all eligible applicants are guaranteed to receive funding. Grant amounts will be determined depending on the amount of funding available, the number of applicants to the pool, and the need to target funding to those most directly impacted by the operation of resort-style casinos.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must meet all three of the following characteristics described in-depth below:
- Applicants must be a performing arts center
- Applicants must be a non-profit OR municipally owned
- Applicants must present touring shows or artists
Applicants must be a performing arts center, which means:
- The organization’s primary mission must be to promote access, diversity, or education in the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences.
- The organization commits 50% or more of their operating expenses to the performing arts. Performing arts are types of art that are presented live for an audience; examples include dance, music, opera, musical theater, theater, folk/traditional dance, and/or music.
Applicants must be a Massachusetts non-profit OR owned by a Massachusetts municipality:
- Non-profit performing arts centers include fully-cultural performing art centers and cultural affiliates as defined below that meet the relevant requirements for each.
- Fully-cultural non-profit performing arts center:
- A legally-recognized 501(c)3 performing art center in good standing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Non-profit performing arts centers managed by separate non-profit managing organizations.
- The managing entity must have a long term (at least 5 years) contract, lease, or deed articulating their management responsibilities.
Cultural affiliate performing arts center: A semi-independent performing art center that operates under a non-cultural parent organization.
The primary mission of the cultural affiliate must be to promote access, diversity, or education in the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences. The parent organization for the cultural affiliate must be a Massachusetts recognized non-fully-cultural 501(c)3 organization in good standing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For example, a theater at a university or a performance venue at a social service organization. The parent organization for the cultural affiliate must be a Massachusetts recognized non-fully cultural 501(c)3 organization. For example, a theater at a university, or a performance venue at social service organization.
In order to be considered an eligible entity, in addition to meeting the eligibility requirements for all non-profit applicants, the cultural affiliate must:
- Manage their own budget.
- Have at least one full-time (min. 30 hours per week) compensated administrative staff position dedicated solely to operation of the performing arts center.
- Have its own advisory board that meets regularly to discuss policy, strategic direction, and resource development plans to ensure long-term sustainability.
Municipally-owned performing art centers include:
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- Municipally-owned performing arts centers managed by the municipality itself.
- Municipally-owned performing arts centers managed by an eligible managing organization:
- The managing organization must have a long term (at least 5 years) contract, lease, or deed articulating their management responsibilities.
- Eligible managing organizations include:
- A legally-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit
- A for-profit managing company
- Ineligible managing organizations include:
- Resort-style or slot parlor casinos
- For profit or non-profit managing companies that operate under the direction of resort-style or slot parlor casinos
- Applicants must present touring shows or artists: Touring shows or artists must be an independent entity being presented as a guest at the organization.
- Touring artists featured in a piece produced by the applying organization are only considered an independent entity if they are considered a headliner(s) with name recognition that is used as a marketing tool.
- Touring shows and artists MUST ALSO meet at least TWO of the following three criteria
- Appears on one of the below (or similar, but not listed) artist rosters.
- Pollstar, CreativeGround, Bands in Town, Songkick, Association of Performing Arts Professionals, CINARS
- Appears on one of the below (or similar, but not listed) artist rosters.
- Has performed in at least three states (including MA) in the last three years. (Must include link to artist/show schedule in the application.)
- Has established artist representation.
- CAA, CAMI, High Road Touring, Jensen Artists, IMG Artists, Paradigm Agency
Grant funds must be spent on fees paid to touring shows or artists which can include:
- Payments to the touring show/artist including bonuses and percentages for in-person and/or virtual performances.
- Housing costs for the touring show/artist for in-person performances.
- Travel costs for the touring show/artist for in-person performances.
For more information, visit Gaming Mitigation.
