Cultural Space Fund

Overview

The Cultural Space Fund provides funding to seed, stabilize, and expand cultural spaces in the City of Boston. The arts are essential to quality of life, community resiliency, and Boston's economy. Artists and cultural organizations need accessible spaces to develop talents, serve communities, and share work. Equitable access to cultural space is a key priority of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture.

Goals and Priorities

The Fund seeks to secure the long-term future of existing cultural spaces, expand equitable access to cultural space in Boston, increase physical space secured for cultural uses long-term, increase power for artists and cultural organizations regarding their spaces, and increase access to existing cultural spaces. Priority will be given to projects supporting spaces for underrepresented communities, spaces for cultural production, and projects addressing market gaps.

Eligibility

• Nonprofit organizations
• Cultural space operators (entities managing cultural space for artists and organizations)
• Groups of individual artists working together (fiscal sponsor required)
• Developers of affordable commercial and cultural space
• Creative sector businesses facing barriers to securing space
• Teams formed to respond to this opportunity with community representatives and space/building representatives
• Projects must be within City of Boston boundaries; individual applicants do not need to be Boston residents
• Fiscal sponsor may be required if not already established as a nonprofit

Eligible Uses

• Pre-development costs and capacity building (feasibility studies, capital needs assessments, design work)
• Organizing efforts related to cultural space and facility projects (business planning, community organizing, advocacy)
• Contribution to acquisition, design, construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, or capital improvement of cultural space
• Immediate emergency rental or relocation costs to respond to displacement threats (not ongoing rental costs)
• Efforts to deliver affordable commercial space for cultural uses (at least 20% below market rate)

Ineligible Uses

Funds cannot be used for general operating expenses, including staff salaries or ongoing rental costs. Emergency rental and relocation costs are covered only if facing displacement in the immediate future. For resources contributing to rental costs at a new location, consider the S.P.A.C.E Grant Program.

Funding

For 2022-23, the first year of the program, a total of $1.5 million was available. Funds came from the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture 2022-23 annual budget and contributions from development projects in the City of Boston. Priority will be given first to projects in South End Economic Development Areas, then to other South End, Chinatown, Roxbury, and South Boston locations, then to other Boston neighborhoods.

Contact

• Arts and Culture, 617-635-4445
• 26 Court Street Floor 2, Boston, MA 02108