The Mass Cultural Council announced $7.5 million to more than 7,300 Community-Based Projects across the state – several involve older adults and intergenerational activity.

There are 329 local and regional councils (LCCs) that represent all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. LCCs are comprised of municipally appointed volunteers who allocate state funding from Mass Cultural Council by regranting it to community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences—including murals, lectures, festivals, and performances.

There are currently more than 2,400 LCC members serving statewide. Their efforts make it possible for communities to engage in and enjoy thousands of arts and cultural programs, projects, and initiatives each year.

Some of the grantees and programs that are age- and dementia friendly are listed below:

• Nantucket Cultural Council is funding Nantucket Community Television’s FABLES, a new documentary production inspired by children and created for Nantucket families, featuring elders’ personal narratives portrayed as animal fables — the culmination of a free, six-week storytelling course at the Nantucket Lighthouse School in March 2024, where island elders shared stories, life lessons, and engaged in intergenerational dialogue with youth.
• Springfield Cultural Council is supporting the ‘Remembering Us With Us 2025’ quilt project organized by the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition. The continued project involves recognizing those we have lost to a dementia related disease and helping to eliminate the shame associated with the disease.
• Newton Cultural Council’s supporting the ‘The Monologue Project: Voices of the Blind, Deaf and Physically Disabled’ program, an initiative that elevates the stories of Newton’s residents with disabilities through the powerful medium of personal storytelling.

The full list is available by LCC here.