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Cultural Council

The Nahant Cultural Council (NCC) promotes excellence, education, diversity, and inclusion in the arts, humanities, and science by awarding grants funded by the Mass Cultural Council. Over the past few years, this funding has supported a variety of programs in Nahant, such as:

  • Art, Nature, Nahant: Celebrations of arts and crafts, music, poetry, and dance
  • Ellingwood Chapel Concert Series
  • Christmas Concerts
  • Nahant Music Festivals
  • Forty Steps Dance
  • Bridging the Divide – Respectful Conversations, an initiative of the Nahant Village Church
  • Programs in collaboration with the Nahant Council on Aging, the Johnson School, the Nahant Historical Society, and the Nahant Library

The NCC awards grants based on review criteria. An applicant should be a Nahant resident or work with a sponsoring Nahant organization, such as the NCC, the Nahant Council on Aging, the Nahant Historical Society, etc. Applications open in early September, close in mid-October, and are announced by the NCC in mid-January. More information is available at: https://www.nahantarts.org/

Nahant Cultural Council Activities:

FY26 Grant Awards:

  • Katharina Radlberger, Tales of Spring – Love Stories and New Beginnings, a Violin/Piano Concert, Spring 2026, $975.00
  • Joy Powers, To the Moon and Back, a circus show for all ages, date tbd, $546.00
  • Nahant Public Library, Winter Music Series, a series of three concerts featuring jazz, classical guitar, and Latin songs, February-April 2026 $936.00
  • Ute Gfrerer, Sing Together, a community-focused music event that invites people of all ages to experience the joy of singing together, Summer 2026, $1,988
  • Johnson Elementary School, Cultural Art Trip Club, an after-school program for students to visit museums, galleries, and artists studios across MA, 2025-2026, $1,392
  • The Delvena Theatre Company, Inc., A Christmas Carol, a dramatic reading, date tbd, $542.00

Funding Priorities:

  • Programs with a focus on humanities, local art/artists, music/musicians, culture, history, or nature/environment.
  • Community wide events, including festivals, concerts, plays, performances, exhibits, lectures, fairs, etc.
  • Opportunities for local residents, children, youth, and seniors to participate
  • Programs to expand local support and understanding of diverse or underserved populations
  • Projects that demonstrate artistic or creative merit, good design, documented qualifications, accessibility, and community benefit/involvement.

Guidelines:

  • Only programs developed by a Nahant resident or programs developed by a non-resident with sponsorship by a Nahant organization will be funded.  Applications sponsored by a Nahant organization should include a letter of support from them for the project.
  • All funded projects must take place in Nahant, benefit Nahant residents, and be accessible to the general public. Please refer to Mass. Cultural Council Guidelines at https://massculturalcouncil.org/documents/lccguidelines.pdf
  • Applicants are encouraged to blend additional funding for their projects.
  • Applications must provide financial details and detailed planning for their project.
  • Applicants who have received funding for multiple years will have a lower funding priority.
  • Funded programs must credit the Nahant Cultural Council & the Mass Cultural Council on all advertising, promotion materials and on the day of the program (via social media or at the venue, etc.). Grant applicants are responsible for all promotions of their event with the collaboration of the venue or organization.
  • The Nahant Cultural Council (NCC) will not accept applications for grant funding where an NCC member is the principal applicant or has a financial interest the proposed project.  The NCC welcomes the contributions of its members to support a proposed project on a volunteer basis and be named in an application as such.  In accordance with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, all NCC members will abide by Massachusetts conflict of interest policies.

NCC meetings are held monthly in the Town Hall and are open to the public.  We welcome you to share your ideas on cultural programs here in Nahant. Contact us at: culturalcouncil@nahant.org