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Massachusetts Cultural Council director says partnerships have "leveraged approximately $2 million," staff proposes strategic-plan extension
Summary
At the Oct. 22 Executive Committee meeting, Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt said new partnerships have "already leveraged approximately $2 million going to the cultural sector through funding and services." Staff recommended extending the Strategic Plan through 2028 to develop a 'Creative Massachusetts 2035' plan; the Committee agreed to defer a vote to the full Council on Oct. 29.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Committee, Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt told members the agency’s recent partnerships have "already leveraged approximately $2 million going to the cultural sector through funding and services." He said those partnerships — including work with MassChallenge, MassHealth and the Executive Office of Economic Development — are positioning the state’s cultural sector for expanded public-private collaboration.
Bobbitt said staff are recommending that the Council extend the current Strategic Plan through 2028 to allow time to operationalize ongoing initiatives and to begin work on a longer-range "Creative Massachusetts 2035" plan. "Part of the extension includes implementing the current plan by creating a 'Creative Massachusetts 2035 plan'," he said, describing the proposal as a forward-looking approach to economic impact and sector development.
The Committee discussed how to frame the extension. Jo-Ann Davis said the plan should include measurable benchmarks; Julie Wake urged flexibility to respond to rapid changes, including potential impacts from artificial intelligence. Deputy Executive Director David Slatery noted the meeting materials highlighted achievements under the current plan and described suggested updates in red.
Bobbitt also reviewed recent outreach and events: he spoke at the OneCape Summit in Harwich, joined a panel with Council member Julie Wake, and attended conferences including the American Society of Landscape Architects meeting and Yale’s Cultural Innovation Lab. He noted the Oct. 31 "Degrees of Change" convening co-hosted with Boston University will be the first in a two-part series aimed at improving graduate outcomes and business acumen among arts graduates.
The Committee agreed to prioritize a fuller discussion at the full Council meeting on Oct. 29 and postponed any vote on the extension to allow broader Council input.
The Executive Committee approved routine meeting minutes and other procedural items earlier in the session and adjourned at 11:54 a.m.
