Grants 2025
FY25-LCC-98015 & FY25-LCC-98023 A Common Thread Theatre Company, Inc. Community theater is a vital aspect of Framingham’s cultural landscape, offering a space for residents to engage with the arts, tell local stories, and reflect on broader societal themes. We will be staging Once Upon a Mattress in the summer of 2025 and Something Rotten in the Fall of 2025. We seek to broaden participation and representation both on stage and in the audience, aligning with Framingham’s vibrant and multicultural community. Engaging a broad spectrum of the community, we will make theater more accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the community. www.acommonthreadtheatre.org | |
FY25-LCC-88755 Joseph P Keefe Technical High School Drama Company presents Beetlejuice Jr Our production of Beetlejuice Jr. was a vibrant, community-centered project that brought together a diverse team of students, staff, and audience members. Over 500 audience members attended the performances, the majority of whom were adults, along with a number of children and families, making it one of our most well-attended shows to date. Our production of Beetlejuice Jr. was a vibrant, community-centered project that brought together a diverse team of students, staff, and audience members. Over 500 audience members attended the performances, the majority of whom were adults, along with a number of children and families, making it one of our most well-attended shows to date. | |
| FY25-LCC-103113 Framingham State University 2025 Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival The Swiacki Children's Literature Festival at Framingham State University is an annual celebration of children's books featuring renowned authors and illustrators in the field. The event includes book signings, lectures and workshops sharing the latest developments in the craft. Framingham State University (FSU) has hosted the festival since its inception (1986) and began coordinating the event in 2006. The 2025 Swiacki Children's Literature Festival will feature two award-winning creators, author Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James E. Ransome. | |
| FY25-LCC-105036 Access Framingham Film Festival @ Village Hall Access Film Festival brings the best films to MetroWest Boston while showcasing and supporting our local talent! Our festival is an exhibition of inspiring films across all genres, from around the world and right here in our community. Hosted in the heart of MetroWest Boston in partnership with Access Framingham, it is an exhilarating mix of informative workshops, fresh films, and lively networking events. A festival that is more than a fun time, it’s also an opportunity for filmmakers to expand their network, form new collaborations, and celebrate their work. It’s a chance for the community to experience new films they can’t see anywhere else and learn more about the filmmaking process. (Fall 2025) | |
| FY25-LCC-101606 Framingham History Center Art and the Family Archive 2025 Series This year-long series highlighted how a diverse group of New England artists transform family archives and memorabilia into contemporary works of art. Family photo albums served as a bridge across generations, offering deep insights into heritage and identity. For many artists, these archives become powerful tools for exploring themes such as nostalgia, memory, trauma, and belonging. The program included artist talks, interactive discussions, and hands-on workshops designed to engage the community. Participants gained understanding of artistic practices while cultivating a greater appreciation for how family archives shape both personal and cultural narratives. A dedicated craft component helped inspire members of our community to create their own projects rooted in their own histories. | |
| FY25-LCC-94037 Musicians of the Old Post Road, Inc. Open Dress Rehearsal: Through the Listening Glass The project is a free Open Dress Rehearsal at the Callahan Center by the classical period instrument ensemble Musicians of the Old Post Road for its concert entitled "Through the Listening Glass." The program features the rarely-heard Glass Armonica, an invention of Benjamin Franklin. Based on the idea of "singing glasses" (creating tones by wetting glass rims and applying friction), the instrument inspired many 18th-century composers (including Mozart!) to write for it. World-renowned Glass Harmonica virtuoso Dennis James will join the ensemble for this unique program of music for his instrument together with historical flute and strings. | |
| FY25-LCC-88870 Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. Our Framingham Legacy-Paper Bag Puppet Families @ SMOC The children, staff + families were enthusiastically involved in deepening their familial ties thru the construction, animation and performing of these Paper Bag Family Puppets-a Legacy forever! 1052 family/clan adults participated with 127 children participating. | |
| FY25-LCC-101427 Project SARANG - Colors of South Asian Music Dr. Shriya Srinivasan -Indian Classical Dancer (Bharatanatyam), Mahathi Athreya- Carnatic singer, Pranav Swaroop Bettagere -Carnatic Violinist, Prahlad Chakravarthy -Carnatic percussionist. This performance took place in the Costin Room at the Framingham Public Library on Sunday, May 18 at 2pm. There were 50 adults and 5 children in attendance. | |
| FY25-LCC-91910 Callahan Center 2025 Cultural Arts Series & FY25-LCC- 92120 2025 Humanities Series The Cultural Arts Series featured 12 programs that enabled older adults to explore and experience the joy of the arts through music, performance, and visual arts which included: Dublin Down, Irish & Celtic Folk Music; Lisa Yves, Sings and Plays Jewish Women in Song ; Eguie Castrillo, Latin Percussion; Michael Goodwin, The Golden Age of Musical Theater, Parts 1, 2 & 3; Illusionist Lyn Dillies; Smartphone Photography with Lynne Damianos (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced); Larry Rettig, Juggling Magician; and James Michael, the Broadway Baritone. The 2025 Humanities Series featured 15 informative and thought-provoking presentations designed for adult learners. These programs aim to stimulate intellectual growth and curiosity, encouraging thoughtful discussion and personal reflection. Together, we explored the people, places, and events that shape our values, history and world. | |
| FY25-LCC-88010 Chinese Family Network, Inc. Spring Harmony: Performances and Hands-On Fun Performances included Pathetique Sonata 1st Movement by Ludwig van Beethoven by Allan Cao (piano), Violin Concertino Op.25 by Oskar Rieding by Rachel Xie (violin), Scherzino by Timothy Brown by Lucas Liu (piano), Menuet, Minuetto, and Menuett by Serena Yu & Katherine Lian (flute and clarinet duet), Mariage d'Amour by Paul de Senneville by Sabrina Wang (piano). There was a pipe cleaner flower craft. The performances and activities were full of lively performances, creative activities, and heartfelt social interaction. The senior residents were deeply engaged—many clapped along to the music, smiled during the gift-giving session, and proudly shared their art creations with each other. One senior said, “They made me feel so special—it really brightened my day.” 130 adults and 10 children participated with 12 artists directly involved. | |
| FY25-LCC-100475 The Framingham Disability Cultural Series by Melina List The Framingham Disability Cultural Series is a series of programs that foster connections between disabled individuals, disabled cultural workers, and organizations in the city of Framingham. The series hosted events designed with accessibility and disability in mind from the very beginning of planning. As proposed, the project will exhibit established local disability culture and provide environments for the collaborative deepening of said culture. The series planned 4 events early in 2025.
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| FY25-LCC-99715 The Space Consortium, Inc. Inspiring Women in Space: A Panel for the Framingham Community The event was held as part of Massachusetts Space Week 2025 and took place on April 24, 2025 This panel discussion focused on the contributions of women in the space and STEM fields. It brought together four distinguished women from space agencies and private space companies to share their experiences, challenges, and achievements. The event included time for a moderated Q&A, allowing audience members to engage directly with the panelists. The goal is to inspire local women and girls to consider careers in space and science while promoting diversity and gender equity within the space sector. | |
| FY25-LCC-99877 The Space Consortium, Inc. Space Science Outreach for Framingham Youth: Exploring Astronomy and Planetary Defense The event was held as part of Massachusetts Space Week 2025 and took place on April 24, 2025. The Space Science Outreach for Youth aims to engage children aged 8-16 in the Framingham community with a hands-on workshop focused on astronomy, space exploration, and planetary defense. Through guided workshops, participants will learn about constellations, planets, and the basics of space observation as well as planetary defense, discussing asteroids, meteoroids, and space missions aimed at protecting Earth from cosmic threats. These workshops will be led by experienced educators and astronomers, combining theoretical lessons with practical discussions and hands-on activities. | |
| FY25-LCC-89273 Tranquility and Connection: Mindfulness Centered Programs at the Danforth The Tranquility and Connection programs encourage dialogue, reflection, and creativity. The series explores various ways of seeking respite, rejuvenation, contemplation, and inspiration. The programs are an unparalleled blend of art, reflection, and connection, where participants are invited to embrace the power of the present with the following mindfulness-centered experiences: Two beginner-friendly movement-based sessions led by a certified yoga instructor; A gallery talk centered on a work of art and the ways it invites deeper reflection into contemplative practice; A Meditation and Mark-Making workshop to unleash creative expression led by a teaching artist; A Community Remembrance Art Project allowing survivors of all ages to memorialize a loved one; A Sonic Listening program with Timothy McDonald’s exhibition providing a relaxing backdrop. | |
| FY25-LCC-99780 Steven M. Hurlburt “Jumpin’ Juba” JUMPIN’ JUBA, a blues and roots-music group, performed for at the Callahan Center. Continuously active in MA since 1999, the band presents its own arrangements of classic blues, jazz, rock and folk from New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago and other American locales. The music draws upon techniques and styles no longer commonly heard in modern blues, but featured prominently in the genres’ older classics from the 1940s and 50s. Look up "JUMPIN' JUBA concert" on YouTube. More info: stevehurl.com | |
| FY25-LCC-102540 Sean Fullerton CREEQUE ALLEY CREEQUE ALLEY, featuring Sean Fullerton and Dan Kirouac, will present a one-hour music program of Acoustic Folk music, written for the people, by the people, about the people. We will include educational talking points, along with a bit of humor, discussing the artists and songs of traditional American Folk music, the early 1960's Folk Revival, how it all influenced the Folk Rock of the mid to late 1960's, and how the music coincided with a turbulent and changing decade of music and culture. CREEQUE ALLEY will present their program with aa variety of Acoustic guitars, harmonicas, and tight vocal harmonies. Audience participation highly encouraged! | |
| FY25-LCC-91239 Walsh Middle School Field Trip to the Museum of Fine Arts Walsh Middle School 8th graders visited the Museum of Fine Arts with their language classes. This provided an interdisciplinary experience for the students to engage with the artwork and discuss in their target language (French, Spanish, and Mandarin). Students were able to view works of art from around the world with a special focus on those originating from the countries and areas who speak the target language. For example, French students spent the majority of time in the Impressionist collections as they interact with works by some of the French Impressionist artists they have studied in class. | |
| FY25-LCC-102611 Friends of Framingham Trails New Year’s Eve Event Friends of Framingham Trails (FoFT), in partnership with the City of Framingham, hosted our third annual New Year’s Eve event on the Cochituate Rail Trail on December 31 from 4:30pm to 7:30pm where groups will host fire pits and offer family-friendly activities. Providing an opportunity to be social and meet and greet our neighbors, and enjoy the CRT as a community asset, community organizations or groups will set up at a location with a fire pit. Fire pit hosts can greet people, provide entertainment, activities, offer information about their organization, neighborhood or group, serve hot drinks, s’mores or other treats, and celebrate New Year's Eve with style. | |
| FY25-LCC-99971 Norumbega Harmony We propose a concert of early American song as exemplified by Daniel Belknap (1771-1815), who lived and composed his music in Framingham, along with his contemporaries Timothy Swan from Worcester and anthem composer Jacob French of Medway. This type of music was created for local communities, especially parishes, where composers known as singing masters taught singing schools in order for local people to be able to sing proficiently. The progenitor of this compositional school was William Billings of Boston. The music is four-part vocal music a cappella. The concert will demonstrate the links between community life, these composers' works, and patriotic songs of the revolutionary and early republican eras. | |
| FY25-LCC-101100 Summer Reading: Level Up at the Library This program encourages and promotes reading for ages 4-12 through a reading adventure co-sponsored by the Mass. Library Association. As the school year ends, we visit the elementary schools to talk about our programs, and then host a kick-off party. Then there are 7 to 8 weeks of stimulating and fun cultural programs that take place on FPL property. We also provide weekly trivia and “guess-jar” contests, themed t-shirts, and free incentives for reading over the summer. These efforts are all aimed at keeping children engaged with reading and coming to the library, so that they can avoid boredom and keep the skills they worked hard on throughout the school year. This program can also enrich the summers of children who don’t or cannot go to a camp or travel. | |
| FY25-LCC-103795 Framingham State University Adventures in Lifelong Learning Adventures in Lifelong Learning is a successful collaboration between Framingham State University and the Framingham Public Library which provides MetroWest residents aged 60 and older with the opportunity to take courses in a variety if subject areas, including art history, literature, history, political science, ornithology, and music, among others. FSU faculty and other experts teach course online on four Fridays in January 2025, four Tuesdays in February/March 2025, and four Tuesdays in October 2025. | |
| FY25-LCC-91715 Framingham Public Library FPL Jazz Concerts: 2025 Summer Series FPL Jazz Summer Concert Series is a free music program hosted by the public library, offering the community an enriching cultural experience through live music. Designed to make the arts more accessible to everyone, FPL Jazz will feature local and regional musicians that reflect the diversity of the Framingham community in an informal and welcoming environment. This program will run twice a month through the summer, encouraging community bonding and offering a shared and accessible space for music lovers of all ages and backgrounds to come together and enjoy free, live performances at the library. | |
| FY25-LCC-92705 Framingham Public Library: Bachata by the Bookmobile The Framingham Public Library will host eight outdoor "Bachata by the Bookmobile" (Framingham Public Library Bookmobile) events, occurring twice a month from July to October. Each event will feature a one-hour beginner's bachata lesson led by a skilled dance instructor. The lesson will cover the origins of bachata in the Dominican Republic, details about the music—including the instruments used—etiquette for asking someone to dance, essential bachata steps, and a few introductory flashy moves. We prioritize inclusivity by using leader and follower language instead of gendered terms. Following the lesson, participants will enjoy an hour of social dancing to practice their new skills. | |
| FY25-LCC-94406 The Heritage Chorale “Heaven & Earth" Spring Concert The Heritage Chorale has sung beautiful music for the MetroWest region for 87 years, drawing audience and singers alike from the whole region. To rebuild our audience to pre-pandemic numbers of 300, and therefore our future, we will offer free tickets to our May concert for several groups in the Framingham area. The demographics of the groups chosen may assist the Heritage Chorale in a second Chorale objective: making our audience more diverse in age and ethnicity. | |
| FY25-LCC-97452 Framingham Public Library Spooktastic Book Fair 2025 on September 13, 2025 The Framingham Public Library is hosting the annual Spooktastic Book Fair with one or two special “Guests of Honor” they will showcase their literary work. The event offers something for readers of all ages | |
| FY25-LCC-95747 Framingham High School Drama Company, The Outsiders: Music Composition and Sound Design This year's entry into the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild Festival will be S.E. Hinton's coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders. Written in 1967, this story follows a young greaser by the name of Ponyboy and his life in Tulsa, Oklahoma as he navigates a society divided by class. We are thrilled to bring this famous story to the stage. With a recent resurgence of energy following the release of the new musical and the hit 1983 film, this story continues to withstand the test of time. We brought in a theatre specialist to compose the music and sound design for the production. They also worked with our students to teach the music to on stage musicians. | |
| FY25-LCC-87323Brophy Elementary School PTO Introduction to Animal Ecology with focus on Adaptations Southwick Zoo came to visit and present their Zoomobile, which has live animals for the kids, with the topic "Amazing Adaptations/Ecology in a joint assembly of 2nd/3rd graders. How do animals survive in the extreme heat or cold? How do animals avoid being eaten? What do pangolins, hedgehogs, and three-banded armadillos all have in common? Students will learn the answers to these questions and more during this program that is all about adaptations. The presenters will discuss how specialized behavioral, physiological, adaptation, and physical traits allow animals to survive in their environments. The teachers and students loved it! | |
| FY25-LCC-92656 Brophy Elementary School PTO David Biedrzycki Author Visit Local Author David Biedrycki presented to the second graders at Brophy. He inspired students to write and create their own stories. He shared his journal of ideas and drawings and how he creates a story form the ideas. He uses of digital technology to illustrate his books and conducted a live demonstration of the process. | |
| FY25-LCC-97471 Charlotte A. Dunning Elementary School Field Trip to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum We took the fifth-grade students at Dunning to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum as part We had SO much fun at the Boston Tea Party Museum! The weather was perfect for an adventure into the city of Boston. We were transported back in time to debate whether the tea should be unloaded from the ships and even threw some crates into Boston Harbor! The students really enjoyed the museum, the interactive exhibits and the historical guides that led us along our adventure. | |
| FY25- LCC-99819 Charlotte Dunning Elementary School PTO – Finding Nemo Jr. The Dunning PTO helped support Charlotte A. Dunning Elementary School produce the musical Finding Nemo Jr. The goal of this musical is to bring students and community members together in an artistic way that allows increased community bonding outside of traditional academic settings. We also aim to introduce theater and music early on in our students' education to foster a rich environment of arts in our Framingham educations. A large portion of funds awarded helped procure Musical Theater International (MTI) rights and other crucial productions costs. Our goal is to make this community event accessible to the entire Dunning community and beyond for as little cost as possible. Over two nights of shows we sold 775 tickets to local community members- it was a wonderful community event that has sparked interest in the Dunning Community to try for an annual show. These are words from a student performer: “Being a part of Finding Nemo Jr. was the most fun I’ve ever had! I loved making new friends and learning what being in a musical is all about. Getting to perform on stage in front of our friends and family was super scary at first but also the best experience!” | |
| FY25-LCC-92730 50s Dance Party at Callahan Senior Center Josef Nocera hosted a 1950s-themed "Sock Hop" event for the Framingham senior community, featuring live performances of music from the era. The event celebrated the culture and nostalgia of the 1950s, encouraging seniors to dance, socialize, and reminisce. Everyone enjoyed it and would love to come back again. | |
| FY25-LCC-91215 Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, Inc. The Massachusetts High School Drama Festival is one of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s largest events which annually draws an average of 120 participating schools. Framingham High School and Drama director, Chris Brindley have partnered with the METG to host TWO of the rounds of festival this year. At each site, eight regional schools will come together to perform one act plays for adjudication. Through participation in the festival, students with interests in acting, directing and technical theater gain valuable performance and production experience while also being opened to the work done by their peers in other towns. Students win awards for acting and technical excellence at the end of the day. | 44 |
| FY25-LCC-91833 Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Inc., Summer Brain Gain: Exposure to the World Around Us Traditional school calendars include over 10 weeks of summer break, leaving working parents scrambling to find affordable all-day care for their children. Many summer camps in Massachusetts are not affordable for many families. The Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest (BGCMW) solves this by offering weekly camps for $175, providing engaging activities through structured and unstructured time. The Summer Brain Gain program, integrated into camp schedules, helps prevent learning loss with creative, hands-on learning modules. For just $175 per week, youth access quality learning and fun activities like field trips to museums, parks, and beaches. This request funds two field trips for summer 2025: a Boston Duck Boat Tour and a visit to Old Sturbridge Village. | |
| FY25-LCC-102406 Framingham Centre Common Cultural District: Farmers Market Music The project is to bring cultural live performances to the Centre of the City of Framingham to showcase, highlight, and celebrate the diversity and immigrant population of Framingham through ethic diverse musicians and artists at the Farmers Market. | |
| FY25-LCC-86859 Barbieri School PTO: Beauty and the Beast Barbieri Drama Club is a volunteer-run PTO club that meets after school on Wednesdays. The club presented a fully-staged musical in late March; Beauty and the Beast. There were about 180 students (K-5) involved in the club! The students get hands on experience staging a play and gain confidence performing for their families, teachers, and classmates. It was a great community event. | |
| FY25-LCC-92878 Potter Road Elementary School: Crocodile River Music Crocodile River Music is a non-profit organization that provides African music, art, and dance to schools and communities around New England. The residency program includes a 45-60 minute interactive assembly concert, hands-on West African drumming and dance workshops, and a 10 piece African art collection in the school for a month. Students learned about and experienced West African traditions in a hands-on learning environment. | |
| FY25-LCC-99915 I believe academy – Media Arts Program Youth Media Video Arts Program is designed to engage youth in Framingham by providing dedicated training and video production opportunities for 14 19-year-olds, particularly from the South Framingham area. The program includes workshops to teach filming, editing, and media production skills, focusing on local arts and cultural events. A podcast component, “called "Its I Believe, Not Make Believe" has also been added to this program, enabling participants to produce content that addresses real-life issues faced by the youth in Framingham. The podcast will provide a platform for students to discuss relevant topics such as mental health, education, and community challenges. All produced content will be broadcast on AFTV, shared on YouTube, and published as podcasts across popular platforms. I Believe Academy Ep 6 | |
| FY25-LCC-87975 John Waterman: Live Music Making History Live Live Music Making History Live is a series of programs that use original songs & arrangements to inspire enthusiasm about and a desire to explore history. They are designed for libraries, senior centers, and other venues. "A Journey through the Roots of American Popular Music" explores characters & events at the origins of the blues, rock & country music. The event was held at the Framingham Public Library on Lexington Street. | |
| FY25-LCC-93687 The Theft of Dignity Presentation by Dennis Wise This presentation offers a valuable opportunity for anyone in the community to learn about bullying. Parents of bullied children, in particular, will find it especially enlightening and will walk away feeling more empowered. The Theft of Dignity explores what bullying is, where it originates, and how to address it effectively. The presentation examines these issues through examples from popular culture—including movies, TV shows, and novels, including my novel, "On Your Side." The Theft of Dignity is about fostering a more respectful, inclusive community for teenagers. | |
| FY25-LCC-101050 Performing Arts Center of Metrowest, Inc. presents Into the Woods Jr PAC has a long history of presenting quality musical theater performances, dating back to our occupancy of the Danforth Building in downtown Framingham. Our Spring Theater Program production will be "Into the Woods Jr," featuring students in grades 6-12. Rehearsals and performances are strategically scheduled to allow middle and high school students to participate during a time when there are little to no productions in local schools. In addition, the shows will be double cast so that every child will have a speaking role, which is not often possible in crowded school and community productions. Finally, our directors will be casting roles using a DEIB approach to ensure access to all. | |
| FY25-LCC-100332 Women in World Jazz- A tribute to Women Composers and Songwriters The goal of the concert is to introduce different cultures through music written by women composers and song writers around the globe. The ensemble strives to present the music in its cultural context performed in multiple languages and presents folk music from different countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. The presentation is accompanied by visuals -a slide show showing photos of the featured composer and her country. Members from Women in World Jazz will tell the stories from these women’s lives, cultures and music, and share this with a mixed age audience. (Sept 2025 at the Framingham Public Library) | |
| FY25-LCC-89921 Move with Eve: Yoga & Dance for Everybody by Eve Costarelli In partnership with the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham and its varied community partners, I propose a year-long fully accessible and inclusive movement-based project that is aimed at often overlooked communities who have little access to this type of program. Through weekly, all-inclusive, in-person programming, Move with Eve Yoga and Dance, which is now fully aligned with the ECAF’s monthly Social-Emotional Skills, will support young children's early development and will bolster a sense of peace, optimism and community through the physical, emotional, and developmental benefits of both yoga and dance. By having access to offer a full year of programming, I will have the opportunity to work with more varied Framingham groups: adults with baby/toddlers/young children up to age 8, and varied treatment and recovery centers and others seeking sanctuary. |