culture
Community and Movement Driving This Cultural Shift
Grassroots networks in Boston neighborhoods are reshaping festival programming through sustained local organizing ahead of this summer's events.
How we reported this
The Roxbury Cultural Collective will open its expanded festival on August 8 at the Strand Theatre with three days of performances backed by a coalition of 12 neighborhood groups.
This shift arrives as city funding for arts events fell 18 percent last year while private grants from the Boston Foundation rose to cover gaps in programming at venues like the Institute of Contemporary Art.
Local networks at work
Organizers meet monthly at the Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont Street to coordinate lineups that prioritize artists from Dorchester and East Boston over national touring acts. The group secured a $45,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in March to add youth workshops at the Dudley Square branch of the Boston Public Library.
Similar planning happens at the East Boston Community Center on Maverick Street where residents voted in May to dedicate half the stage time to local salsa and hip-hop ensembles rather than imported headliners.
Numbers behind the change
Attendance at last year's comparable events reached 22,000 across four weekends according to Boston Parks Department records with average ticket prices listed at $12 for general admission. This year's budget allocates $8,500 for sound equipment upgrades at the Strand alone.
Residents can check the Roxbury Cultural Collective website for the full August schedule and purchase advance passes starting at $10 through the Boston Center for the Arts box office before July 25.