The creative sector faces unprecedented opportunities and significant threats in today’s challenging economic climate. With strained government budgets, making decisions about public investments is increasingly complex, and this year demands action. As community builders and economic drivers, creative professionals are essential to the vitality of Massachusetts communities, yet our sector often struggles for the recognition and support it deserves. That’s

By John Andrews In a recent Boston Globe article, reporter Janelle Nanos painted a vivid picture of New England businesses’ economic uncertainty. From car dealerships to farmers to ice cream shop owners, the unpredictable policy landscape creates what one business owner aptly called “its own kind of tax” on our regional economy. As advocates for our vibrant creative economy, we

By John Andrews, Creative Collective founder. In a world where political headlines spark heated debates and social media algorithms amplify our differences, we at Creative Collective believe there’s a powerful antidote to division hiding in plain sight: community-centered small businesses and creative spaces. When Politics Divides, Local Businesses and Creativity Connect The political landscape has always featured opposing viewpoints—that’s the

Thank you to Derek Craig at CoFF33 Corp. and Pedro Soto with the MassDevelopmentCreative Cities program for making this event happen! I recently participated in an engaging panel on Creative Ecosystems & Regional Growth at the North Central Mass Creative Network Summit 2025, organized by the Fitchburg Creative City Partnership on February 21-22. This free two-day event, held at the

A keynote address by Harold Steward , Executive Director of the New England Foundation for the Arts at the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau 17th Annual Tourism Summit You can explore the accompanying presentation deck here. Recording can be found here. I really, really appreciate it, and I am really honored to be the executive director of the

Strong Tourism Recovery and Future Growth The 17th Annual North of Boston Tourism Summit 2025, held at the Boston Peabody Marriott, brought together tourism leaders, elected officials, and industry stakeholders for a comprehensive day of insight and collaboration. The event, organized by the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (NBCVB) under the leadership of Executive Director Nancy Gardella, demonstrated

Cover photo by Creative Collective for Salem Jazz and Soul Festival The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) operates a network of local cultural councils across the Commonwealth. These councils award funds to support community-based arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences activities. The program aims to promote and support cultural projects that benefit local communities. Important Note: While this guide focuses on the

Are you passionate about the arts and eager to make a difference in your community? MASSCreative, a leading advocate for the creative sector in Massachusetts, has exciting news for you. On August 21, 2024, they officially opened applications for their 2024-2025 Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship program. What is the Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship? This year-long, compensated leadership development program is

By Chris O’Keeffe and Creative Collective In our last piece unpacking the powerful insights of the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 report, we talked about the importance of locals at arts events.   (tl;dr the majority of arts event attendees are locals, and they’ll go elsewhere if their community doesn’t offer something to do.)  Now, let’s talk about the other half