To date the NCA has been awarded three Massachusetts state grants: two feasibility study grants from the Mass Development/Massachusetts Cultural Council’s (MCC) Cultural Facilities Fund to explore the concept and planning of a permanent facility for Newton cultural organizations and an Adams Arts Planning Grant for a cultural economic project.
Cultural Facilities Grants
The Facilities Planning grants proposed a two-phased vision to create a mid-size community arts center and ultimately a performing arts center. In the current economic climate with more gradual funding options than originally planned, this facility planning has undergone some modification by now adapting a “three Tier” approach.
Cultural Facilities Feasibility Planning
Tier I: Project Budget: $37,500 (completed November 2009)
The study funded by the first of the MCC’s planning grants demonstrated the need and compatibility for
shared office, classroom, and modest rehearsal/ performance space in a viable location and identified
potential partners in Newton to be part of the alliance managing these shared resources. Tier I determined
that the best model to consider is one having two types of participants: 1) Residents of the Cultural Center
and 2) Regular renters. (As of this writing, Potential Residents include: New Philharmonia, Newton
Symphony Orchestra, Suzuki School of Newton and New TV. Potential renters include The Boston Ballet’s
Metrowest School.) This concept study also considered other key points including adapting a reasonable
long range timeline, governance structure and benchmarking of similar collaborative facilities in existence
throughout the U.S.
Tier II: Project Budget: $54,000 (in progress)
Based on the Tier I plan, NCA identified a potential partnership with the Andover Newton Theological
School (ANTS) on their Newton Centre campus and is in the process of exploring a business plan for
developing a cultural center with Resident Companies (NSO, NPO & NCA) and offices, rehearsal spaces
being rented out to members and a mid-sized rehearsal/performance space. Tier II of the vision is being
funded by a second MassDevelopment/MCC Grant, with matching funds from NCA Member Board
members and individuals in the community. If Andover Newton Theological School is determined to be a
suitable landlord for this cultural center, an architectural study would consider buildings available to NCA
on the ANTS campus, taking into consideration suitability of space, ADA compliance, security and fire/
safety. This partnership would leverage ANTS’s historic campus in new mission-aligned ways through the
renovation of existing buildings to create a mid-size community arts center. The final deliverable will be a
fully-developed business plan with space usage defined based on the architectural conceptual drawings andthe completion of negotiations with ANTS regarding the terms of a partnership.
Tier III
The grant received for the Tier II study was only a portion of the funds requested. As a result a Tier III has
now been established as the "yet to be funded" portion of the feasibility study. In Tier III, The Wayland
Group or similar fundraising counsel will be engaged to conduct a fundraising feasibility study and create a
capital campaign road map based upon the results of the fundraising study.
John and Abigail Adams Arts Grant
Project Budget: $3,750 (in progress)
NCA has received a grant to create a Newton Cultural Passport Program, to develop ways to raise awareness of
Newton’s cultural products and create synergies between the Newton Cultural Alliance’s member organizations and
the business community in an effort to increase revenue for both.
As of February 1, 2010
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