A Place to Be
atac’s 2022 Annual Appel is your chance to support creative communities in MetroWest. You can get right to gifting here, link friends to our appeal page, or read on to learn about how we’re fostering community and creativity through increased access to the arts.
Last February, as COVID lingered,
atac made the difficult decision to cancel our season. We chose to step back and take stock; to regroup with you, our community. We spent the next three months learning about your creative traditions and favorite experiences with art and music. We asked, “If you could see anything happen at atac, what would it be?” We asked what creative places or events you’d love to have in your community and what could make living here better. Participants ranged in age from eight to eighty and included both Framingham lifers and recent immigrants. We spoke with community members representing different identities and lived experiences for over a hundred hours, and some common threads emerged.
Here’s what we learned:
You grew up with art and music all around; it was part of your community and culture
Your favorite memories of creativity often involve being part of something bigger than yourself
You want to learn about and experience the cultural traditions of friends and neighbors
You want to make art, practice alongside, sing, and dance with your community
You’re concerned about the North/South divide and wish your city felt more connected
You seriously want a block party or a festival; for Framingham to have something special
While you’re thinking big, each of you said you want a place to be
Inspired, we reevaluated our mission.
Our newly clarified, community-informed mission now plainly states that atac fosters community and creativity through increased access to the arts. As an intimate, community-centered arts venue, we see atac as a vibrant hub where the community is empowered to create, connect, and grow. Access to creativity and the arts is a human right, and our role is to provide an entry point for people to explore self-expression, experience the arts, and share creative energy. Agree with us?
Here’s how we’re creating access to the arts:
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atac supports developing talent with events like Centre Music House’s open mic, Comedy Mique, The Jazz Jam and Show, and Rock Off Main. Developing a style, getting comfortable with an audience, and growing a fan base are essential aspects of becoming a skilled performer. Venues like atac are critical resources for young and emerging artists.
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We’re building programs that empower young people to book and produce shows at atac through our upcoming “How to Book A Show” series, individually tailored internships, and a youth work program with Masshire. Through supportive instruction and guidance, we’re giving youth tools to break down barriers to valuable platforms and resources.
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Explora is a new monthly drop-in program where people of all ages and skill levels explore new materials and ideas, or just spend time with friends. This sliding-scale series makes space for creative practice while connecting with friends and neighbors.
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atac has been awarded a $29,613 grant through the MassDevelopment and the Commonwealth Places Program to fund a community art garden around our historic firehouse. This open green space will feature art, gathering space, collaborative garden beds, and free wifi, giving our friends and neighbors access to art and community seven days a week.
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atac fosters community with programs like our Summer Dinner and Movie Series. Each week throughout the summer, area families can meet with friends, share a meal, and enjoy a family-friendly movie together-all for free!
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From musicians and performers who encourage a deeper appreciation of the arts and its possibilities to exhibitions, interviews with featured artists, and our growing collection of murals, atac is curating a place to share their work, ideas and become inspired.
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Thoughtful collaborations with local partners expand atac’s capacity to bring art to new audiences. Connecting with partners like A Common Thread Theater Company, Discovering Hidden Gems, and OUTMetroWest mutually increases our program offerings. Joining forces allows us to imagine big and create large-scale events, like A Night at the Circus.
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We heard from so many of you that our community needs “a place to be.” atac is becoming that place–an increasingly accessible, creative space where you can learn and grow, play and practice, meet, share, and connect.
Your gift to atac allows us to be this vital, accessible place.
We know you understand how powerful it is to have art and music in your life and the feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. [Name], will you help us bring that experience to our whole community with a gift today?
Your $50 gift provides a family with a meal while enjoying a movie with their friends and neighbors.
Your $100 gift makes exploring creativity accessible by providing art supplies for ten members of your community
Your $500 gift helps support new programs like our “How to Book A Show” series, creating creative skill-building opportunities for young people in our community.
Your $1,000 gift funds over three months of community-accessible jams, open mics, and low-cost performances, with the resources needed to pay our house crew.
Your gift of any size brings us closer to our goal to raise $29,613, the match required for the MassDevelopment and the Commonwealth Places Program grant to grow a community art garden at atac.
atac is evolving,
driven by the creative community you described in our conversations. We’re empowering your big dreams through our partnerships, collaborations, and barrier-breaking approach to the arts. By connecting people to resources and to one another, we are facilitating the powerful experience of being a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Can we count on you to make our garden grow? The Placemaking grant requires 1:1 matching funds. Your gift is crucial to our success in creating a place to be.
Thank you for keeping the arts accessible in your community!
Jannelle Codiani,
Executive Director
