Franklin Cultural District Committee (CDC) is a volunteer committee appointed by the Town Administrator and ratified by the Town Council. The Committee is comprised of up to seven members, all of whom are town residents. The CDC meets as a full group once a month and subcommittees comprised of board members and partners meet as needed. In addition, the CDC holds quarterly Partners meetings; these meetings usually rotate among weeknights and locations in Town to provide flexibility in attendance, as work schedules vary throughout the community.
Since the start of the COVID Pandemic all CDC meetings have taken place using the Zoom platform. The meetings are publicized through social media, as well as print media. Meeting times, dates and agendas are posted on the Town's website. All meetings are open to the public.
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| Annual Report Of The Cultural District Committee: FY 2023 Report |
Franklin Cultural District History
The Town of Franklin's 2013 Master Plan had listed as Goal 2: Provide quality arts and cultural resources as a vital part of the creativity and growth of our community. Delivering on this goal, in early 2014 a small group of residents gathered to begin the quest to become a designated Cultural District. Using the criteria established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a footprint of the Franklin Cultural District was identified by the working group. Over the next few years, the committee organized festivals and events in the defined cultural district until the Town decided to officially gain designation as a cultural district. A new resident committee was formed and its task was to apply for state designation. MCC conducted a site visit in September 2018 eventually leading to Franklin Cultural District's approval of state Cultural District Status. The Franklin Cultural District Dedication Celebration was held on May 10, 2019.
Mission Statement
The CDC's mission is to enrich and inspire our residents and visitors by fostering local cultural, artistic, culinary, and historical development aligned with local partners in a defined walkable area, the Franklin Cultural District (FCD), which is easily accessible and serves as the center of economic activity.
Cultural District Committee Goals
The mission is realized through the CDC's goals. Each year the CDC's goals are reviewed, edited, and voted on by the entire Committee. CDC goals for FY23 are as follows:
- Goal 1: Coordinate resources to assist FCD Partners, local businesses, local artists and arts and cultural organizations to recover from the negative impacts of the Pandemic.
- Goal 2: Work to increase economic activity and attract new businesses, including artists and cultural enterprises, to the Franklin Cultural District.
- Goal 3: Continue to strengthen the Franklin Cultural District Partnership including the ongoing collaborations with the Franklin Cultural Council. Goal 4: Broaden the ethnic diversity of the arts and culture in Franklin.
- Goal 5: Continue to broaden the FCD social media presence to help the committee become more accessible and better able to engage, connect with and expand its audience.
- Goal 6: Work with Town Administration on the Wayfinding Signage Project when the pending timeline is finalized by the town.
Franklin Cultural District Partners
Since the Franklin Cultural District was designated in 2019, the Committee met monthly and quarterly with the Cultural District Partners. All meetings are open to the public and we invite all Franklin residents to attend and join the meetings.
This year, the Committee decided to step away from the formal quarterly Partners Meetings and include this messaging in our regular monthly meetings. This new process allows regular access for the partners with the committee allow a more inclusive cultural district committee. To encourage greater attendance of partners, the meeting agenda is emailed to the Partners each month. The meeting dates are also included in the Cultural Newsletter with information about location of the agenda. This change in meeting format has been well received.
The full Cultural District report can be found in one PDF ->
The full Town of Franklin FY 2023 Annual Report can be found online
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| Annual Report Of The Cultural District Committee: FY 2023 Report |
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