Reading Cultural Council celebrates a year of creativity at annual grantee reception

(4-minute read)

The Reading Cultural Council welcomed grantees, artists, and community members to the Pleasant Street Center on Monday, June 1, 2026, for its annual reception celebrating the programs made possible by the past year’s grant funding. Council members Steve Theodoridis, Liz Rogers, Ashley Gross, Ace Foulds, and Jayne Stafford hosted the evening, which began at 6:30 pm.

The ceremony was briefly interrupted when a gas smell prompted a response from the Reading Fire Department, but the celebration carried on, with the reception continuing outside on the patio.

A year of funded programs

Over the past year, the Reading Cultural Council awarded grants supporting a remarkable range of cultural programming across town, from school enrichment and library events to performances, concerts, and community celebrations.

Grantees and community members gather at the Pleasant Street Center for the Reading Cultural Council’s annual grantee reception. Photo by Taylor Gregory.

Several programs brought hands-on learning to Reading’s students. At Birch Meadow Elementary School, a grant awarded to the PTO welcomed an indigenous educator from the Plimoth-Patuxet Museum at the end of October 2025. First graders learned about the Wampanoag people and how they created pottery from clay found along the riverbanks, with each child getting the chance to shape their own piece. Third graders took part in an engaging “People of the Dawnland” presentation featuring stories from Wampanoag history. Younger students also explored science and engineering at the STEM Expo, hosted by the RMHS Rockets at the Reading Public Library, where they were introduced to a variety of hands-on STEM activities.

The Reading Public Library also hosted the Culture Immersion Series on October 25, 2025, a celebration of cultural traditions that included a Behind the Mask puppet show, a Japanese tea ceremony demonstration, Chinese lion-dancing storytimes, and photo booths. The event was hosted by the Office of Equity and Social Justice with the Reading Public Schools, SEPAC, the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce, and the Reading and Massachusetts Cultural Councils.

The Council supported a full slate of programming through the holiday season as well. The Reading Community Singers presented their Hope for the Holidays concert on December 6, and on December 14, the community gathered at the First Congregational Church for the annual lighting of the Menorah in celebration of Hanukkah, organized by Anne Schwartz, Linda Snow Dockser, and Beth Mosier.

On the stage, RMHS Drama’s production of St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves was sponsored by the Council. Based on Karen Russell's short story and created collaboratively by the student company, the bold and imaginative production explored identity, belonging, and the tension between instinct and expectation through a darkly whimsical lens.

The Council also helped support the Reading Pride Parade, which took place on Saturday, June 6, continuing a beloved annual tradition of community and celebration.

Council member Ace Foulds, alongside her husband Alan Foulds, shared an update on Porchfest, a free community music event now in its eighth year, which the Council supports by reimbursing costs such as web hosting, postage, and signage. The event has since taken place, with music filling the streets of Reading on Saturday, June 27, as 110 acts performed across 48 locations throughout town.

About the Reading Cultural Council

The Reading Cultural Council is part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving every city and town in the Commonwealth and together forming the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation. Local Cultural Councils award over $3 million every year, supporting more than 6,000 cultural programs across Massachusetts. Comprised of volunteer residents of Reading, the Council accepts and reviews grant applications and awards funds to individuals and organizations hosting cultural programming that serves the community, including school field trips, after-school programs, concerts, festivals, lectures, theater, dance, music, and film. These projects take place in schools, community centers, libraries, elder care facilities, town halls, parks, and wherever the community comes together. Funding comes from the Massachusetts state legislature, and the Town of Reading supplements those funds to encourage a vibrant cultural community.

The next grant cycle opens in early September for 2027 funding opportunities. To learn more, follow the Reading Cultural Council on Instagram at @ReadingMassCC or visit its linktree. More information about the Massachusetts Cultural Council is available at MassCulturalCouncil.org.

See below for the presentation that played in the background of the reception.