Editorial
Earlier this month, the Berkshire Film & Media Collaborative (BFMC) announced it was awarded a $200,000 Cultural Facilities Fund capital grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and MassDevelopment.
The collaborative will use this grant to begin build drawings for Kemble Street Studios, a new, international film-education center proposed for the north end of the Elayne Bernstein Theatre complex on the grounds of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox.
“We are thrilled with the continued support we have received from MCC/Cultural Facilities Fund for the project, first for the feasibility study, then for architectural drawings, and now to finish phase 2 of the project and to plan and begin the final renderings of the build drawings,” BFMC Executive Director Diane Pearlman said. “Their support has been significant in garnering interest and contributions from other individuals and organizations.”
Kemble Street Studios will be a mixed-use studio, lab, and classroom environment dedicated to education in the art and craft of filmmaking and media development. The center will offer hands-on learning for area young people interested in training in this burgeoning industry, as well as a resource for local nonprofits and companies to become video-literate and incorporate video in their branding, marketing, social media, and training. To date, BFMC has raised well over $500,000 for this initiative.
It’s just another example of how the creative economy continues to be a key driver across the four counties of Western Mass., not just in the sense of tourism, culture, and recreation — think museums, festivals, concert venues, and the like — but by generating future impacts through training, workforce development, and entrepreneurship.
Everywhere you look (and listen), the vibrancy of the Western Mass. creative and cultural scene is evident, from music events — such as last week’s Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, the upcoming Northampton Jazz Festival, and a constant stream of concerts at the Iron Horse, the Drake, Academy of Music, Hawks & Reed, and myriad other venues — to a new round of large-scale art going up in Springfield thanks to Common Wealth Murals; from dance and drama at Jacob’s Pillow, Shakespeare & Company, and Double Edge Theatre to the occasional movie filmed in the region, most recently Janet Planet, the film directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (and Amherst native) Annie Baker.
And that doesn’t even mention all the solo artists and craftspeople creating quietly in their homes and small businesses.
When people talk about quality of life in Western Mass., they often think of outdoor recreation, restaurants, interesting downtowns, and a cost of living that, while still high these days, is less burdensome than in the Boston area.
But they also think about the arts and culture, which continue to thrive in so many ways, as artists, audiences, and the entities that invest in their worthy work continue to generate inspiration and economic impact at a time when both are certainly needed.
