LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT RECIPIENTS!
WAVVZ NewAge Creative Lab Inc.WAVVZ NewAge Creative Lab Inc. is a Worcester-based nonprofit that empowers youth through fashion, sewing, and visual arts. Founded by Jaribel M. Carboo and designer Emmanuel “Qlynton” Carboo, WAVVZ provides hands-on creative programs that help young people build confidence, identity, and leadership. Through workshops like Wavvz of Stitching, youth learn sewing, design, and creative storytelling while gaining real-world creative skills.
ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: The Wavvz of Stitching Fashion Showcase is a youth-centered fashion and arts event taking place at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) in Worcester. The project will transform the JMAC Pop-Up space into a temporary gallery installation featuring garments, textile pieces, mannequins, and creative displays developed by youth participants. Throughout the week, community members will be able to visit the space, meet young designers, and experience live sewing demonstrations and interactive design elements that highlight the creative process behind each piece. The project will culminate in an evening showcase in the BrickBox Theater, where youth designers will present their work on a professional runway stage. The event will bring together families, artists, and community members to celebrate creativity, culture, and storytelling through fashion while providing young people the opportunity to share their designs in a professional arts venue. |
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Want to know more about what they do?
Check them out on Instagram or their website! |
Obscure ProphetObscure Prophet is a multimedia company dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and expanding the creative works of artists and musicians. Founded by Kaz Supernova, the company blends music, film, and archival work to tell stories that honor cultural histories while pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. Obscure Prophet strives to amplify local voices, restore forgotten narratives, and create innovative projects that resonate with diverse audiences, ensuring that the work of today shapes the future of music, film, and cultural storytelling. In 2023 the documentary Wormtown Rising was released.
ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: The Analog Project: Alive From The Archives is a multimedia music initiative produced by Obscure Prophet that brings together Worcester artists for a live performance and archival recording project. Each participating artist will release a limited vinyl single featuring an original song and a remix, accompanied by a music video. The live event at the JMAC will feature performances in the BrickBox Theater, while the PopUp Gallery will host listening stations, vinyl displays, and screenings of the music videos. The project highlights the diversity of Worcester’s music community while embracing analog media as a lasting cultural artifact. |
India Society of Worcester (ISW)The India Society of Worcester (ISW) is a vibrant, non-sectarian nonprofit dedicated to preserving Indian cultural heritage through social, educational, and charitable initiatives. By fostering ethnic arts and languages, ISW serves as a bridge of cultural diversity within the New England community. Currently, leadership—including President Dr. Jagan Srinivasan, Ashish Cowlagi, and Symphony Chair Sarita Deshpande—is spearheading a musical production at the JMAC. This project reflects ISW’s vision of uniting the community by celebrating the fusion of Indian ethnicity with American culture.
ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: Our big vision is to create a Broadway‑style multicultural musical that highlights the richness, beauty, and depth of both Indian and American cultures. Through a vibrant blend of live music, expressive dance, and dramatic storytelling, the production will bring together artists of all ages from diverse backgrounds to celebrate identity, heritage, and shared human experiences. By weaving elements of classical and contemporary Indian performance traditions with American theatrical techniques, the show becomes a cultural bridge—one that uplifts underrepresented voices while fostering meaningful cultural exchange. |
Want to know more about what they do?
Check them out on Instagram or their website! |
Want to know more about what they do?
Check them out their website or give them a call! |
Unity Street SoccerLearning Together, kick by kick. At, Unity Street Soccer, we are a 501c3 Charitable Sports (Soccer) organization. We are registered with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office for nonprofit organizations in public charities. Our sports programs aim to create an inclusive environment, foster a sense of community, and promote healthy lifestyles among youth through various athletic activities. Empowering families in our communities through soccer & physical activities and health education, our year-round youth soccer program fosters growth and development.
ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: Goals Beyond The Game is a curated art exhibition that honors the 1966 boycott and celebrates the 9 African nations representing the continent at the 2026 World Cup. The exhibition draws inspiration from More Than A Goal , a documentary exploring Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s visionary use of football as a tool for African unity, liberation, and global recognition. Through painting, drawing, sculpture, and/or textile art, artists will interpret themes of identity, resistance, hope, and collective triumph within African football history. 
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Ava D'EonAva D’Eon is a Worcester County dancer and choreographer who graduated from Skidmore College with a dual degree in Dance and Business. During her studies, she performed works by Peter Chu, Takehiro Ueyama, Brenda Way, Monica Bill Barnes, and BalletX, among others.
Her choreography has been presented at Onstage Dance Company’s Onstage 360°, School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, The Dance Complex’s Roots & Routes at Arrow Street Arts, Human Movement Lab, NACHMO Boston, Manhattan Movement & Performing Arts Center, and the Providence Fringe Festival, where she received the Audience Favorite Choreography/Movement award (2025). As a freelance performer, Ava has danced with KAIROS Dance Theater as a Trainee, 8&1 Dance Company East, Chia-Ying Kao, Emma Frank, and Bridget Nicolo, and is currently working with Madison Florence and Alex Nunweiler/NunweilerTanz. She is also a dedicated dance educator and social media marketing specialist, where she enjoys blending artistry and strategy to connect, inspire, and build meaningful communities. ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: I Could Be Your Muse If You Let Me is an evening-length contemporary dance work that explores what it means to be seen and shaped by others. Drawing from personal research, journaling, and portrayals of muses in art and literature, the piece examines how we take on roles for others, and what it costs us to be desired, admired, or defined from the outside in. It asks: who gets to be the subject, and who becomes the object? When does confidence become performance—and what remains when we strip away the act? Through intimate, athletic, and emotionally charged movement, the work traces how attention, desire, and validation live in the body. This exploration unfolds within a layered sensory world shaped by original music and thoughtfully integrated props. At its core, the work asks how we return to ourselves. It invites audiences to reflect on their own experiences of being seen, valued, or overlooked, while fostering a sense of connection. The piece aims to leave viewers with a feeling of recognition, care, and agency. This project will be developed over several months, with a premiere planned for Spring 2027. |
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Want to know more about what they do?
Check them out on Instagram or contact them! |
Worcester Writers' CollectiveThe Worcester Writers’ Collective provides a community for the public good of the region’s literary artists. Through weekly meetings and performing events, we offer Worcester County residents a creative place to write and find inspiration from their peers across all literary mediums and genres.
ABOUT THEIR FUNDED PROJECT: The Worcester Writers’ Collective is excited to host Worcester's first-ever rendition of The 24 Hour Plays! Within a single 24-hour timespan, writers will craft original 10-minute plays, directors and actors will bring them to life, and a limited contingent of technicians will carry us to the finish line before their inaugural performance in front of a live public audience in the BrickBox Theater. Professionals and first-time theater/literary artists alike are encouraged to participate - this is an opportunity for the community to come together and tell stories in a way that's never been done before in our city. Stay tuned for signup forms, a rehearsal/performance date, and more information on how to jump in and make a play in a day! 
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