SOUTH HADLEY – The South Hadley Cultural Council is continuing their effort to engage with the community by creating new programs for 2021.     

President of the South Hadley Cultural Council Paul Lambert said applications for grant-funded activities were due last December and many organizations were unable to confirm dates at that time due to the ongoing uncertainty from the pandemic.  

However, the council is still able to support the Summer Concert Series throughout the summer with the South Hadley Recreation Department and Village Commons. The live music series takes place on the Town Commons on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Additionally, a recording of the live theater live performance “Far Reaches” in Sunderland that will be distributed as a podcast in August and a jazz concert at the Center Church of South Hadley will take place in the fall.

The Cultural Council is also planning to host a community engagement event in September. He said the council is in the process of finalizing the date and content of the event and hope to have more information to share with the community soon.

The South Hadley Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils serving all cities and towns in the commonwealth supporting community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities each year. They receive funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to distribute budgeted funds for cultural projects in the town of South Hadley. The funds are awarded based on individual community cultural needs that are reviewed and set by the council members.

“We get grant applications from a whole variety of people who are looking to do some kind of program or performance, education initiative or something within the community of South Hadley,” Lambert explained. “Our job is to wade through those various grant applications and select those specific pieces that either specifically help our community the most or things that we feel reach the broadest audience in a wholesome and wonderful family-oriented way and support them.”

Currently, there are 10 members in the South Hadley Cultural Council. The number of members varies from nine to eleven and are made up of a broad range of people from different backgrounds and experiences. While some members come from an educational perspective, others come from a performing arts background. Lambert said, “We all come from different backgrounds and different perspectives, but the objective remains the same to share our collective hopes and interests in reading these grant applications carefully to see what folks are looking for and do our best to bring cultural life to South Hadley on an ongoing basis.”

Lambert has been on the council for five years and said he previously worked for the Basketball Hall of Fame for many years. He was also a member of the South Hadley Chorale, a local singing group. Prior to becoming interested in basketball, Lambert grew up participating in professional theater and loved performing. He said he became involved with the cultural council when a member of the council who also participated in the chorale told him they were looking for new members and asked if he was interested in joining. From there, Lambert went to the Selectboard and joined the council. He was on the council for two years before being elected president in a vote by the council board members.

“I love that South Hadley has a talented mix of artists, performers and in general people trying to do good work,” said Lambert. “I love the idea of finding a way to entertain, educate and bring joy to the folks of South Hadley and be together as a community.”

He went on to say, “A lot of these events are community building opportunities and as we’re all emerging now again from quarantine it’s great when you can collect people together for a special evening, afternoon or performance in a way that is unique to that time or space. I think that's kind of a magical thing that part of me who grew up in that world still loves that.”

“It has been a challenging year,” said Lambert. “There are concerts in the Village Common and the South Hadley Public Library are doing activities aimed at children and family audiences. There’s quite a range of things taking place in the town.”

More information on the South Hadley Cultural Council can be found on their website at southhadley.org/385/Cultural-Council. A full schedule of the Summer Concert Series can be found online at facebook.com/southhadleyculture/photos/a.217469751647810/4261376857257059/.