Cambridge Music Venue Passim Secures Substantial Grant To Help Local Artist for Years to Come

Legendary venue Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts has just received the Music in Action grant from the Live Music Society. The program has provided crucial grants to nearly 130 small venues and listening rooms across the United States since 2020. Passim will use the funds to support The Folk Collective, an initiative that presents inclusive and equitable events that welcome and invite diverse audiences and artists to the Passim stage.

“We are so excited to receive the Music in Action grant,” says Jim Wooster, Executive Director of Passim, “The grant will support the work of Passim’s initiative, the Folk Collective which is finishing up its first year and lifting up voices of diverse artists in our community whom we believe have immense talent.”

The Music In Action grants were awarded to programs proposed by venues that prioritize building and engaging their local community and supporting historically marginalized groups, including BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.

The Folk Collective is an artist-led and artist-forward initiative digging deeper to explore what is folk music with the ultimate goal to curate, produce and present creative ideas and artistic expression on the Passim stage. As part of this, The Folk Collective will present events that welcome and invite diverse audiences and artists to Club Passim.

"Music has the power to unite communities," says Pete Muller, Live Music Society’s founder. "We believe in the transformative impact of music education and the arts and are thrilled to announce the recipients of our Music in Action grant, which will empower venue owners and managers to showcase their creativity and engage their local communities in new and exciting ways."

Live Music Society’s mission is to recognize and protect small venues and listening rooms across the United States so that live music can remain accessible to all.  The nonprofit foundation has distributed nearly $3 million in grant funding to 126 venues since it was founded in 2020, providing critical financial support to intimate live music venues that nurture emerging musicians, help to sustain the careers of both established and under-recognized music makers, and provide affordable access to live music in traditionally underserved communities.  Their new granting program, Music in Action, was launched this year and funds specific programs that engage their local communities in an inclusive way, expand audiences, and generate new revenue sources. The nonprofit’s efforts have been highlighted in publications including the New York Times, Billboard, Variety, Brooklyn Vegan, Venues Now and others.