Cultural Futures

Cultural Futures is a free policy, advocacy, and funding workshop for cultural businesses, organizations, and supporters of any kind, hosted by Inspire Washington. The workshop will focus on what happened during the 2026 Legislative session, upcoming funding and legislative opportunities, and more! Beyond just being informative, Cultural Futures is an open conversation with those who work in the cultural sector, who care about the sector, or who are just curious about what’s happening at the State level in Washington. 

Workshop programming details:

• A summary of the 2026 State Legislative Session; including legislative wins and ongoing challenges, bills, agency budget requests, state resources, changes to retail sales tax laws, and more.
• A summary of federal appropriations and legislative issues.
• An overview of new legislation and funding opportunities, including Building for the Arts, Heritage Capital, Local & Community Projects, grants, etc. 
• Resources for voter education events.
• Overview of the State’s Cultural Access program and its opportunity for cities and counties.
• Community conversations to understand current industry challenges, interests, and opportunities. The information collected will shape our state’s cultural 2027 State Biennium Agenda.
• More information about the Inspire WA coalition including how to engage in policy development, advocacy, and how to engage with lawmakers and establish meaningful relationships with them.