Input Fort Wayne joins the inaugural Creative Midwest Media Cohort

Input Fort Wayne is excited to announce we’re joining nine other Midwest publications in the Creative Midwest Media Cohort, a new year-long program facilitated through Arts Midwest’s Creativity News Desk. This initiative amplifies stories of arts, culture, and creativity in the Midwest.

In the coming months, Input Fort Wayne will launch an editorial series spotlighting emerging artists in northeast Indiana. In addition to written content, Input is proud to sponsor a series of events in collaboration with Creator Space: a free, recurring networking and social event for creatives of all types. We’ll share more details about those events soon!

“Northeast Indiana is home to a large community of very talented creatives and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to continue providing arts and culture coverage that showcases our local artistry to the Midwest region,” says Managing Editor Brittany Smith. “We recognize that connections can be an important asset for creatives, which is why we're excited to partner with Creator Space to provide a place where creatives can cultivate those invaluable connections.”

If you are interested in nominating a creative to be featured as part of this series, please reach out to Managing Editor Brittany Smith by Feb. 7, 2023.

Fort Wayne is published by Issue Media Group (IMG), a network of solutions journalism sites in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Each publication covers arts and culture, as well as topics ranging from entrepreneurship to the environment, with an emphasis on the people and organizations strengthening communities. 

"Creatives help to define place, and arts and culture coverage is a cornerstone of all our outlets," says IMG co-CEO Brian Boyle. "We cover the communities, people, and movements that are often overlooked by traditional media, and this project will allow us to deepen that coverage in the Fort Wayne region."

The Creative Midwest Media Cohort supports organizations in producing media projects that cover stories of Midwestern creativity in the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or the 42 Native Nations that share this geography. The inaugural participants, selected as part of an invite-only application process, will each receive a grant and networking opportunities through the program.

Cohort organizations are creating diverse projects such as podcasts, multimedia series, social media videos, print publications, and a writers’ residency program. These initiatives will prominently feature and engage Native artists, creatives of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals in the rural Midwest.

“Arts Midwest is excited to support these outstanding media professionals and amplify the significant work they are doing to inform and inspire communities,” says Torrie Allen, President and CEO of Arts Midwest. “We envision this new initiative building a connected network of media-makers across the Midwest, while sharing stories of how creativity manifests in our lives.” 

Other Creative Midwest Media Cohorts include Barn Raiser, The Buckeye Flame, Buffalo’s Fire, Detroit Metro Times, Dovetail, Hola Iowa, Project Optimist, Sixty Inches From Center, and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. 

Learn more about other Creative Midwest Media Cohorts projects here.

Learn more about Creator Space, including their 2024 kickoff event, here.
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