Arts United announced the recipients of the 2026 Regional Arts Council Member Grants. The Regional Arts Council is a collaborative council created by Arts United to serve members by connecting, developing, and advocating for arts and culture organizations in Northeast Indiana. The Regional Arts Council (RAC) Member Grant Program is intended to provide funding to active members of the Regional Arts Council for one or more of the following program purposes: organizational excellence and sustainability; program innovation or expansion; arts access for all (focusing on accessibility and inclusion). 

  

The recipient organizations for the fiscal year 2026 are: 

 

  • Arena Dinner Theatre – $10,000 to repair and upgrade theatrical lighting equipment, enhancing production quality, safety, and energy efficiency.
     
  • Artlink – $10,000 to develop and produce evergreen marketing materials and technology investments to increase donor and artist participation. 

 

  • Cinema Center – $10,000 to host a monthly outdoor summer screening series in collaboration with Downtown Fort Wayne and the East Central Neighborhood Association. 

 

  • Creative Arts Council of Wells County – $7,500 to launch Klub DJ, an innovative youth arts program that introduces participants to the art, culture, and business of DJing. 

 

  • Creative Women of the World – $10,000 to support the production of a documentary film highlighting the organization’s international impact to expand awareness in the local community.
     
  • Fire & Light Productions – $8,400 to grow new audiences through expanded marketing and outreach campaigns. 

 

  • Fort Wayne Ballet – $10,000 to grow regional audiences by touring the Family Series through communities outside of Allen County.
     
  • Fort Wayne Children’s Choir – $10,000 to expand the Preparatory Choir program, an entry-level choral experience designed for young singers who are new to structured music education.
     
  • Fort Wayne Civic Theatre – $4,500 to enhance production technology to create more immersive live theatrical experiences for audiences. 

 

  • Fort Wayne Dance Collective – $10,000 to implement a comprehensive, multi-platform marketing strategy to support classes, performances, and community initiatives.
     
  • Fort Wayne Philharmonic – $10,000 to expand accessibility for its free Family Series concerts for the 2026-2027 season, raising the bar for what inclusive, accessible arts programming looks like in Northeast Indiana.
     
  • Fort Wayne Youtheatre – $10,000 to launch the Studio Series, a new performance educational initiative beginning in the 2026-2027 season.
     
  • Heartland Sings – $7,000 to present a concert titled No Longer Strangers, in collaboration with Amani Family Services and PBS Fort Wayne.
     
  • The History Center – $9,254 to expand marketing and promotion regiment to increase attendance and community support by attracting new audiences and program Participants 

 

  • Honeywell Arts & Entertainment – $3,400 to expand “Arts for All” music programming and strengthen engagement in music-making within the community.
     
  • Three Rivers Music Theatre – $10,000 to expand the reach and impact of the Pre-Professional Music Theatre Training Program, featuring immersive experiences and nationally recognized clinicians. 

 

  • Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts – $10,000 to sustain and expand the Inclusive & Sensory-Friendly Holiday Performance, a thoughtfully adapted production of the annual professional holiday musical Annie. 

  

For more information about the Regional Arts Council or RAC Member Grants, visit artsunited.org.