AWS Foundation recently awarded Fort Wayne Dance Collective the annual Gilmore Inclusive Arts Grant in the amount of $25,000 to support activities that will deepen FWDC’s capacity to provide movement arts programming for people who have disabilities in northeast Indiana.

With the support of the award, FWDC will work with the Dancing Wheels Company. The Cleveland-based company is one of the premier arts and disabilities organizations in the United States that includes a professional, physically integrated dance company uniting the talents of dancers both with and without disabilities. 

FWDC will welcome DWC to Fort Wayne multiple times throughout 2024 to lead professional development trainings, host community workshops, and teach choreography. Additionally, DWC will join FWDC’s professional company as the first-ever guest artist company for the annual contemporary dance performance, Collective Expressions, in August.

AWS Foundation created the Gilmore Inclusive Arts Grant in honor of its first employee, Lynne Gilmore, for her service to the disability community. The competitive grant is awarded to one recipient annually for a project that creates opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in the arts. FWDC, with its history of reimagining what the movement arts are and who they are for, was selected as the 2024 recipient.

More than 30,000 enjoy Fantasy of Lights

Blue Jacket’s Fantasy of Lights attendance dwarfed that of 2022, with nearly 30,000 vehicles driving through the light event. 

Blue Jacket donated $43,226 in free and discounted entries to continue the “pay it forward” theme enhanced during the pandemic. This year’s light show included more than 1.5 million LED lights in 550 display pieces that made up 166 scenes in the nearly two-mile route in Franke Park.

Blue Jacket will use proceeds to fund its mission to offer pre-employment training, career services, and hiring clients of Blue Jacket This year, more than 40 people were hired to set up, host, and tear down the light event, many of them Blue Jacket clients.

For the seventh year in a row, a small vendor market, free cocoa, and free photos with Santa were available in Santa’s Christmas Village. The village had record attendance with nearly 50,000 visitors.

Erin’s House awarded $1 million Lilly grant

Erin’s House for Grieving Children has received a grant of $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. 

The three-year grant will help the organization significantly expand programs and services while providing even more support to young people living with grief in northeast Indiana.

The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s initiative Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana. The aim of the competitive initiative is to help youth-serving organizations working throughout Indiana improve their abilities to promote the academic, physical, and social well-being of young people, ages 5-18.

Join Civic Theatre’s season announcement

Fort Wayne Civic Theatre will reveal its 2024-25 season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Arts United Center. The theme of the season will be On the Road. 

Guests can meet Civic staff and creative teams, sign up to volunteer, and enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar. 

Admission is a suggested $5 donation. RSVP to Capri Williams at (260) 422-8641 ext. 3224 or cwilliams@fwcivic.org.

Mean Girls and Broadway Buzz at Embassy

The U.S. tour of hit musical Mean Girls will be at Embassy Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 20. 

As a free add-on, The Embassy is offering Broadway Buzz, a series that takes place before selected Broadway at the Embassy shows. Broadway Buzz features local theater experts providing insider information on the show. 

The events are free but do require an RSVP and ticket. Guest speaker will be Christopher J. Murphy, assistant director and director of outreach for the Fort Wayne Youtheatre. 

For tickets to the show and the Broadway Buzz talk, go to fwembassytheatre.org/events/mean-girls.

Dinner Theatre, Literacy Alliance team up

The Literacy Alliance and Arena Dinner Theatre present Tuesdays with Morrie through Sunday, Jan. 28. 

Based on Mitch Albom’s book, the play features Brad Beauchamp and Bob Haluska and is directed by Suzan Moriarty. 

For tickets and more information, go to arenadinnertheatre.org. Tickets go to support each organization.

Get motor running at conservatory

Through April 7, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory will feature a “Speedway” exhibit through tropical plants that are on loan during the winter months from Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. 

Children 10 and under will have the opportunity to ride pedal cars through a designated space and even sit in a real Indy car, on loan from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. 

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for ages 3-17, and children 2 and under are free. Admission is $1 on Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. Go to botanicalconservatory.org/visit for hours.

News and Venues covers Northeast Indiana’s music and arts organizations, venues, and colleges, from large to small. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.