The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and the Indianapolis Children's Choir provide a choral-based program at the Plainfield Re-Entry Facility that uses music to help incarcerated fathers and their youth interact and build relationships prior to re-entry into society, as a way to prevent the crime cycle. The program includes workshops, gas cards, and free ticket vouchers to other concerts for participating families.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis partners with the Indianapolis Police Department to help eliminate crime in the neighborhood. Additionally, the museum provides low-cost admission to more than 17,500 at-risk families and offers reduced admission to more than more than 59,000 students each year.
The Indianapolis Art Center provides year-round community-based arts education programs to more than 550 youth ages 5-18 through the ArtReach program and the SMART program, a collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.
Dance Kaleidoscope, in collaboration with the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility, works with female inmates to write, tell, and dance their personal stories to create "positive forms of expression" as a deterrent to future negative behavior.
The Indiana Repertory Theatre through its Overcoming Barriers program connects artists with Marion County schools for in-classroom programs examining tolerance and conflict resolution to more than 900 students annually.
Young Audiences of Indiana provides arts programming including the Summer Arts for Youth program, the ArtsKids after school program and the Inside Arts program at the city's Juvenile Detention Center to more than 4,348 of the most at-risk youth in our community.
The Madame Walker Theatre Center reaches more than 5,570 youth ages 5-13 through after school and summer programs providing arts exposure and training opportunities.
Clowes Memorial Hall reaches more than 50,000 students annually via low-cost matinees, including more than 16,000 students and teachers from Title I (predominantly at-risk population) schools from 188 Marion County schools.
The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra provides low-cost classical musical instruction to over 100 Indianapolis children and parents that helps to create and strengthen familial relationships and bonds.
Art with a Heart serves more than 1,200 children in area schools, community centers, and safe havens through visual art instruction, adult mentoring, and arts-integrated academic programs.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) reaches more than 100,000 children in central Indiana via diverse educational programs that help improve academic performance and build self esteem.
Freetown Village offers programs on African-American history and culture to more than 5,250 youth through a year-round children's ensemble afterschool program and a nine-week summer day camp.
InterAction Theatre creates interactive performances for 10,915 students annually in correctional facilities, domestic violence shelters, and high schools on topics such as relationship violence, justice, substance abuse, and conflict resolution.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art's VIEWFINDERS program reaches every third grade student in Indianapolis Public Schools and is applied at all grade levels in four Washington Township elementary schools. VIEWFINDERS utilizes the well-researched Visual Thinking Strategies image curriculum to stimulate discussion, thereby fostering self-expression, language, critical thinking, observation, and other cognitive skills.
These are just a few highlights of the many arts programs and activities making a difference in Indianapolis.
If your arts organization is not listed and you have a specific example of the ways you're making a difference in Indianapolis, please send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .








