Detroit Creativity Project

10/16/2026

Are you heading to Detroit for ISACS 2026? Let’s connect!

We are thrilled to be leading two featured workshops at this year’s ISACS Annual Conference.

Aligned with this year's powerful theme, Inspire Detroit 2026, our sessions are designed to give Pre-K through Upper School educators insight into how teaching students to improvise fosters collaboration and respect for others, builds literacy, and encourages experimentation in a safe, supportive setting.

Learn more and register at: isacs.org

Event Details:
Thu, Nov 5th
9 a.m.–4:15 p.m.

Fri, Nov 6th
9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

📍Huntington Place Convention Center
1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI

10/14/2026

DCP Youth Advisor Jewel spoke with actor and comedian Sam Richardson backstage at . We loved what he had to say about being part of the show.

For Sam, The Coney was more than a night of laughs with some very funny friends. It was a chance to give back to his hometown and help make sure the next generation of Detroit creatives gets the same spark that ignited his career.

The $2.7M raised at The Coney will bring free arts programming to more Detroit kids, providing annual grants to youth-serving nonprofits and creating an endowment to fund arts education in Detroit long-term.

Tap the link in our bio to learn more about The Coney Impact grants and apply. Submit by November 5 to the website.

Thank you, Sam, for making The Coney such a success!

10/09/2026

Meet a Detroit Improv Icon: Gilda Radner.

Gilda's story is proof of the power of improv: inspiring a kid from Detroit to reach for their dreams, without limits. That's the same spirit we bring into classrooms across the city every day.

Born in Detroit in 1946, Gilda got her start right here before becoming one of television's most beloved performers. She studied at the University of Michigan, where she first found her comedic voice doing weather reports on the campus radio station.

From there, she joined The Second City in Toronto (The Second City Detroit didn't exist yet). She shared the stage with future legends like Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, before becoming the first performer cast on Saturday Night Live in 1975. Her characters Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna became instant classics, and her work on the show earned her an Emmy Award in 1978.

To learn more about our program and how it's helping the next generation of Detroit talent find their voice, visit www.detroitcreativityproject.org.

10/06/2026

APPLY TODAY for impact grants from The Coney! This is a dream realized for all of us at The Detroit Creativity Project.

From the beginning, our founders believed every Detroit child deserves to have arts education as part of their school day. Our board has been dreaming about this for a long time, and with Children's Foundation of Michigan, we finally found the partner to help make it happen.

The Coney brought so many people into one room for this effort, and one of the best parts was hearing so many new voices talk about investing in arts education for kids in Detroit schools and communities. Thank you to everyone who showed up and believed in this work with us.

We know this is just the start, but it feels like we're finally on our way to that original goal.

To learn more, register for the info session, and apply, visit: https://yourchildrensfoundation.org/announcements/new-funding-opportunity-the-coney-youth-arts-education-grants/

If you know an educator or school who could benefit, please share this with them.

10/05/2026

Applications are now open for The Coney Youth Arts Education Grants!

This is a dream realized for The Detroit Creativity Project.

From the beginning, our founders believed every Detroit child deserves to have arts education as part of their school day. Creativity helps young people build confidence, find their voice, and connect with each other, and we've seen that firsthand in every classroom we've been part of.

These grants exist because of everyone who showed up for The Coney. We can't thank you enough for believing in this work with us.

We know this is just the start, but it feels like we're finally on our way to that original goal.

To learn more and apply, visit:
https://yourchildrensfoundation.org/announcements/new-funding-opportunity-the-coney-youth-arts-education-grants/

If you know an educator or school who could benefit, please share this with them.

A new funding opportunity for Detroit’s youth arts community is here!

Proceeds from the first-ever The Coney: A celebrity charity event with everything on it will support youth arts education both now and for years to come through immediate grantmaking and the Endowment for Youth Arts.

The Children’s Foundation of Michigan is now accepting inquiries for the first annual The Coney – Youth Arts Education Impact Grants, supporting Detroit nonprofits that provide arts and culture programming for youth and young adults.

Grants will support:
• Arts Infrastructure
• Arts-Based Experiences
• Teaching Artists

Funding ranges from $5,000–$75,000, based on organization size.

Interested organizations should complete the Children’s Foundation of Michigan Inquiry Form and select “Youth Arts Education.”

Inquiry deadline: November 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Learn more about eligibility, funding priorities, and how to apply: https://ow.ly/R2l850ZTcRI

Detroit Creativity Project

10/02/2026

Exactly one week ago, we were kicking off the start of our first ever Coney weekend! A huge thank you to all the folks that helped make it a reality!

Venues 🎉





Entertainment Partners 🎤

(DJ Ellison Honigman)



Food 😋




Talent Gifts 🎁





Accommodations 🌇



Agency Partners 📢

10/01/2026

Deep breaths!

It’s taken us a few days to fully process what the inaugural year of The Coney was able to accomplish: $2.7 MILLION raised for youth arts programs in Detroit.

Friends, supporters, sponsors, talent and guests came together from near and far to make it happen — all rallying around one city and one incredible cause.

What a first year. What an incredible community. 🌭❤️

And we’re not done reliving it yet. Stay tuned — we’ve got plenty more moments, memories and magic to share.

09/30/2026

What a night. The first-ever Coney is officially in the books, and our hearts are full.

From the press events leading up to the big show to the all-cast musical finale, this was a celebration of Detroit, the arts, and the young people at the heart of everything we do.

To our incredible cast, thank you for sharing your talent and your time.

To everyone behind the scenes, thank you for the long hours and the countless details that made the magic happen.

To The Children’s Foundation of Michigan, thank you for believing in this vision.

And to every person who bought a ticket, signed on as a sponsor, or helped us spread the word online, thank you.

Together, we raised more than $2.7 million. That means more Detroit kids will have access to arts programs in 2027, and that’s just the beginning. The Coney is building an endowment to help ensure the arts become an essential part of every Detroit child’s education, not an extra, not a nice to have, a given. In a city whose legacy is innovation and creativity, we can’t wait to see where that leads.

Thank you, Detroit. See you at The Coney next year.

09/29/2026

One word. That's all it takes to build an entire scene, and it's exactly why this is DCP Youth Advisor Rimpa's favorite improv game.

Here's how it works: The scene is built one word at a time, with each player on stage adding a single word before passing it to the next. The story keeps going, word by word, until the group feels they've landed on a satisfying ending.

It's all about teamwork, creativity, and listening. No one knows where the story will go, so everyone has to stay locked in and be ready to move the story forward when it's their turn. It's great practice for the discussion in social studies class or at your next work meeting.

Try One Word Story with your own group and see what you come up with together.

09/29/2026

Job well done, Marc Evan Jackson 👏 made a heck of a debut and impact this weekend. $2.7 million raised for youth arts. The Detroit Creativity Project