WBOI is closing out the season finale of Live and Local at the Landing with “Super Live and Local,” a special collaboration with the City of Fort Wayne’s Department of Neighborhoods. The event will feature live music, local artists creating neighborhood-inspired works, interactive activities, and a chance for residents to connect, share stories and celebrate their communities.
Here, WBOI's Brianna Datta-Barrow spoke with the City of Fort Wayne’s Department of Neighborhoods about the season two finale of Live and Local at The Landing. They discussed what this collaboration means for our neighborhoods, and what attendees can expect at the big closing event.
Event Information:
Live and Local at the Landing is a family-friendly event
Date: Friday, September 25th
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Landing 118 W Columbia St Ste 301, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
More information at wboi.org/live
Brianna Datta-Barrow: I'm joined now by City of Fort Wayne neighborhood planner Raina Bradley and Engage Fort Wayne coordinator Kevin Cobb from the City of Fort Wayne's Department of Neighborhoods. Thank you guys for being here.
Réna Bradley: Thank you for having us, Bri.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: So, could you both tell us a little bit about your role with the City of Fort Wayne?
Réna Bradley: Right on. I'm a neighborhood planner at the City of Fort Wayne. I primarily help out with leadership development programs for neighborhood associations,
Kevin Cobb: And I'm the coordinator for Engage Fort Wayne dot com. It's the go-to spot for all the projects and resources in the city of Fort Wayne.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: Awesome. Well, thank you guys for coming in. We're here to talk a little bit about Live and Local at the Landings' final event of the season, or as Travis Pope, our president and General Manager is calling it "Super Live and Local", which we are doing in collaboration with the City of Fort Wayne's Department of Neighborhoods. So, for residents who are planning to come out, what can they expect from this final event?
Réna Bradley: Our big goal is to provide neighborhood residents and grassroots leaders with a welcoming space to connect across their communities, celebrate each other, exchange ideas and inspire collective action while hopefully having some fun too. So as you guys always have with live and local, there will be live music. We'll also have live local artists. Paco Reyes from Fort Wayne Open Walls will be there with three other artists doing live art installations that are commemorative of neighborhoods, and we'll also have some awesome engagement activities that Kevin will tell you more about.
Kevin Cobb: Yeah, one of the activities we are very excited about, super excited, some might say, is that earlier this month we had the Inspire Neighborhoods conference, and WBOI was there to collect audio clips from neighbors, from residents telling stories about their neighbors and their neighborhoods, and so we're going to have a fun phone number you can call. You'll hear my voice answer that phone call, and you can select any story from one to nine and hear from your local residents. And I just want to give a shout out. If your name is Ed, there is and you live in Renaissance Point, there is a very fun story about you on there, so.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: Very cool. So you got to come on out and see this kind of art installation then. And could you talk a little bit about the artists who are coming down? You said it's kind of commemorative of Fort Wayne neighborhoods?
Réna Bradley: Yeah. So we hope that the art that's installed— well, the plan is that the art that's installed is going to be reflective of neighborhoods and community, Paco Reyes organizes Fort Wayne open walls every year, which is this great event where local artists have an opportunity to paint large-scale works and murals in Southeast Fort Wayne. So it's a great opportunity for people who have never painted a mural before, who are interested in them, but have never had a chance to do something large scale, or folks like you or I, where if we, you know, want a chance to see what it's like to pick up a can of spray paint and make your mark, that you can go down there and do that. So he has both curated artists and space for kind of walk-ups. So Open Walls is actually opening this weekend as well. So he's coming out and bring a small taste of that to the landing.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: So cool. So if you want to engage in your community, you can literally leave your mark this weekend. Come out to the landing to super live and local live music, art installations, and so much more. How does the Department of Neighborhoods hope that attendees feel when they leave, what is the lasting impression that you want this final event of the season to leave them with?
Réna Bradley: So we hope that Live and Super Local gives them a space to reflect on takeaways and continue conversations and continue deepening their relationships. And of course, we hope they leave feeling inspired.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: We hope so too. And what would you tell someone who's never attended live and local before why is this the best time to come out this Friday night?
Kevin Cobb: Yeah, I mean the weather is looking fantastic, so definitely grab a warm drink in one of the Dora cups, and it's just a great way to casually get to know your neighbor if you don't know of anyone. Raina and I will be out there on the landing. We're always friendly and super friendly, so yeah, come out and join us.
Brianna Datta-Barrow: Awesome! Thank you guys so much for coming in today.
Réna Bradley: Thank you.
Kevin Cobb: Thanks.
