A Creative Incubator for Community Building
Pilot Lights is an eight week cohort program for artists who feel like inspiration and motivation are just out of reach; who feel colleagues and community aren’t easy to find, and that if there were just a few extra people to talk it out with, getting a project or idea going would be easier.
Making art, studying creativity, or working on a performance can be an isolating experience. Work happens alone, there are more details and things to learn and people to talk to than expected, and you’re not sure what happens next. We created Pilot Lights for Hoosier artists and creatives that find themselves getting stuck in their creative growth and work progression.
This program gathers nine artistic individuals to regularly meet over teleconferencing (Zoom, Teams, Slack Chat…) with a simple weekly agenda; “what are you working on? where do you feel stuck?” When we’re creatively isolated a great solution is spending time hearing how other artists, designers, performers, authors, musicians…other creative people talk it out. Pilot Light meeting conversations quickly turn into sharing of resources, offering experiences as comparisons, and providing encouragement to others while getting to know a group of other like-minded creatives.
Participants in our inaugural 2025 cohort felt more connected to the area arts scene, more inspired, and more motivated to launch or work on their creative projects.
Is Pilot Lights for Me?
Are you a creative person who is feeling stuck or directionless? Do you benefit from community support? Do you feel isolated from artistic colleagues? Do you benefit by learning from others?
Pilot Lights is intentionally designed with minimal obligations and expectations. This so participants focus on their creative work more than completion of a program. Pilot Lights is for artists at any stage of development, at any skill level. It is for artists and creatives who benefit from peer to peer dialogue.
How it Works
Participants apply to Pilot Lights and are interviewed by the cohort facilitator to set expectations and answer questions. We select participants to create the best cohort of nine we can, and launch a cohort when there are at least seven committed participants.
Pilot Lights is and always will be free to Pillar Arts members and non-members. Any US citizen over the age of 18 may apply, we strongly favor artists and creatives, individuals within Monroe County Indiana, or individuals with Hoosier ties. But Indiana residency or Bloomington proximity is not a requirement. Because this program relies heavily on video conferencing software and tele-meetings participants are expected to have access to necessary technology and internet access to allow for successful participation.
When the cohort begins, we meet on Friday’s in the late afternoon. 5:30 pm EST, and meetings last 45 minutes. Participants are expected to attend at least five of the eight Friday afternoon cohort meetings sessions. Life happens, we can be flexible in urgent circumstances, but the best value comes from consistency of presence.
Eligibility
US Citizen, 18+ with access to reliable internet service and video conferencing enabled technology. Preferential consideration for creatives currently living inside Indiana.
There is no participation fee. Participants do not need to be Pillar Arts members to apply. There are no artistic preconditions or exclusions.
The application process includes a scheduled video interview conversation to set participation expectations and answer questions. Applications are considered in the order in which they are received.
Cohorts begin with a minimum of seven committed participants and a maximum of nine.
Apply to Join a Cohort Today
2026 Pilot Lights Cohort Recruitment coming soon.