History
Indy Art | Media Co-op (iAMCo-op) is a nonprofit collective of creatives, makers, organizers, and aspiring professionals who focus their ideas, talents, and resources to encourage positive change. We started out wanting to understand community connectivity and how to effectively support our neighbors. In 2014, we began hosting free, monthly gatherings in the Haughville neighborhood that screened socially conscious films and facilitated community discussions. Our efforts soon lead us to exploring fundamental ways in which people can share their skills, time, and assets and how these relationships of reciprocity form. We wanted to promote sharing between neighbors in our community, and through much research and discussion, we determined the best way to do this was to physically share valuable resources. After hosting two fundraisers and winning the Indy 5×5 contest, the Indy Tool Lending Library (iTooLL) opened to the public in October of 2016. We are now based in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Indianapolis as a program of the Kheprw Institute.
Mission | Our goal is to bring about economic sustainability and resiliency in Indianapolis neighborhoods by encouraging community connectivity and creativity. We distribute tools of cultural production so that you can amplify your voice whether you’re a nonprofit, social impact organization, entrepreneur, or tinkerer.
Vision | A world flourishing by enacting and embodying DIVERSITY, through equity and collaboration; RECIPROCITY, through self-mastery and mutual accountability; and ACCESS through openness and asset-sharing.
Activities of iAMCo-op
Tool Lending – Indy Tool Lending Library (iTooLL) is a membership-based tool sharing project that makes audio, visual, creative, and event production tools available for just $1/week. Learn more and become a member. As a member, you are also given direct purchasing power to fill the library with the tools you need through our Cobudget app [demo].
Workshops – We run interactive seminars that teach you how to effectively use media tools, software, and communication channels to help amplify your voice. See some that we’ve run in the past, here.
Co-operative Promotions – We support collaborative distribution of content and news through social media and email distribution to bring awareness to new audiences, break down our community’s silos, and connect groups with shared values; connect with us if you’d like to share the love, or share-for-share.
Film Screenings – We come together to educate ourselves, encourage local filmmakers in their craft, and facilitate the sharing of wisdom and information to empower our collective efforts in the community. We archived a few of these screenings here, and have shown two locally-made documentaries.
Event Production – Hosting and facilitating events can be costly. Through iTooLL access, iAMCo-op volunteers can help you or your organization produce your next event. 100% of the funds raised through this effort are put back into the co-op to support its overall mission to serve Indianapolis and amplify under-heard voices.
If you would like to…
- promote your events through iAMCo-op
- book our volunteers to run your next event
- have your film screened
- obtain an iTooLL membership or support the iTooLL project
- develop, teach, or attend a workshop
… please connect with us.