RedLine is a proud partner and administrator of the Arts in Society grant. Funded through a cohort of Colorado foundations and government agencies, this collaborative program provides grants to both individuals and organizations that use art as a vehicle to promote social justice and community welfare.
We love highlighting our Arts in Society (AiS) grant recipients and all the unique and impactful projects made possible by their grant.
We’re excited continue this series by highlighting 2025 Arts in Society project: “Coalition for Creative Practice in Colorado Prisons.” Below we explore one of the three partners involved in this powerful project: Unbound Authors.
Unbound Authors is a Colorado-based writing center working inside and alongside the state’s correctional facilities to build communication skills, confidence, and connection through writing. Learn how they’re teaming up with Impact Arts and ACT Ensemble to form the Coalition for Creative Practice in Colorado Prisons, a collaborative Arts in Society project.
Tell us about your organization
Unbound Authors is a Colorado-based writing center working inside and alongside the state’s correctional facilities to build communication skills, confidence, and connection through writing.
Founded by a formerly incarcerated leader, the organization was created in response to a gap I experienced firsthand: access to meaningful writing opportunities, feedback, and pathways to share work beyond the walls.
Today, Unbound Authors is recognized by the Colorado Department of Corrections as the writing center of the system, supporting individuals across all major facilities.
Our model centers writing as a tool for personal development, education, and workforce readiness. Through in-person writing labs and tablet-based courses, participants develop core communication competencies—idea development, audience awareness, revision, collaborative feedback, and storytelling. These are foundational skills that translate directly into education, employment, and reentry success.
Our approach is trauma-informed, relationship-centered, and designed to meet people where they are, whether they are writing for the first time or building on years of experience.
Unbound Authors currently serves individuals in all Colorado correctional facilities, reaching over 1,200 writers in the past three years. Our work is supported by a growing network of volunteers, educators, and system-impacted leaders who provide feedback, mentorship, and instruction. Together, we are building a statewide infrastructure that makes consistent, high-quality writing support accessible across facilities.
Unbound Authors team
As a complement to this learning ecosystem, Unbound Authors operates Mercury Mountain Media, a publishing platform that includes a statewide newspaper and creative arts magazine. These publications serve as a practicum—an opportunity for participants to apply their skills in real-world contexts, contribute to shared narratives, and engage in collaborative production.
By connecting education, practice, and publication, Unbound Authors is building pathways for people inside to develop their voices, their skills, and their sense of possibility.
Tell us about your first project that will utilize your Arts in Society Colorado Arts Grant
We applied for our Arts in Society Colorado art grant in partnership with two sister organizations—Impact Arts and ACT Ensemble. Together, we are the Coalition for Creative Practice in Colorado Prisons.
With support from Arts in Society, Unbound Authors is producing its first statewide anthology, featuring writing from individuals across Colorado’s correctional facilities. This project represents a major milestone for our organization: moving from building the infrastructure for writing and feedback to creating a cohesive, high-quality publication that reflects the depth, complexity, and range of voices emerging from inside.
The anthology will include a curated selection of poetry, personal narratives, essays, and other forms of writing developed through our writing labs and courses. Participants engage in a structured process of drafting, feedback, and revision, often for the first time in a supportive and collaborative environment. This process not only strengthens individual pieces, but also builds core communication skills that extend beyond the page.
In addition to publication, the grant supports a series of in-facility readings and gatherings where participants can hear selected works shared aloud. These events create space for recognition and reflection, allowing writers to experience their work as part of a larger collective body. In environments where opportunities for creative expression and public acknowledgment are limited, these moments are deeply meaningful and help reinforce a sense of identity, voice, and possibility.
This project also serves as a foundation for future publishing efforts under Mercury Mountain Media, our in-house publishing platform. By establishing editorial workflows, participant pathways, and production processes through the anthology, we’re building a sustainable model that can support ongoing publications—including our statewide newspaper and creative arts magazine.
The anthology is both a culminating project and a starting point: a tangible demonstration of what is possible when people are given the tools, time, and support to develop and share their work.
What’s next in the pipeline for your organization? What other projects are you dreaming up for next year, and how will your Arts in Society grant help to support these efforts?
What’s next for Unbound Authors is both a deepening and an expansion of the communication infrastructure we’ve been building across Colorado’s correctional facilities.
Over the next year, we’re focused on strengthening our statewide writing center model by increasing access to writing labs, expanding our tablet-based course offerings, and developing a more formalized communication skills certificate. This includes integrating digital and AI literacy into our curriculum, ensuring participants are building practical skills that support education, employment, and reentry.
We’re also continuing to build out Mercury Mountain Media as a sustainable publishing platform. Following the release of our first anthology, we’re developing a consistent publication cadence for our statewide newspaper and creative arts magazine.
These publications function as a practicum, where participants apply the skills they’ve developed through writing labs and courses in a real-world context—engaging in collaborative storytelling, revision, and production processes.
At the same time, we’re contributing to a broader national conversation about incarcerated journalism and access to information. Through our partnership with the Pollen Initiative and involvement in the American Penal Press Contest, we are helping to strengthen connections between facility-based publications across states.
This work supports knowledge-sharing, visibility, and the development of stronger journalism practices inside, positioning Unbound Authors as part of a growing ecosystem working to expand access to credible information and narrative agency for incarcerated communities.
The Arts in Society grant plays a critical role in supporting these next steps. The anthology is not a standalone project—it’s helping us establish the editorial processes, contributor pathways, and production capacity needed to sustain ongoing publications.
The anthology also creates a tangible example of what high-quality, collaborative writing from inside can look like, strengthening our ability to build partnerships and contribute meaningfully to both statewide and national efforts in this space. In this way, the grant is both catalytic and foundational, supporting Unbound Authors as we continue to grow into a durable, field-building organization.
What was your experience like when applying for an Arts in Society grant? What tips would you share with artists looking to apply?
Our experience applying for the Arts in Society grant was both collaborative and clarifying. As part of a group application with Impact Arts and ACT Ensemble, the process invited us to think not only about our individual work, but about how our efforts align and strengthen one another. It created space to articulate a shared vision while also being clear about the distinct role each organization plays in contributing to that vision.
One of the most valuable aspects of the process was the opportunity to reflect on how creative work can function across different contexts and communities. For Unbound Authors, that meant translating work that happens inside correctional facilities—often out of public view—into language that communicates its artistic, educational, and social impact. The application process encouraged us to be intentional about how we describe that work and why it matters.
For artists and organizations considering applying, one key takeaway is the importance of clarity and specificity. Be clear about what you’re building, who it’s for, and how it will take shape. It can also be helpful to think beyond a single project and consider how your work contributes to a broader ecosystem—whether that’s through collaboration, community engagement, or building something that can grow over time.
We would also encourage applicants to lean into partnership where it makes sense. Applying as part of a collaborative group allowed us to present a more expansive vision and demonstrate how different approaches to creative work can complement one another. At the same time, it required strong communication and alignment across partners, which ultimately strengthened both the application and the project itself.
Finally, don’t underestimate the value of grounding your application in lived experience and real relationships. The strongest proposals are not just well-written—they are rooted in genuine connection, clear purpose, and a deep understanding of the community being served. That authenticity comes through, and it matters.
Arts in Society Grantee Project Highlight: Coalition for Creative Practice in Colorado Prisons (Pt. 1)
Learn how Impact Arts brings visibility to the work and stories of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated artists, fosters artistic community, and advocates for the importance of the arts as a healing and transformative tool in carceral spaces.
Administered by RedLine and funded through a cohort of Colorado foundations and government agencies, Arts in Society is a grant program supporting cross-sector work through the arts across Colorado.
