National Critics Institute Invites Journalists to Detroit Skills-building Arts Journalism Workshop

The National Critics Institute (NCI), headquartered inside the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Hartford, Connecticut, brought an abbreviated version of its prestigious boot camp to Detroit for a three-day arts journalism workshop. A small group of journalists was hand-picked to attend and we're proud to announce that I See You Awards® founder Terri Lee Chandler was selected to participate. Chandler was invited by Alicia Nails, director of the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity at Wayne State University. The event was developed and curated by Serena Maria Daniels, editor of Tostada Magazine, and an alumnus of the event held in Connecticut. Christopher Jones, NCI

Pictured: Alicia Nails, left, and Terri Lee Chandler, right.

director and Chicago Tribune theater critic, and Naveen Kumar, assistant director of NCI and a freelance theater critic based in New York City, joined Daniels as facilitators.

The packed agenda included several assignments, including a review of the musical Chicago, which made a stop at Detroit's Fisher Theatre, and a review of one of two Detroit restaurants.

For the restaurant review exercise, the group was divided into two cohorts, with Chandler joining seven other journalists for dinner at Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Midtown Detroit.

Pictured: Journalists participating in the NCI Detroit Skills-building Arts Journalism Workshop enjoy dinner at Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails. Photo courtesy, Terri Lee Chandler

"I'm so glad I had an opportunity to take part in this workshop," Chandler told the I See You Awards®. "Not only was it an educational and transformative experience, it was fun."

The program wrapped up with a discussion and networking event held at the Book Depository, located on the campus of Michigan Central Station in Detroit. The building is currently undergoing an extensive renovation and is expected to open later this year.

For more information on NCI, click here.