1455: MISSION STATEMENT
At 1455, storytellers are sacred, and we’re dedicated to showcasing the written word and other forms of creative expression. Curating community through year-round free programming, 1455 connects art and audience via intimate conversations and the promotion of diverse voices. Taking our name from the year Gutenberg’s printing press helped democratize content on a global scale, 1455 continues the tradition of using technology to advance an understanding and appreciation of impactful storytelling.
1455 exists to serve anyone who appreciates the arts and is interested in the sort of community commonly found only in academia or online book clubs. Our year round free programming sponsor expression, education, and the sharing of stories. Through the community we’re building, both in person and virtually, we hope to inspire passion for the creative arts in adults and young people.
We understand that beyond having time and space to work, so many writers are derailed by a lack of solidarity. A community that advocates (and, on a more basic but crucial level, understands) creativity—how it happens, what it requires, who seeks to cultivate it more as vocation than hobby—is essential. The cultivation of craft is a unique path for each individual, but all storytellers share a need for support, in all its forms, and reassurance they’re not alone.
1455 believes diversity is strength, on the macro level (creativity) and micro level (creatives). We promote and publish all genres, including fiction, playwrights, and screenwriters, as well as poets, and general non-fiction writers (including creative non-fiction, journalists, essayists, reporters, and critics). We also love musicians, photographers, visual artists, educators, and more. Our programming and events reflect this big tent sensibility, and we look forward to encouraging and showcasing work that evinces the multitudes art contains.
Our mission—now and going forward—is to celebrate and showcase creatives in general and writers in particular. We are dedicated to providing events, discussions, and opportunities to fans of the literary (and other) arts to meet and network. By design, all of 1455’s public programming is free. This includes Author Events, our 14:55 Interview series, our e-magazine Movable Type, and our flagship StoryFest. In 2025 we launched 1455 books, which will publish and share hundreds of writers every year.