#CHICAGOCOMEDIANS
@hacc_chicago is bringing HEALTHCARE for Chicago comedians! Learn more at THE PORTAL - Tuesday, 5/19.
Also access more shared resources from @bustlingspacesllc and @artsallianceil Help Desk.
Kicks off at 7p, Free + light bites and refreshments
THE PORTAL returns with a dynamic lineup to celebrate
STAND UP & IMPROV COMEDY in Chicago!
Tuesday, May 19th | 7-10p
@expstation - 6100 S Blackstone Ave
FREE
🫧 Engage with 3 improv collectives curated by @thatsmaxthomas@thegarden_chi , @whoallovertherecomedy .
🫧 Enjoy a featured interview with comedic powerhouse @justnesh moderated by @binkey1 .
🫧 @hacc_chicago will be in the building to share more about HEALTHCARE FOR CHICAGO COMEDIANS.
…and so much more!
Free Food
Gaming
Community Building
Live Band & Jam Session
Interactive Media
Vendors
Community Art Wall
Our May edition is sponsored by @eatorgchicago .
THE PORTAL series is made possible by @fieldfoundation and @illinoisartscouncil , and in partnership with Experimental Station.
#everythingisfrequency
📢 NEWSLETTER ALERT ⚠️- vol. 63
📩 Well hello there! 👀👀
✨️ It's your Friendly Neighborhood Newsletter, with over 60 days of arts & culture grants and opportunities across multiple disciplines. 🎵 🎬 🎭 🎨 💵
Find out about the @chicagodcase CityArts Grant opportunity for Chicago Arts & Culture nonprofits due 6/3, and learn more about our featured arts organization for the month, @ilacreativestudio !
🎨 ILA Creative Studio is dedicated to uplifting Black artists by providing the resources, education, and community they need to thrive. They believe in the transformative power of Black creativity and are committed to fostering spaces that empower artists at every stage of their journey through programs like their Hear We Art healing arts initiative, G-to-G (Getting to our Goals) professional development series, and the BLACC app artist digital hub. 🥂 Join them on June 17th at 6PM at @_blackpearlarts for Black Art Love Affair (BALA) , an annual celebration and fundraiser honoring Black artists and the creative heartbeat of Chicago.
🎨 Catch up! hit the link in our bio to read the latest issue, or better yet- ✅️ subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a thing!
#BustlingSpaces #ArtistsSupportingArtists #ArtsFunding #GrantWatch WeHeartYourArt
The PORTAL is tonight! All the vibes, community, resources, free food, jam session, and more! This month we are highlighting #nationalpoetrymonth with a stacked lineup of Chicago legends! Pull up @expstation tonight and support @chi_brations !
We want to take a moment and shout out our vendors for this evening! You will have a chance to interact with them at their tables.
@related_midwest@twistedrosemetal@thaxtonwhiteboutique
A very special shout out to our Event Sponsor, @eatorgchicago , who will be collecting petition signatures for a great cause! Learn more tonight at THE PORTAL!
#CHICAGO
We are celebrating NATIONAL POETRY MONTH with a full night of wordplay and storytelling + plus we’re CALLING ALL POETS📣 to participate in the jam session with the live band.
THE PORTAL
Tuesday, April 28th | 7-10p
Experimental Station
6100 S Blackstone Ave
Theme: NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
Live band: @meliodasmusic
Poetry Shop Talk: @she.unapologetic
Panel: Moderated by @robindannybobo
Westside Cypher: Curated by @hoodraised_poetry
🫧INTERACTIVE MEDIA
🫧PANELS & OPEN DIALOGUE
🫧FEATURED PERFORMANCES
🫧ARTIST RESOURCES
🫧GAMING STATION
🫧POETRY JAM w/ LIVE BAND
Event Sponsor: @eatorgchicago
Series Sponsor: @fieldfoundation & @illinoisartscouncil
In Partnership with @expstation
No Plan Come kick it with the Band🕺🏾. We will be hosting the music section of @chi_brations event, made by the community for the community‼️. Come fellowship with us as we call upon the MotherShip 🛸💫.Tomorrow Night🚦.
#music #chicago
Last month, we launched the 2026 series of THE PORTAL with a bang! Big ups to the band @clubcribent for setting the vibe!
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for the announcement of all of our featured guests as we celebrate NATIONAL POETRY MONTH on April 28th 7-10p.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to Stomping Grounds Open Stage at Haibayo Café. The night was truly special, some of the most powerful and heavy material we’ve had on stage in a while.
A huge shoutout to our featured artist and workshop leader Dxtr Spits. Please continue to follow his work, especially what he’s building with How Men Cry, and take time to listen to his latest album Drowning in the Open (with Nikki Giovanni), available on all streaming platforms.
Thank you to every artist who stepped up and shared their voice. And much love to the team that helped make the night possible our host CeeBaby, our intern Joseph, AVP tech Cassius, and Mo Beats for capturing incredible photos.
Special thanks to DJ Napp for stepping in and creating such an amazing atmosphere, be sure to tap in with his other events.
And a huge thank you to Jennifer and the entire Haibayo Café team for welcoming us into the space.
Let’s continue to take care of each other and build spaces where people can be heard.
You can find recaps, photos, and more at sglai.org.
#OpenStage #ChicagoArtists #CommunityArt #SpokenWord #LiveMusic SGLAI
📩 Inside Volume 61: link in our bio
✔️ Grants & funding opportunities (next 90 days)
✔️ Featured artist & organization
✔️ Creative opportunities + events
💰 Grants & Funding You Don’t Want to Miss 💰
Looking ahead? We’ve curated the top grants, residencies, and funding opportunities for the next 90 days, all in one place to help you plan, apply, and secure your next win.
✨ And more…
This volume feature: Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, (@mandalaartschi ) a MacArthur Award-winning organization founded by Pranita Nayar.
From April to October, Mandala hosts its Makers Festival 🎭 — celebrating South Asian artists across dance, music, theatre, film, and more.
🎟️ Upcoming Highlight:
“Purush: When Power Becomes Poetry” — May 2
An evening-length performance exploring improvisation across classical Indian dance traditions.
🚇 Plus, their Red Line Jazz Project launches in May, transforming everyday transit spaces into live jazz experiences across Chicago.
Family! We are excited to bring you two major announcements:
1.) ChiBrations is partnering with @definitiontheatre to launch a new jam session concept on the #Southside of Chicago.
THE DEFINITION JAM SESSION welcomes creative performers of all kinds to be “in process” together in one sacred room.
MUSIC, POETRY, THEATER, STORYTELLING, DANCE, COMEDY, PUPPETRY, and beyond…
How does this work? That’s up to you to de•fine.
Kicks off this month! More details to follow…
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2.) ChiBrations is partnering with @lumpenradio to launch our own radio show to amplify more stories of the cultural curators on the performing arts scene.
The ChiBrations App has been a major resource, and a visual representation of the abundance of creative culture that exists in Chicagoland. We see you, and we want to hear your stories!
Be on the lookout for #SOUNDBOARDSATURDAY launching in May with special guests, current resources, and dope stories!
🛎️ Turn on notifications!
