The Urban Gateways Blog

Urban Gateways & MusicianCorps featured on Vocalo 89.5 FM - LISTEN

2009-11-09T21:06:21Z

MusicianCorps is a new, national “musical Peace Corps,” which Urban Gateways partnered with to bring six fellows to Chicago. Recently, Urban Gateways Executive Director Julie Simpson and MusicianCorps Fellow Jamie Topper discussed MusicianCorps in an interview on Vocalo 89.5FM. LISTEN NOW>>

Check out our new events calendar>>

Urban Gateways Named Charity of Choice for Benefit Concert

2009-11-04T19:54:42Z

When: December 3@ 8:00pm
Where: The Darkroom, 2210 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago
Who: Ticket Holders ($7 advance/$8 at the door)

Urban Gateways was named the charity of choice for this a benefit concert and will receive 25% of the ticket proceeds. The event is presented by Heave Media, hosted by Alex Moffat aka Max Bremmer and will feature the bands: All Things Lucid, Son of the Sun, and the Brian Miller Band. Learn More >>

Upcoming Show Benefits Urban Gateways- Buy Tickets Today!

2009-11-04T19:48:43Z

When: 7:30pm (Nov. 19) / 8:00pm (Nov. 20-21)
Where: Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago
Who: Concert Ticket Holders

Step Afrika! is the first company in the US to transform African American “Stepping” into a theatrical spectacle. Making their Chicago Debut as part of their 15th anniversary season, Step Afrika! creates an “ocean of sound” with contemporary Stepping and Hip Hop alongside ancient Zulu dances, south African gumboot dancing and more!

Performances will be held at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago Illinois. When you order tickets, use the Urban Gateways code: CHRP-UG, and you’ll get 10% off the ticket price, and Urban Gateways will get 50% of the proceeds from the ticket sale. See dates and times below, and follow links for more info:

November 19 at 7:30pm

November 20-21, 2009 at 8pm

Urban Gateways @ Community Arts Education Conference

2009-11-04T19:16:25Z

When: November 13, 2009 @ 10:00am
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Who: Conference Attendees
What: Urban Gateways Executive Director Julie F. Simpson will serve as a panelist during the plenary session entitled A New Day for Arts Education in America

Julie Simpson, at the Community Arts Education Conference, will serve as a panelist for a plenary session entitled: A New Day for Arts education in America. Discussion will revolve around the importance of building bridges with organizations/agencies in other sectors such as community development, youth development, health care, aging services etc to ensure arts education for every American. The panel will also discuss how to increase engagement, spark innovation and more boldly demonstrate the positive impact of community arts education.

New Arts Forum Meeting

2009-11-04T15:51:18Z

When: November 12, 2009 @ 5:30pm
Where: Hilligoss Galleries, 520 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
Who: New Arts Forum Members
What: The New Arts Forum engages young professionals in the work of Urban Gateways.

Urban Gateways created the New Arts Forum (NAF) to engage young professionals in the work of Urban Gateways. The Forum’s mission is to promote and support Urban Gateways’ efforts to provide arts education programs to all children despite race or economic class.

Urban Gateways’ New Arts Forum provides members with distinctive social and networking opportunities and is the only Junior Board in Chicago Representing an arts education organization. Members play an active role in engaging other young professionals to support Urban Gateways’ programming. This creative group of people develops their leadership skills and their potential to join Urban Gateways’ Board of Directors in the future.

If you have any questions about the New Arts Forum, or would like to join, please email Development Manager Kristy Conway

AileyCamp Celebrates 10 Years of Dance & Youth Development

2009-08-26T18:30:00Z

AileyCamp Chicago celebrated its 10-year anniversary this summer. The innovative, 6-week dance and youth development program for inner city students is made possible each year through a partnership amongst Urban Gateways, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools. This summer, 80 Chicago students ages 11 to 14 participated; and anyone who was present for the camp's culminating dance performance on Wednesday, August 12 knows the spectacular results.

The show took place in the auditorium of Whitney Young High School. The campers’ families and friends showed up in droves; people were lining the walls and sitting in the aisles by the time the performance began. The moment the curtain came up and the campers’ sweeping smiles and professional costumes came into view, it was clear that it would be a show to remember, even before they took a step.

"11 to 14 is such a transitional stage. We want to help them through that transition. We are developing the individual camper,” said AileyCamp Chicago Director Lisa Willingham. To that end, campers not only participate in daily technique classes in ballet, modern dance, jazz, and tap, but they also attend personal development and creative communications classes focused on goal setting, nutrition, conflict/resolution, self-image and more.

The camp leaders emphasize that dance is a way to bring it all together, a way for the students to practice their confidence and communication by engaging with an audience.

"Dance is meant to challenge the campers in their sense of self. We challenge young people to be their best in whatever endeavor they choose," said Willingham.

Although dance is a means to an end in this case, it can’t go unsaid that the camp turns out some technically superb young dancers. According to Willingham, 8 Ailey campers have been accepted to the new Chicago High School for the Performing Arts.

No surprise based on the August 12 show, which started with a Michael Jackson tribute - jazzy, funky numbers with colorful lighting, even more colorful costumes, and plenty of whooping from the enthusiastic audience of parents and supporters. Then the hour-and-a-half-long show moved into an artful jumble of ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, hip-hop, and everything in between, interspersed with quick poetry recitations and skits about communication and peer pressure, all performed by the campers. A highlight was the African dance piece; the campers wore African costumes and danced to an accompanying percussion group. The camp brought in a dancer from West Africa especially for this purpose.

Willingham also called former campers to the stage between dance numbers and asked them to say a few words about their experiences. Former camper Derek said of the program, “At first I didn’t want to do it because it seemed hard. But then I found out I could do a lot of things that I didn’t realize before.”

“Your heart. Your heart’s really in it,” 13-year-old Nicole said. Then, indicating Willingham, “this woman really inspired me. Now I dance in my neighborhood.”

What was most striking about the performance, beyond the wide range of dance types and styles, was the grace and professionalism achieved by many of the students, whose obvious elation during the show contributed to a festive and happy atmosphere.

And in the final moments, after the campers marched out chanting “Ailey, Ailey” over and over in a musical conclusion, they shouted in unison a line that sums up the purpose of the AileyCamp: “I will not use the word ‘can’t’ to define my possibilities.”

Major Funders Sign on to Support UG’s Mission

2009-08-26T17:00:00Z

By continually advocating for the arts and effectively delivering arts education programming for almost 50 years, Urban Gateways is gaining the support of government, corporate and foundation funders on both local and national levels. This summer, Urban Gateways was one of only 28 organizations nationwide to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the Arts Education category. JP Morgan Chase donated $100,000 in support of Urban Gateways programs, and 10 local Target stores collectively contributed $13,500.

Urban Gateways wants to thank these donors and so many others who are helping us accomplish our mission to ignite the full creative potential of all young people. Read more below about these donations and how they’ll impact arts education in Chicago:

National Endowment for the Arts Grant (NEA)

This year the NEA awarded $30 million in direct grants through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to fund arts projects and activities. Awards to organizations ranged in amounts of $25,000 and $50,000. Competition was intense in the Arts Education category with 136 applicants nationwide. From that pool, Urban Gateways was one of only 28 organizations to receive funding, and one of only two organizations selected in Illinois.

Funding from this grant will be used to support teaching artists who participate in Urban Gateways Artist-in-residence programs, which bring professional artists into the classroom – before, during and after school - to engage students in the complex and dynamic study of art and to provide a creative approach to learning. Residencies provide students with high quality arts experiences that offer enrichment, inspiration and engagement for all types of learners. Read more about our Artist-in-residence Programs>>

Target Community Grants

Urban Gateways received $13,500 in funding from Target through ten local Target community grants. Of the funding from Target, $3000 will go towards our Artist-in-residence programs. The other $10,500 will support five Urban Gateways touring performances, each with an accompanying immersion workshop.

Touring performances bring the area’s finest artists in dance, music and theatre into schools to expose students to the performing arts, increase their awareness and understanding of other cultures, and encourage them to engage in a personal exploration of the arts. Held after the performance, immersion workshops extend and deepen the experience of a touring show by taking students through a hands-on exploration of the art and culture they just saw on stage. Urban Gateways artists and/or staff lead students through discussions and interactive exercises that expand students understanding and allow them to experiment with the style or technique of the performance for themselves. Learn more information about UG touring performances>>

JP Morgan Chase

JP Morgan Chase which supports arts and culture programming, both during and after school hours, awarded Urban Gateways $100,000 in support of the Urban Gateways Center for the Art of Learning (CAL). CAL collaboratively integrates the arts into the lives of school children; directly links the arts and learning with neighborhood-based community development efforts; and delivers training for classroom teachers and local artists to ensure program sustainability and long-term benefits for neighborhood residents.

Urban Gateways would like to thank all of our funders from this summer who support our mission and recognize the importance of ensuring quality arts education to all children. Other funders included: Alphawood Foundation; Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois; Chicago Community Trust; Cultural Outreach Program; Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation; Libra Foundation; Lipman Hearne, Inc.; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Sahara Enterprises, Inc.; and Woods Fund of Chicago.

Urban Gateways Fall Showcase 2009 - Sept. 25

2009-08-18T17:00:00Z

Friday, September 25
9am - 12pm

Northbrook Theater
3323 Walters Avenue - Northbrook, IL

REGISTER ONLINE >>

Come join Urban Gateways for a sneak preview of our newest Touring Performances!

This free annual event is open to teachers, administrators, parents and community members who are interested in bringing Chicago's most captivating live performances to their schools, community centers, libraries and assembly halls.

The showcase will feature 15-minute performances by the following Urban Gateways touring groups:

Fandango! by Tarima Son (Music, Dance)
Voice of Dance by DanceWorks Chicago (Dance)
Drums in the Concert Hall by Third Coast Percussion (Music)
Alice & Me by Filament Theatre Ensemble (Theatre)
The Evolution of Ballet by Elements Contemporary Ballet (Dance)

Each performance will be followed by a Q&A session. Continental breakfast will be served. And Urban Gateways staff will be on hand to help you plan your arts programming for the year ahead!

If you're interested in attending, please REGISTER ONLINE TODAY>>

QUESTIONS? Please contact Tarah Ortiz, Program Coordinator - Performance Programs, by email or phone: (312)922-0440 ext. 2750.

Chicago to Tanzania and Back: Teaching artist exchange offers cultural, artistic insights

2009-07-24T11:00:00Z

This summer, Urban Gateways has embarked on its first international artist exchange.

UG Artist-in-Residence, Amanda Lichtenstein, traveled to a rural village in Tanzania to teach theater and creative writing. Meanwhile, Urban Gateways was thrilled to welcome Tanzanian theater artist Grace Gachocha (seen in picture on right) to Chicago, where she is instructing UG’s Art Options program alongside literary artist Maia Morgan and Digital Sound artist Shawn Wallace. Art Options engages at-risk middle and high school students in an arts apprenticeship that culminates in a community-based arts project.

The exchange was made possible through an International Connections Fund grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in partnership with the International Theater and Literacy Project (ITLP), a New York City-based organization founded in 2005 to provide rural African communities with youth education through theater, and the Greater Auburn Gresham Community Development Corporation.

Grace is having a strong impact on the students she is working with in Chicago’s south side Auburn Gresham neighborhood as she leads them in writing and performing their own theater pieces. Amanda has taken on a similar project in Tanzania and communicates regularly by email with the UG staff:

We decided we’d do a play about HIV/AIDS… but it is also going to be about questions and about a journey, and about being lost in a sea of misinformation, about the desire to be healthy and be loved. We are pushing to make this story personal, as when we asked if any knew someone living with HIV/AIDS, all raised their hands. It’s a lot to take on in 2 weeks, but students are up for the challenge.

Urban Gateways Holds Court in Target Tent

2009-07-23T15:23:16Z

Urban Gateways staff members and teaching artists entertained throngs of children (and parents) July 13-19 as part of the Millennium Park Family Fest.

Stationed in the Target Tent, teaching artists set up free craft tables and workshops for passersby, all focusing on the theme of Chicago neighborhoods.

Urban Gateways literary artist Ira Murfin helped kids to creatively reconstruct their day’s activities by pasting words and decorations onto a map of Chicago, and visual artist Monserrat Alsina provided materials for them to make “neighborhood trading cards” based on different Chicago communities like Pilsen, downtown, and Uptown.

Nikki Zaleski, a theater teaching artist, initiated a “community web” in which kids answered written prompts about their communities and strung the papers together with yarn. Visual artist James “Casper” Jankowiak helped kids create their own miniature houses and add them to a colorful 3D replica of Chicago.

By the end of the seven-day stint in the Target Tent, Urban Gateways had birthed the creation of a mini Chicago that consumed three tables, a tightly crafted yarn web, and a valuable new connection to the Chicago community.

UG Artist Shares Her Experience in Tanzania

2009-07-23T10:11:51Z

Urban Gateways Artist-in-Residence Amanda Lichtenstein is teaching creative writing and theater to children in a rural village in Tanzania, as part of UG's first international exchange with the International Theater and Literacy Project (ITLP), a New York City-based organization founded in 2005 to provide rural African communities with youth education through theater.

Below is an excerpt of a letter Amanda sent to the UG staff, sharing her experiences:

again i greet you a thousand times from the internet shed in tengeru
market. many are gathered round these glowing screens, enjoying justin timberlake/t.i video on youtube. others are uploading photos of a recent wedding. a rooster crows, a cow groans, the world is quiet except for click clak of keyboards, and swahili laughing from time to time.

i do feel that my whole teaching artist life has flashed before me in
the last week. we are trying everything with our group of 20 eighteen year olds, and they are totally ready to try anything. hitchiker, mirrors, moving through space, shapes, levels, tableauxs, poetry writing in groups, pairs, solo, just generating material, exploring ideas through movement, role play, meisner, neutral text, subtext, everything.

we are working on striking a balance between honoring traditional mode of theater, grappling with the notion that theater here is often defined by and linked to a wonky tradition of development/issue-based theater, and wanting to introduce more experimental methods of telling story and expressing collective feeling.

we're also grappling with the tidal desire to reenact soap opera stories and swahili rap videos as seen on tv, which are both incredibly influential elements of contemporary tanzanian culture (even/especially?) in rural areas like patandi. even after a week of experimenting with breath and body, mind and voice, group and individual, the imagination and reality, when it came to making a play, students rallied for the didactic hiv/aids play, in which the main character always dies. there's tons of tears, a funeral, and that's that.

we decided (after long and challenging conversation in swahili and english) that we'd do a play about hiv/aids, as long as our students would be willing to tell a different story, or a new story, that would stray from their "true north" which is to reenact the same devastating story -- probably scripted at one point from a development lens, -- a psa -- and never challenged.

so yes, our play is going to be about hiv/aids, but it is also about questions, and about a journey, and about being lost in a sea of misinformation, about the desire to be healthy, and be loved. we will keep you updated on its development...it's a beautiful start. we are pushing to make this story personal, as when we asked if any knew of someone who had died of hiv/aids, over half raised their hand. when asked if any knew someone living with hiv/aids, all raised their hands. i read that the rate is actually pretty low in tanzania (6%), but the over percentage in all of africa is still high, and is constantly on young people's minds.

they know it's out there, but they don't have information often times, and even when they do receive information, there's a great deal at risk in order to get condoms, talk to partners, make informed choices. it's a lot to take on in 2 weeks, but students are up for the challenge.

and this all happens at nkoundrua secondary school, along a rocky dirt road, with my american teaching partner lee, and our 20 students, in a bare classroom with 20 desks and metal chairs, and open windows that look out onto enormous, glistening banana leaves, and patches of blue sky. sunlight shines through at times, but mostly we've been working with a chill in the air, as this is winter in tanzania. cold mornings. hot afternoons. cold nights. but not really COLD, just chilly.

our students walk from their homes, which are also their farms, most have many chores related to farm life before arriving at school. they are all in form four, obsessed with passing a major national exam to pass to form five, and also quite concerned with covering their school fees, which cost the equivalent about 83 dollars a year.

we work from 9:30-11, break for chai and white bread with a smear of butter, work from 11:30-3, and then break finally for a huge lunch of ugali, greens, beans, and sometimes hunks of beef, a treat for most. though we do have one vegetarian in our ensemble, emmanuel. our crew is amazing -- bryson, mercy, sixbert, doreen, maria, asmaha,farida, baracka, johnson, neema, jackline, each one is unique and asks us hard questions -- about americans, white americans, black americans, europeans, africans in europe, africans in africa, the economy, the african economy, the injustices of this world, and how they can change the story.

i try to answer slowly, thoughtfully, and with more questions as well as answers that will for the moment satisfy a desire to learn more about this huge world. students are totally aware and in love with barack obama, they ask questions about the war in iraq, the closing of guantanamo bay, and our embarrassing history of torture.

they know and want to know more, and each comes from a history of socialist education, with nyerere, their founding president, modeling a view of history that challenges everyone to think about what it means to have enough. kikwete, the new president, i believe continues in this tradition, though views are mixed, and a young man just told me in a whisper that he thinks the prez is greedy. so, i'm learning, here, i'm learning.

this has been the most extraordinary teaching experience and i look forward to next week. in the meantime, i went to the african street dance competition yesterday in arusha and got to meet and hear professor J the famous tanzania rap star, do his thing. it was an incredible experience, full of haze and holla. all sponsored by guiness malta.

hapo vipi? hapo sawa * how is it over there? over there's it's fine --
professor J lyrics

much love and hugs from tanzania,

thanks for reading...

kila la heri (all the best)

amanda

Despite Funding Cuts, Devoted Arts Leaders Persevere

2009-07-23T09:41:10Z

In these tough economic times, the traditional sources of funding for arts education are ebbing, but dedicated supporters are still finding ways to keep their fine arts programs afloat.

In April, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that it was cutting Title I funding for fine arts, which impacted many programs including an Urban Gateways project with its non-profit partner The Fran Center. UG had spent months organizing arts programming for the nonpublic schools that the Center serves, and we were relying on the Title I funding (annually allocated for schools serving low-income areas) to support those programs.

“The fine arts can change lives. We are developing the individual.”
- Lisa Willingham - Director, Ailey Camp Chicago - on why she fought for funding

A similar challenge arose for Ailey Camp Chicago, a highly popular Urban Gateways partnership with the Chicago Park District. Operating out of Garfield Park on Chicago’s west side, Ailey Camp uses dance and creative expression to encourage self-confidence and personal development in its youth. This summer, 80 students between the ages of 11 and 14 registered for the camp. In past years Ailey Camp has depended on support from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), but this year DCFS suffered broad losses and funding to Ailey Camp came up short.

Despite the loss in funding, individuals like Lisa Willingham, director of Ailey Camp Chicago, and Mary Kay O'Rourke, a teacher at St. Angela’s School (served by the Fran Center), were not about to let their fine arts programming come to an end. When Willingham and her coworkers at Ailey Camp realized that their DCFS funding was not panning out, they got creative and went out in search of other sources. In the end, this summer’s funding represents a wide array of supporters: The Parkways Foundation, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, the Klutz Family Foundation, and private donors all pitched in.

At St. Angela’s, teacher Mary Kay O'Rourke had been collaborating with UG for years to provide quality fine arts education to her students. When Title I funding was cut, O'Rourke unearthed a few small CPS funds set aside for general summer programs and worked with the Fran Center to utilize that money for summer arts classes. Although it can’t undo the misfortune of dozens of other schools losing their fine arts programming this summer, the fact that St. Angela’s pulled the money together and went ahead with their plans allowed many students to experience an unforgettable summer. The same goes for the lucky campers at Ailey.

As Willingham put it, “Ailey Camp and the fine arts can change lives. We are developing the individual.” All of us at Urban Gateways hope that this attitude will spread in the years to come, and we are grateful to the persistent supporters who allow us to fulfill our mission.

Urban Gateways Seeks Students Ages 14-18 to Participate in ART OPTIONS: A Theatre & Media Community Project

2009-06-09T06:29:36Z

The Art Options program is a four-week summer apprenticeship program for middle and high school students working one-on-one with professional artists in the field. It provides young artists the opportunity to experience the arts beyond the setting of the school classroom, an authentic studio experience in the arts, extended learning time and compensation for achievement of program goals. Students accepted into the program receive a stipend.

The 2009 Art Options program seeks:

Students with strong interest in theatre, writing, and media with particular emphasis on sound production
Students interested in gaining a global perspective of artistic process by collaborating with Grace Gachocha - visiting teaching artist from Tanzania, Africa and Urban Gateways teaching artists Maia Morgan & Shawn Wallace.

July 6 – July 30, 2009

Monday – Thursday

9:00 am – 1:00 pm at Perspectives Calumet Campus - 8131 S. May Street

Students and their parents/guardians are responsible for getting to and from the program site. CTA cards will be available to students admitted into the program.

Download 2009 Art Options Application here.Return by email to info@urbangateways.org or fax to 312-922-2740.

Selected students will be interviewed for formal acceptance into the program. Interviews are by appointment only and will be conducted by Urban Gateways Staff Members.

Students selected for the interview process must:

Be accompanied by a parent or guardian
Submit letters of recommendation from teachers
Present samples of artwork to the interview. (Samples may include student writings in the form of poetry, story, song, CD/DVD of recordings or live performance in theatre, etc.)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: SATURDAY, JUNE 13^TH

Teaching Artists Explore Documentation

2009-04-21T17:11:28Z

Urban Gateways invites its roster artists to a new PD, Documentation: Teaching Artists in an Upload Universe. This PD, our last of the school year, will be facilitated by Cynthia Weiss, Associate Director of School Partnerships from CCAP, and Arnold Aprill, Founding and Creative Director of CAPE.

Documentation: Teaching Artists in an Upload Universe

Wednesday, May 6th, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm at the Hyde Park Art Center

Please R.S.V.P. to Amanda at alichtenstein@urbangateways.org

Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education Welcomes New Develoment Director

2009-04-06T17:18:05Z

Chicago -- Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education is pleased to announce the hiring of Sherre Jennings Cullen, Director of Development.

As the Development Director, Sherre will strategize and manage all fundraising activities, expectations, and anticipated outcomes.

Sherre Jennings Cullen joins Urban Gateways with an extensive background in development. For nearly two decades she has been fundraising in Chicago; the past thirteen years include oversight of the development efforts at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Writers' Theatre. Prior to her tenure there, Sherre was employed by the Music Institute of Chicago where she was responsible for the successful capital campaign to purchase and renovate its new education and performance space in downtown Evanston.

Sherre and her husband live in Evanston with the youngest of their three sons.

"We are thrilled to welcome such a high-performing professional as we enter an exciting phase of the organization and prepare for our 50th Anniversary," stated Julie F. Simpson, Urban Gateways Executive Director. "As our organization continues to grow and meet the ever-changing needs of young people, we remain committed to building deeper relationships with our school and community partners, and measuring the invaluable contributions the arts to children's ability to learn and succeed. I am confident Sherre will help us continue to be successful in this arena."