Chicago Humanities Festival will return to in-person events with an exciting line-up of programs centering Chicago neighborhoods. CHF’s summer programs will kick off with an outdoor Community Gardens event on July 24that Rainbow Beach in Chicago’s South Shore. Summertime with CHF will continue on August 11th at Navy Pier with a comedy showcase featuring sets from up-and-coming local comedians, curated by CHF and improv mainstay Abby McEnany, whose Showtime series “Work in Progress” returns this summer for a second season. Then, on August 21st, CHF will host a screening and conversation highlighting the film culture of Chicago’s South Side at the Gary Comer Youth Center.
Now that in-person events are returning all across the city, CHF is focusing on reflecting the concerns of Chicago’s diverse communities through collaborative partnerships, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. By co-creating events with local communities, CHF is developing a more sustained presence in the South Side, learning how we can re-engage with our neighbors to thrive. This approach to Neighborhood Programming will allow CHF to be a more active participant in local communities and host programs focusing on what is truly important to Chicagoans.
“Over the past year we’ve been meeting regularly with a number of community leaders and we’re really excited by how these partnerships are evolving,” said Alison Cuddy, CHF’s Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director. “The programs we’ve developed together reflect a wide range of community-driven experiences and underscore how essential Chicago neighborhoods are to the creative vitality of our entire city.”
In-person programming won’t end in the summer but will continue with an extended fall season through November. The Neighborhood Initiative will continue with a celebration of South Side musical legacies with the Englewood Jazz Festival on September 17 at Hamilton Park. CHF’s annual benefit will take place on October 18th. During several weekends in October and November, in-person events will feature high-profile speakers at locations all across the city. CHF will also continue to host virtual events throughout the fall.
Chicago Humanities Festival
Programs from July 24 through November 2021