Collaboraction Theatre Company is thrilled to announce it will build and open a new home in fall 2024 inside the Kimball Arts Center,1757 N. Kimball Avenue in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community, right off the 606, where Chicagoans from across the city can come together to grow together.
Collaboraction’s new "House of Belonging” will feature a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with a cafe/bar. The 4,000-square foot space will be a community hub presenting live theater, spoken word, music, dance, films, workshops and special events, produced by Collaboraction and with guest artists and companies. Both spaces will be equipped with HD multicam systems to stream live and recorded content worldwide. It also will be home to The Light, Collaboraction’s youth artist-activist program, and a destination for youth events, open mics and workshops.
“We’ve been itinerant since 2020, but by staying nimble, creating meaningful digital content and manifesting our mission of belonging, we’re still here,” said Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley. “We’re thrilled to confirm we are building a new gathering space to reunite with our audience, artists and Collaboractivists at Kimball Arts, where Humboldt Park meets Logan Square.”
Collaboraction’s Board President Darlene Jackson, aka DJ Lady D, said “Collaboraction’s new home will be a space for social change, a place to bring Chicagoans together to share stories, inspire new knowledge, cultivate empathy and organize for action. Join us at Collaboraction, Chicago’s ‘House of Belonging.’”
“I am proud to welcome Collaboraction to the 26th Ward. Arts and culture are critical to youth development, and uplifting our community stories will further maintain our neighborhood’s legacy. I am particularly excited for the economic impact live theater will bring to Kimball Avenue,” said Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, who represents the 26th Ward in Humboldt Park.
New video (:90 seconds): Introducing Collaboraction's new "House of Belonging" at the Kimball Arts Center
To manifest its new home, Collaboraction launched a $1.5 million House of Belonging capital campaign with a $200,000 CARP grant from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, with additional support from Kerry James Marshall and Cheryl Lynn Bruce, AV Chicago, Henry Wishcamper, Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Perkins Coie LLP and Cordogan, Clark & Associates. To donate, visit collaboraction.org/our-new-house-of-belonging.
Making a House a Home: Collaboraction’s new House of Belonging
Collaboraction is excited to be a new destination inside Kimball Arts, home to a passionate community of independent and creative businesses including artists, makers, photographers, therapists, e-tailers, designers and more, as well as Dayglow Coffee, ranked #2 in Food & Wine’s Best Coffee Shops in America.
“Before the pandemic, we were the resident theater for 13 years at Wicker Park’s Flatiron Building,” said Moseley. “One of the joys of being there was being part of a large and diverse community of artists. Kimball Arts provides much the same setting in an incredibly vibrant and welcoming new atmosphere.”
Decor in Collaboraction’s cabaret/cafe will evoke a sense of history and home by using recycled materials from houses throughout Chicago’s west and south sides. The larger performance space will offer a clean, hi-tech studio with high-end light, sound and video equipment. The space will serve as a digital studio for video projects and a learning space for youth interested in careers in production and tech. Backstage, artists and staff will have access to a new tech booth, green room, two dressing rooms, bathrooms, storage and an exterior dock.
Most evenings, the Kimball Arts parking lot will offer spaces for theatergoers, with free and metered parking around the building. The 82 Kimball-Homan CTA bus stops right in front of the building. It’s also a short walk from the 72 North and 73 Armitage bus lines. For bikers and pedestrians, Kimball Arts borders the 606 Trail, and the Kimball trailhead leads directly into the building.
Collaboraction signed the lease in March after a two-year search across the city’s south and west sides. Construction begins later this spring. Meanwhile, the company will hold community meetings and events, working toward opening this fall.
Collaboraction at Kimball Arts ground and space plans courtesy Cordogan, Clark & Associates.
Cordogan, Clark & Associates are the project architects. General contractor is Troy Riley, Oakwood Construction. Doc Sanjurjo of Wake the Giant is interior designer.
AV Chicago is overseeing the technical plan. Lee Dickson, Baum Realty Group, was Collaboraction’s realtor.
"Our vision for Kimball Arts has always been to create a space where artists can interact with the community in an inclusive and creative setting,” said co-owner Greg Robbins. “The building has undergone a renaissance over the past five years, with major structural changes that make it open and inviting. Collaboraction is a dynamic and innovative new addition to our growing creative community. ”
“Collaboraction's mission fits perfectly with the mission of Kimball Arts Center - to be an inclusive and open minded hub for the neighborhood,” added Kimball Arts co-owner Nick Stocking. “We can’t wait for opening night!”
Learn more about the loft offices, retail, flex space, and artists studios at Kimball Arts at kimballartschicago.com.
About Collaboraction
Collaboraction is a 27-year-old, ethno-diverse non-profit arts organization that builds knowledge, empathy, dialogue and action around oppression and inequity through live theater, film, radio and online interactive programs. Across all platforms, Collaboraction uses its KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue and Action - to spark changes in behavior and attitudes that manifest social change.
Collaboraction’s work includes the two-time Emmy Award-winning The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta, its new House of Belonging event series, The Light Youth Ensemble, live productions of Moonset Sunrise, A Blue Island In the Red Sea and its annual Peacebook Festival. In addition to live performances, community building and video production, Collaboraction centers and presents its work in historically overlooked Chicago neighborhoods like Englewood, Austin and Lawndale.
In June 2023, the company launched Collaboraction Radio, live, Saturdays at 4 p.m. CST on WCPT-820 AM. Each week, host Anthony Moseley leads a fast-paced hour of conversation, storytelling, spoken word and live performances by Chicago artists and activists who are creating positive change. Audiences also watch and interact with the show’s livestream on Facebook or YouTube, and listen to the Collaboraction Radio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Collaboraction’s awards include two Emmys, a Distinguished Service to the Arts Award, DCASE’s Foster Innovation Award and two Silver Gavel nominations and an Honorable Mention from the American Bar Association. In 2022, Collaboraction was one of the first theaters in the U.S. to be certified by On Our Team, a national trade organization advocating for pay equity and transparency in the live theater industry.
Collaboraction is supported by its growing ranks of Collaboractivists, individuals who support the company’s social change mission with a monthly contribution, starting at just $1. To join, visit collaboraction.org/memberships.
Collaboraction is supported in part by AV Chicago, Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Paul M. Angell Foundation, Naperville Rotary Club, Field Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
To learn more, visit collaboraction.org or follow Collaboraction on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and X.