Full Line-Up Announced for 4th Annual PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL – June 2 – 12, 2016 – Tickets on Sale!
Pivot Arts is pleased to announce the full line-up for the 4th annual PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL, featuring dozens of innovative performances and multi-disciplinary works throughout Chicago’s Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods from June 2 – June 12, 2016. Tickets, ranging from free to $25, are currently available at www.pivotarts.org/festival.
The ten-day Festival showcasing some of Chicago’s top artistic innovators features live music, theater, dance, children’s performances, workshops, discussions, a community dinner, wine tastings and more. The Festival also includes the second annual “Celebrate Community!” Parade on Saturday, June 4, culminating in an afternoon full of free family-friendly performances.
“We’re excited to present such a diverse line-up of entertainment and provide a platform for many of Chicago’s top artists to present new works,” comments Pivot Arts Director Julieanne Ehre “Our audiences will be the first to enjoy world premieres from acclaimed groups including The Hypocrites, the Neo-Futurists and Kristina Isabelle Dance – and also experience the work of up-and-coming innovators.”
Artists/events featured in 2016 PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL include: Puppeteers Lizi Breit and Dan Kerr-Hobert, performance artist Peter Carpenter, Chicago Folklore Ensemble, Drunken Monkeee, Eric Hoff and Jesse Morgan Young’s REVIVAL (featuring Winnifred Coombe, FEE LION, Holly Chernobyl and Honey Pot Performance), The Hypocrites, Kristina Isabelle Dance, The Neo-Futurists, The Ruffians, South Side Sailor Scouts and Juan Villa.
This year’s family-friendly events include a community parade/performance event with large-scale puppets and youth performances by Alternatives/Uplift, CircEsteem, Dream Big Performing Arts Workshop, Everybody Dance Now, Merry Music Makers, Swift School and others. Storytown Improv returns for the annual festival tradition of Ice Cream and Improv at Lickity Split Custard Custard and Sweet Shop.
Festival venues and locations in Edgewater and Uptown include: Bar 63, Francesca’s Bryn Mawr, Lickity Split Custard and Sweet Shop, Loyola University’s Mundelein Center for the Arts, the Preston Bradley Center, Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant, Uncommon Ground and the Uptown Underground.
The full PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL line-up includes:
THURSDAY, JUNE 2
FESTIVAL LAUNCH
WINE TASTING, DINNER & CHICAGO FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE
7 pm: Wine tasting at Independent Spirits, 5747 N. Broadway
7:30 pm: Dinner & performance at Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant, 5846 N. Broadway St.
Price: $40 includes dinner and show
Embark upon your festival journey with a wine tasting at Independent Spirits followed by dinner and performance of Chicago Folklore Ensemble at Ras Dashen. Ticket includes music and stories with immigrant performers while you enjoy an Ethiopian buffet.
FRIDAY, JUNE 3
FESTIVAL TAPAS NIGHT: SMALL PLATES OF THEATER AND DANCE
Featuring SOUTH SIDE SAILOR SCOUTS, PETER CARPENTER & THE HYPOCRITES
7:30 pm at Loyola University’s Mundelein Center, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Price: $25 (includes entry to Hip Hop Celebration)
Opening night of the festival combines three shorts by exciting theater and dance artists. Blending influences from Selena, Beyoncé, Sailor Moon and more, South Side Sailor Scouts incorporates dance, song and storytelling from a woman of color perspective.
Rituals of Abundance for Lean Times #7: Divisions of Labor is part of Peter Carpenter’s theatrical solo work that pairs political themes with humorous, personal tales.
The Hypocrites premiere Midsummer Dream, their re-imagining of Shakespeare’s popular romantic adventure story with four actors playing all the characters. Co-adapted by Artistic Director Sean Graney and Tien Doman.
PIVOT ARTS presents “LIVE FROM TWEAK CENTRAL” Musical Hip-Hop Exhibit Party
Curated by DRUNKEN MONKEEE featuring live performances from Phenom and Ugly Boy Modeling and music by Blackdaylight with DJ Funksolo
10 pm at Bar 63, 6341 N. Broadway
Price: $10 or FREE with purchase to Tapas Night (Must be 21+ to enter)
The opening night of the festival includes a celebration curated by one of Chicago’s top musical talents, Joseph “Drunken Monkeee” Bard. This immersive experience includes live hip-hop music, DJ, visual art, 3D light show and food courtesy of Bar 63.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
PIVOT ARTS presents “CELEBRATE COMMUNITY!” PARADE
Swift School Playground at Thorndale and Winthrop Aves.
12:30 pm: Puppet-making workshop with Lizi Breit and Dan Kerr-Hobert
1:30 pm: “Celebrate Community!” Parade
2 pm – 3:30 pm: Performances on Swift School playground (rain plan: inside Swift School)
Price: FREE
Come celebrate community with schools, arts groups, organizations and neighbors. All are welcome to make puppets and parade. Performances include Alternatives/Uplift, Ascension Dance, CircEsteem, Dream Big, Everybody Dance Now, L’il Buds, Merry Music Makers and Swift School students. Vendors Lickity Split Custard & Sweet Shop and Lovely Bake Shop make for a deliciously good time.
KRISTINA ISABELLE DANCE presents “AND THE SPIRIT MOVED ME”
and “FINDING PANCHO” by JUAN VILLA
7:30 pm at Loyola University’s Mundelein Center, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Price: $20/$10 students with ID
Kristina Isabelle Dance premieres a new dance on stilts that takes audiences on a provocative journey to discover and reveal the inner spiritual world. Inspired by modern dance master Sybil Shearer’s quest for spirituality through movement.
This excerpt from Juan Villa’s newest solo show details a son’s search for his missing father, Francisco Jose Villa, and a journey back home to Colombia.
SUNDAY, JUNE 5
FESTIVAL SHORTS: SOUTH SIDE SAILOR SCOUTS and THE HYPOCRITES
3 pm at Loyola University’s Mundelein Center, 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Price: $20/$10 students with ID
Blending influences from Selena, Beyoncé, Sailor Moon and more, South Side Sailor Scouts incorporates dance, song and storytelling from a woman of color perspective.
The Hypocrites premiere of Midsummer Dream, their re-imagining of Shakespeare’s popular romantic adventure story with four actors playing all characters. Co-adapted by Artistic Director Sean Graney and Tien Doman.
KRISTINA ISABELLE DANCE presents “AND THE SPIRIT MOVED ME”
and “FINDING PANCHO” by JUAN VILLA
7:30 pm at Loyola University’s Mundelein Center 1020 W. Sheridan Rd.
Price: $20/$10 students with ID
Kristina Isabelle Dance premieres a new dance on stilts that takes audiences on a provocative journey to discover and reveal our inner spiritual world. Inspired by modern dance master Sybil Shearer’s quest for spirituality through movement.
This excerpt from Juan Villa’s newest solo show details a son’s search for his missing father, Francisco Jose Villa, and a journey back home to Colombia.
MONDAY, JUNE 6
THE NEO-FUTURISTS present “THE ARROW”
7:30 pm at Uncommon Ground, 1401 W. Devon Ave.
Price: $15/$10 students
A newly created Neo-Futurist show featuring written true stories with spontaneous inventions.
TUESDAY, JUNE 7
PIVOT ARTS presents ARTISTS TALK: Diversity on Chicago Stages
7 pm at Francesca’s Bryn Mawr, 1039 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Price: FREE + option to purchase dinner/drinks
Panel discussion on diversity on Chicago stages with local dance and theater artists.
THURSDAY, JUNE 9
THE RUFFIANS present “IVYWILD”
7:30 pm at Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway St.
Price: $20/$10 Students with ID. Must be 21+ to enter.
Favorite local clown troupe The Ruffians present a tragic tale by Jay Torrence (Burning Bluebeard) based on the life of Chicago’s most eccentric city councilman, Bathhouse John, and his crooked attempt to build an amusement park.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
THE RUFFIANS present “IVYWILD”
7:30 pm at Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway
Price: $20/$10 Students with ID. Must be 21+ to enter.
Favorite local clown troupe The Ruffians present a tragic tale by Jay Torrence (Burning Bluebeard) based on the life of Chicago’s most eccentric city councilman, Bathhouse John, and his crooked attempt to build an amusement park
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
THE RUFFIANS present “IVYWILD”
7:30 pm at Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway
Price: $20/$10 Students with ID. (Must be 21+ to enter).
Favorite local clown troupe The Ruffians present a tragic tale by Jay Torrence (Burning Bluebeard) based on the life of Chicago’s most eccentric city councilman, Bathhouse John, and his crooked attempt to build an amusement park.
REVIVAL presented by Eric Hoff & Jesse Morgan Young
10 pm at Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave.
Price: $20 donation (pay at the door). Must be 21+ to enter.
A performance art house dance party, REVIVAL showcases genre-defying artists and cutting edge performances including performance artists Winnifred Coombe (Caroline Kingsley of the Neo-Futurists) and Holly Chernobyl (Holly Oakley), musician FEE LION (Justina Kairyte) and Honey Pot Performance, an afro-diasporic creative collective
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
STORYTOWN presents ICE CREAM & IMPROV
11 am at Lickity Split Frozen Custard and Sweets, 6056 N. Broadway St.
Price: $10 entry.
From superheroes to undersea adventures, princesses to dinosaurs, Storytown takes you on an interactive, fully-improvised adventure. When the possibilities are endless, no two stories are ever the same.
About Pivot Arts
Pivot Arts is a home for innovative music, theater and dance on Chicago’s far north side. We develop new work and present performances throughout the year culminating in a large-scale, multi-arts festival. Our vision is that of a vibrant community where unique collaborations between artists, businesses and organizations lead to the support and creation of innovative performance events.
Pivot Arts was formed in September 2012 as a pivot point, or central hub, that could connect innovative arts activity. We support multidisciplinary artists through our incubator program and foster the creation of imaginative performances throughout the year. Our vision is to grow to become a multi-arts center. For additional information, visit www.pivotarts.org.