Chicago Inclusion Project Partners with Chicago Cultural Alliance

Teaming up in the spirit of community engagement and celebration of cultures, the non-profit organizations of The Chicago Inclusion Project and The Chicago Cultural Alliance come together in a strategic partnership.

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino announces a new partnership between The Chicago Inclusion Project, a collective dedicated to championing inclusion and diversity in Chicago theatre, and The Chicago Cultural Alliance, a consortium of Chicago-area ethnic museums and cultural centers whose mission is to effect social change and public understanding of cultural diversity through first voice perspectives.

The new partnership will expand on an earlier CIP series of salon-style play readings led by Chicago Inclusion Project Program Coordinator Jeff Trainor in neighborhoods throughout Chicagoland, with The Chicago Cultural Alliance now hosting the readings in their many venues throughout the city. The Chicago Inclusion Project will produce the series of performances and post-performance discussions, utilizing its diverse collection of artists to present a collection classical and contemporary texts specifically selected to be in conversation with the cultural center at which each is performed.

"We took a great first step with our initial public reading of William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life at Victory Gardens Theatre last year," says Chicago Inclusion Project FounderEmjoy Gavino. "Theater patrons and artists were able to experience the kind of inclusive casting that is at the heart of our mission performing together on a major Chicago stage. This expanded series will allow us to reach communities beyond the theatrical community. Teaming up with The Chicago Cultural Alliance gives us the opportunity to bring these stories to more of Chicagoland and to have conversations beyond how inclusion impacts the arts. The Alliance's mission to make an impact on cultural policies and enrich the communities they serve is truly inspiring and will light a fire under everything that we do in the coming year."

The project will launch with a play reading on Monday, February 1, 2015, at The OPEN Center for the Arts, 2214 S. Sacramento. Keeping with The Chicago Inclusion Project's goal to make theatrical events inclusive and accessible, this salon reading series will be free. More readings will follow in the coming months, held at additional community-based museums and cultural centers within the Alliance.

"OPEN Center for the Arts is honored to be hosting this incredible play reading performed by the Chicago Inclusion Project in collaboration with Chicago Cultural Alliance," states Omar Magana, founder of OPEN Center for the Arts.

For more information, visit www.thechicagoinclusionproject.org and www.chicagoculturalalliance.org

About The Chicago Inclusion Project

The Chicago Inclusion Project is a collective of artists, committed to creating inclusive theater experiences by bringing together Chicago artists and audiences often separated by ethnic background, economic status, gender identity, physical ability and countless other barriers. By deliberately choosing the unexpected, both in play choices and non-traditional casting, cultivating a diverse audience by bringing new combinations of artists to as many communities in Chicago (and its surrounding suburbs) as possible, choosing facilities for the multiple projects that are handicap accessible and keeping price of tickets affordable, The Chicago Inclusion Project programming aims to unite diverse collections of Chicagoans.

For more information visit www.thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

About THE CHICAGO CULTURAL ALLIANCE

The Chicago Cultural Alliance is a consortium of Chicago-area ethnic museums and cultural centers whose mission is to effect social change and public understanding of cultural diversity through first voice perspectives.

The Chicago Cultural Alliance connects, promotes, and supports centers of cultural heritage for a more inclusive Chicago. Our vision is a city where all communities have a voice, and cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration are an integral part of Chicago's civic fabric. Promoting cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, the Alliance will be the recognized leader in this work. For more information visit www.chicagoculturalalliance.org

ABOUT OPEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

OPEN Center for the Arts is an artist run organization focused in provide a space where all artists can come together to educate, showcase, refine, and develop their talents as well as support entrepreneurship opportunities in the arts while connecting their growth to the community.

For more information visit: www.opencenterforthearts.org

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Cathy Taylor

Cathy Taylor Public Relations, Inc.

(773) 564-9564

www.cathytaylorpr.com