Category Archives: Events

Donate to Support Free Write at the 2021 African Youth Forum!

February 8, 2021

 

 

Click here to donate to our GoFundMe Campaign!

The African Youth Forum organized by United African Organization is recognized as a unique event that brings together high-school and college-age youth of color to dialogue around key issues in their communities. The African Youth Forum raises awareness and support for young people of color from African immigrant, African-American, and other immigrant communities to build an understanding of each others’ points of view through dialogue, and in the process find common ground, strengthens ties, and promote cultural, educational and leadership development.

Last year, Free Write‘s Community Navigators were invited to present the Know Your Rights workshop at the African Youth Forum, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. The 2021 African Youth Forum will happen in March and will be completely virtual. Free Write is partnering with the United African Organization to help reimagine the online event to feature workshops including some by Pocket Con (one of Chicago’s largest comic book conventions focusing on work by artists of color and other underrepresented groups), Know Your Rights for police encounters/immigration, and one led by Ayodele Drum and Dance. The event will also feature phenomenal musical performances, maintaining energy and quality even as we present virtually. We will also be ending the night with a live DJ set by DJ L O Kari.

Today we are asking for your support to help us raise $1500. Make a donation on our GoFundMe Page. 

These funds will cover artist fees as we partner to bring these amazing artists to the UAO African Youth Forum:
Calid B
Mon Aerie
Ayodele Drum and Dance

Money raised will also go to participating Community Navigators. Free Write Community Navigators are court-involved youth who have worked with Free Write Arts & Literacy, as well as other young people from criminalized communities, who are working together to provide greater access to justice for themselves and for others in their communities, to address and provide for survival needs upon reentry, and to fight to end the cycles of incarceration and systemic racism.

Check back for updates and info on how to attend the event. Thank you for your support through a donation of any amount!

Virtual Stomping Grounds ft. M.E.L, 12/17

December 17, 2020

Tune in to witness the talent and warmth of the Stomping Grounds community TODAY, Thursday, 12/17! 

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion.

Melanie Roldan, the artist known as M.E.L. (Mind Evolving Lyricist) is a singer/songwriter/model born and raised in Chicago. She is a fierce MC with a commanding tone and a dexterous flow that was honed early on in her life, as she sang in choirs throughout her childhood. She discovered Hip-Hop later in her life due to her natural curiosity and an affinity for the unseen and the supernatural, which she alludes to not only in her music but in her aesthetic as well. She got her name M.E.L. from meeting Kendrick Lamar in an airport when she was 16, as she approached him to show gratitude for his art, in which he unexpectedly bestowed her name to her, without ever having to rap for him. She creates heartfelt music combining rap and soul seamlessly with a sultry tone, tackling issues of spirituality and womanhood. Her current release “MELEMENT” out now.

Sign Up in the Linktr.ee : https://linktr.ee/Stompinggroundschi

Watch here: Twitch.tv/freewritechi 

Pocket Con 2020 Recap!

December 11, 2020

Thank you to everyone who attended Pocket Con on December 5th! We had over 7000 attendees across 5 platforms.

Highlights include: 

Elgin Bokari’s interview with veteran animator and story artist Carole Holliday, who has worked on many Disney classics, including A Goofy Movie, Tarzan , John Henry, and Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt, in addition to her own award winning short film, Witt’s Daughter. Watch here.

LIVE discussion and Q&A with creatives involved in different aspects of production of the hit HBO show Lovecraft Country featuring Afua Richardson, Eric Yamamoto, and Hatsephi Kushma. Watch this discussion here.

Special shout out to our partners MCA Chicago, especially 2020–21 Teen Creative Agency Apprentices, Hisham Kysia and Vivian Zamora and Grace Needlman, Manager of Youth and Family Programs, for their work on the Cosplay Contest. The event was emceed by by Braided Mag’s Dasia—this event alone had over 1K viewers! Watch the contest here winners here.

You can watch videos from the event on the Pocket Con Twitch page. And watch our blog for a more extensive recap with video coming soon.

Pocket Con is Chicago’s only comic book convention for youth focused on the work of creators of color, women, and LGBTQ creators. This free single-day comic book convention for Chicago youth celebrates characters and creators of color, focusing on equity in comic culture. Presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library, and the LoKari Productions, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Free Write Arts and Literacy.

Virtual Pocket Con 2020 Happening this Saturday, 12/5

December 3, 2020

Join us for a virtual Pocket Con THIS SATURDAY December 5th!

Pocket Con is Chicago’s only comic book convention for youth focused on the work of creators of color, women, and LGBTQ creators. This free single-day comic book convention for Chicago youth celebrates characters and creators of color, focusing on equity in comic culture.

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library, and the LoKari Productions, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Free Write Arts and Literacy.

Now in its ninth year, Pocket Con 2020 will be an online event.

This year we will be streaming the event LIVE on Facebook, Twitch, Youtube, and Discord. Virtual Pocket Con 2020 will feature a cosplay contest, a drawing contest, performances, artist alley, screenings, workshops, online gaming, and MORE!

Tune in Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 12 – 6 PM CST

More info here.

Virtual Stomping Grounds ft. Frank Waln — 11/19

November 19, 2020

 

Tune in to witness the talent and warmth of the Stomping Grounds community TODAY, Thursday, 11/19, 4pm! 

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion.

This month’s feature is Frank Waln. 

Frank Waln is an award winning Sicangu Lakota Hip Hop artist and music producer from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. A recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Waln attended Columbia College Chicago where he received a BA in Audio Arts and Acoustics. Waln’s awards include three Native American Music Awards, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 2014 Native American 40 Under 40, the 2014 Chicago Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement, and the 2016 3Arts Grant for Chicago Artists. He has been featured in Buzzfeed, The Fader, Playboy, Vibe, NPR, ESPN, and MTV’s Rebel Music Native America. Waln has written for various publications including Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, and Society and The Guardian. Frank Waln travels the world telling his story through performance and doing workshops focusing on self-empowerment and expression of truth.

Tune in on our Twitch channel TODAY from 4 – 6 pm.

RSVP on Facebook.

Virtual Stomping Groups ft. Sam Trump, 9/17

September 13, 2020

Stomping Grounds Thursday 9/17! 

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion. This month’s feature is multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Sam Trump.

Tune in on our Twitch channel next Thursday from 4 – 6 pm.

RSVP on Facebook. Youth can sign up to perform here.  Space is limited!

____

You can watch the 9/17 Stomping Grounds recording on our Twitch channel.

Selected of works from In Conversation at Hoxton Hotel

August 25, 2020

In partnership with Johalla Projects, selected of works from the exhibition In Conversation, curated by Chelsea Ross with assistance by Omar Dyette, are now on display at The Hoxton in Chicago’s West Loop.

In Conversation presents original work by contemporary artists, created in response to Free Write student artwork from the last two decades.This exhibition was first mounted at Chicago Department in 2019.

The exhibition is on the first floor of the Hoxton located at at 200 N Green St and is open to the public.

Graphic:
Left: “Cross” digital illustration by Hector M.
Right: “Untitled” photograph by Elizabeth De La Piedra

Virtual Stomping Grounds Open Stage ft. Substantial

August 7, 2020

Stomping Grounds is back digitally this Thursday 8/13/2020 via Twitch.tv/freewritechi. WE ONLY HAVE 15 spots and it’s filling up fast.

Sign Up in the Linktr.ee below:
https://linktr.ee/Stompinggroundschi

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion. Sign up to perform is on a first come first serve basis – so come on time!

This months Feature is:
BIO:
Substantial has performed in nearly 20 countries and has collaborated with artists such as Kool Herc, Verbal (M-Flo), Oddisee, Jeff Bernat and more. Substantial has licensed music to major brands such as Ford Motor Company, Amazon and UBER and also had his music featured in films and television shows such as Kevin Hart’s Laugh at My Pain, Kill Me 3 Times starring Simon Pegg, Daytime Emmy nominated show Tough Love and it’s spin off series Pillow Talk. Substantial has appeared in the documentaries, Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme and Give Back. In 2019, Substantial wrote and produced music featured in the video game Renaine, to be released on the Nintendo Switch and the South Korean online game Tree of Savior.

Prince George’s County, Maryland born MC, producer, artist and educator, Substantial, debuted in 2000 collaborating with the late Japanese producer, Nujabes, who later worked on the popular show Samurai Champloo. Legendary rapper and activist, Chuck D of Public Enemy referred to Substantial as “One of the great MCs of our time.” His soulful and introspective brand of Hip Hop music has received critical acclaim from The Source Magazine, HipHopDX, Ebony.com, DJBooth.net and Okayplayer.com. His music videos have appeared on MTV, VH1 and BET. In May of 2018, Substantial released his debut instrumental album, The Garden. Within a year, his production has been streamed nearly 4,000,000 times on Spotify.

Sound & Vision partners with Defund CPD Mass Resistance Trainings

August 1, 2020

This summer Free Write Sound & Vision proudly partnered with the #DefundCPD campaign to provide production and equipment support to a series of #DefundCPD events and trainings which happened across Chicago this summer, in the interest of (literally and figuratively) amplifying their message.

The first events, Defund CPD Mass Resistance Trainings organized by Black Abolition Network, which took place over July 4th weekend, offered an orientation to police/prison abolition, how we are going to defund the police in Chicago, and how we can use organizing, direct action, and movement building to win.

On July 24th, more than ten grassroots organizers came together including Black Abolitionist Network, BYP 100, Let Us Breathe Collective, Chicago Community Bond Fund, and more to host the Freedom Square Anniversary Rally to #DefundCPD, to celebrate the four year anniversary of organizers liberating the vacant lot across from CPD black site Homan Square and holding a protest encampment for 41 days. At the rally, people gathered to enjoy food and performances, and to collectively imagine a world where we divest from torture, genocide, and slavery and invest in our beautiful future.

Free Write Sound & Vision provides full-service sound reinforcement and production support for all sizes and styles of events. Free Write S&V is committed to social justice and employment equity in the arts industry; hiring and training alumni of Free Write Arts & Literacy and other marginalized young adults that have historically been excluded from the field. To partner with S&V for your next event, head to https://www.fwsoundvision.com/.

To find our more about #DefundCPD, participate in an upcoming #DefundCPD training, or help Black Abolition Network canvass across the city for the upcoming election, follow them on Facebook or The Action Network.

Virtual Stomping Grounds Open Stage! Feat: Cole DeGenova

May 7, 2020

Stomping Grounds is back digitally this Thursday 5/14/ 2020 via Twitch.tv/freewritechi.
WE ONLY HAVE 15 spots and it’s filling up fast.

Sign Up in the Linktr.ee below:
https://linktr.ee/Stompinggroundschi

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion. Sign up to perform is on a first come first serve basis – so come on time!

This months Feature is: Cole DeGenova

BIO:
Somewhere between a soul pop concert, South Side jazz club, slam poetry reading, and punk rock dive bar, lives the music of Cole DeGenova. As a pianist, vocalist, producer, and composer, the Chicago-based artist has released 4 albums of original music. His most recent, Really Human, was released Spring 2020 on Ropeadope Records and was co-produced by Neo-soul legend Georgia Anne Muldrow. Also an in- demand studio musician and touring performer, he has recorded and/or performed with the likes of Chance the Rapper, Gallant, Brett Dennen, Lupe Fiasco, Dave Shaw (of the Revivalists), Paula Cole, Dave King, Lucky Diaz, Naughty Professor, The Heard, Deep Fayed, and experimental jazz rock trio Hanging Hearts. His song “Hollywood Girl” was a finalist in the 2015 American Songwriting Awards and he was the recipient of a 2019 City of Chicago DCASE Artist Grant. He was also the co-founder of the Chicago artist collective The Gala.

Virtual Stomping Grounds Open Stage! Feat: SBG Kemo

April 30, 2020

Stomping Grounds is back digitally this Thursday 4/30/ 2020 via our LIVE BROADCAST PORTAL.

We only have 15 spots and it’s filling up fast. Sign up HERE.

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion. Sign up to perform is on a first come first serve basis – so come on time!

This months Feature is: Sbg Kemo

BIO:
SBG Kemo whose real name is Hakeem Campbell, was born and raised on the Westside of Chicago. He is known for being one half of the Creators of the hit song “Heavy Steppers” which had currently over 10 million views on YouTube. Also Kemo is a full time college student a GPA of a 4.0 business major and gradually coming into his own and establishing himself as one of rap’s most talented young artists to come from Chicago gaining the attention of some of the most prominent artists and producers of his time such as: Chance the Rapper, Polo G, 808 Mafia’s own DYKRAZY, Young Chop, music mogul: John Monoply and a host of others. Meanwhile his single “Heavy Steppers” is gaining major exposure throughout the world he is currently working on his debut project “Hood Trophies” along with his partner Ke Millie. His songs have a creative and catchy feel, with a clear, quality sound, which will appeal to his listeners. Once you hear his music you’ll know when you hear Kemo again. His music is a part of his diary, he talks to people through his music.–

In case you missed it, watch it here:

EastEnd Gallery hosts Virtual Reception for “Free Write Through the Arts”

April 27, 2020

Join Free Write and EastEnd Studio & Gallery on April 29th at 4pm CST / 5pm EST for a discussion regarding art as critical to preserve and evolve humanity and dignity during a time of forced isolation. Eastend’s current exhibition includes artwork created by incarcerated youth, as well as work by instructors who lead creative writing, visual art, and music programs for these youth. One of the topics being discussed is: how does isolation or incarceration affect the psyche, and how is that reflected in the artwork?

This reception will be hosted on Zoom and will also be live-streamed at Free Write’s live broadcast portal. It will feature several of the artists included in the exhibition talking about their artwork, as well a live singing performance, and spoken-word poetry.

In case you missed it, watch it here: