Arts + Public Life’s South Side Home Movie Project Brings History to Life at 95th Bud Billiken® Parade with Creative Vision from Teen Arts Council Students
CHICAGO, IL (August 6, 2024) – South Side Home Movie Project (SSHMP), an initiative of Arts + Public Life (APL) at the University of Chicago, is thrilled to announce its participation in the 95th Bud Billiken® Parade. In celebration of this milestone, SSHMP will showcase rare footage of the parade between the 1940s and 1960s from its newly digitized Ramon Williams Collection on large mobile screens. The talented students of APL’s Teen Arts Council will march alongside the mobile screen with their hand-made, vibrant banners based on scenes from the films.
South Side Home Movie Project was founded in 2005 by Professor Jacqueline Stewart of UChicago’s Department of Cinema and Media Studies to collect, preserve, digitize, exhibit, and research small-gauge home movies made by residents of Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods. Its archive has grown to over 1,000 home movies over the years, and its largest collection of films, the Ramon Williams Collection, continues to grow, with 97 new films donated in 2023, bringing the collection to over 300 films. The collection features a number of historical figures and events, including Haile Selassie's visit, Althea Gibson's historic win, and many years of Bud Billiken Parades.
Parade-goers can expect to be transported back in time with captivating scenes from the archive, such as:
Legendary boxer Joe Louis leading the parade as Grand Marshall in 1948
The Chicago Defender Paperboys, for whom the parade was originally started to encourage youth literacy
Beauty pageant queens from Chicago and other major cities
Youth bands and community groups showcasing the parade's vibrant spirit
Jazz pianist Dorothy Donnegan performing in the post-parade festival in Washington Park
Enhancing the excitement are hand-crafted banners created by students in the Teen Arts Council (TAC), one of the education programs offered by APL. Led by their instructor Simone Scigousky, the students delved into the historical context of the South Side through the South Side Home Movie Project curriculum while learning embroidery, appliqué, and weaving. The artwork celebrates themes of Pan-Africanism, Black pride, self-love, and community, capturing the essence of the Bud Billiken® Parade and SSHMP's missions.
"It is a dream come true to be a part of this year's Bud Billiken® Parade," said Professor Stewart, "The home movies from the Ramon Williams collection offer a window into the past, showcasing the joy, energy, and community spirit that have always defined this parade. I am also very impressed by the creativity of the teen artists, and look forward to walking in the parade together with those talented youth who connect our community’s past to its future."
Professor Adrienne Brown, APL’s faculty director, added that “The Bud Billiken® Parade is a beloved Chicago tradition celebrating youth and education, and we are thrilled to have our South Side Home Movie Project and TAC participate in it. This activation embodies APL’s commitment to cultural stewardship, merging history with youthful enthusiasm. It is also a great example of the creativity nurtured on the Arts Block.”
Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness history come alive! Look out for the Teen Arts Council students and their colorful banners leading the SSHMP float on August 10th, 2024, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm along the parade route on 35th Street & Dr. Martin Luther King Drive to 51st Street in Washington Park.
SSHMP’s participation in the parade is made possible with generous support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.
About Arts + Public Life
Arts + Public Life (APL), an initiative of UChicago Arts, is a dynamic hub of exploration, expression, and exchange that centers people of color and fosters neighborhood vibrancy through the arts on the South Side of Chicago. As a neighborhood platform for arts and culture in Washington Park, APL provides residencies for Black and Brown artists and creative entrepreneurs, arts education for youth, and artist-led programming and exhibitions.
About South Side Home Movie Project
South Side Home Movie Project (SSHMP) is a research and archival initiative to collect, preserve, digitize, exhibit and research small-gauge home movies made by residents of Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods. By asking owners of home movies to share their footage and describe it from their personal perspectives, SSHMP seeks to increase understanding of amateur filmmaking practices, and of the many histories and cultures comprising Chicago’s South Side.
Website: sshmp.uchicago.edu
Social media: @southsidehomemovies
About APL Education
Arts + Public Life offers paid, in-depth arts education to Chicago South Side youth from 14 to 19 years old. In 2023, APL served over 150 teenagers, engaging them in 307 art education program sessions through four programs: Backstage Production, Community Actors Program, Design Apprenticeship Program, and Teen Arts Council. The programs cultivate students’ creativity, social development, and leadership while inspiring them to find and create their places in the world.
Address: 301 E Garfield Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60637
Email: artsandpubliclife@uchicago.edu
Website: https://artsandpubliclife.org
Social media: @artspubliclife
Media Contact:
Liu Yang, Associate Director of Communications, Arts + Public Life, llyang@uchicago.edu