Opportunities

Arts + Public Life offers in-depth, hands-on arts programming for South Side youth (ages 14–21) to cultivate creativity, leadership, and professional skills. Participants receive compensation for their time and hard work. Join one of our four programs February 23 through May 9:

Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP): A mentorship initiative where teens use woodshop tools to create community-based design projects that respond to local needs.

Backstage Production Program (BSP): An introduction to theater production fundamentals, including audio and lighting design, sound engineering, and stage management.

Teen Arts Council (TAC): A multidisciplinary experience focused on arts administration, community engagement, and event planning.

Choreographic Arts Program (CAP): A collaborative dance program where students research Chicago’s dance history and create original choreography reflecting personal na

Arts + Public Life joins the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts to offer a new pathway for public engagement for local artists and arts organizations. 

Each year, APL and the Logan Center host hundreds of public programs and creative gatherings. Through CCAP, we’re expanding opportunities to access our venues, and inviting partners to collaborate and imagine new ways of working together. We continue building on our longstanding commitment to the cultural history and creative vitality of Chicago, especially the South Side.

We are offering two of our unique venues on the Arts Block:

The Arts Incubator Flex Space: An ideal home for work-in-progress pieces or small gatherings—script readings, hands-on workshops, video screenings and exploratory performances where artists invite audience feedback.

The Arts Lawn Pavilion: A site for larger, fully realized, community-driven public performances and gatherings in a vibrant outdoor setting.

To be eligible to partner between July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, interested artists and arts + culture organizations must attend an info session on the Arts Block (301 E Garfield Blvd). These sessions will include a tour of the Arts Incubator and the Arts Lawn:

Wednesday,  Feb. 4, 6:00-7:30 pm 

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2:00-3:30 pm 

(Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance of each session to assist with our planning. Registration for the Feb 10 session will close on Monday, Feb. 9 at 2:00 pm.)

Application Deadline: Mon, Feb 23, 11:59pm via Slideroom

Accepted partners will be notified by April 2026

Notes: APL info sessions will exclusively focus on the partnership opportunities at APL in the Washington Park neighborhood. To learn about partnership opportunities specifically with the Logan Center, please visit: logancenter.uchicago.edu/ccapapplication.

Please contact Neel McNeill at APL (nmcneill@uchicago.edu) or Mashaune Hardy at Logan Center (mashaune@uchicago.edu) should you have any questions and/or concerns.