Collaboraction Announces its Second Free Let Hope Rise Peace Event on March 14th at Austin Town Hall With an All Female Guest Line-Up for Women’s History Month
AYESHA JACO, MOVE ME SOUL, SHAQUILLA MOORE, LATILYA WHITE, DIONNE HAWKINS, DANA ANDERSON, and ANTIONA ARCELY KICK OFF THIS MONTH’S PEACE-FOCUSED VARIETY SHOW PLAYING AT AUSTIN TOWN HALL ON MARCH 14th
CHICAGO, IL – Collaboraction, the Chicago-based theater company with a commitment to incite change, announces its second Let Hope Rise event with the Chicago Park District. The performance series is an outgrowth of the company’s ongoing Crime Scene project dedicated to increasing the peace in Chicago.
Every second Saturday through July, Collaboraction’s Let Hope Rise series will travel to one of three hub locations on Chicago’s south, west and north side.
The second Let Hope Rise series stop, March 14th at Austin Town Hall in Austin, 5601 W. Lake St., starts at noon with a free community meal sponsored by Connie’s Pizza plus free cupcakes courtesy Brown Sugar Bakery.
At 1 p.m., Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley will host a fast-paced, interactive Variety Show dedicated to increasing the peace, art, love, hope and fun in Chicago, featuring these inspirational guest performers backed by the Let Hope Rise House Band:
Ayesha Jaco, Co-founder of the Lupe Fiasco Foundation, now known as the M.U.R.A.L. Foundation and founder of Move Me Soul
Move Me Soul, an all-teen female dance ensemble
Shon Roka, Chicago-based DJ
Collaboraction Crime Scene Team Ensemble
Shaquilla Moore, Poet, inspirational speaker, and stand-up comedian
Latilya White, of So Ill Poet’s Ensemble
Dionne Hawkins, Artistic Director of the Austin Town Hall Drama Company
Dana Anderson, Actor, Collaboraction Board Member, and athletic coach
Antonia Arcely, Ensemble member of Forgotten Future: The Education Project and poet
The 90-minute Let Hope Rise event ends with a Town Hall Discussion, allowing community residents to share stories and ideas to cultivate sustainable peace throughout Chicago.
In addition, residents are encouraged to stay and take part in free workshops such as cooking, painting, stilting, break dancing and entrepreneurism for the whole family offered by Collaboraction.
Collaboraction’s monthly Let Hope Rise series events continue:
April 11
Loyola Park in Rogers Park, 1230 West Greenleaf Ave.
May  9
Hamilton Park in Englewood, 513 West 72nd St.
June 13
Austin Town Hall in Austin, 5601 W. Lake St.
July 11
Loyola Park in Rogers Park, 1230 West Greenleaf Ave.
“We look forward to gathering Chicagoans of all ages and walks of life once a month to share a meal, a laugh, a story, our hopes and dreams for Chicago, and how we can come together to create healing and opportunity in our neighborhoods,” said Anthony Moseley, Collaboraction’s Artistic Director and the creator of the Crime Scene and Let Hope Rise park events.
“The Chicago Park District has been gracious enough to bring us into these beautiful facilities and our goal is to fill them with great artistic, sharing and learning experiences that reverberate a sense of community and hope,” added Moseley. “Our new Let Hope Rise series will deepen the relationships we have already made in these communities over the past two summers of touring Crime Scene as part of the Park District’s Night Out in the Parks program.”
Visit collaboraction.org for information on future Let Hope Rise event line-ups, monthly through July, 2015, including local theater and dance troupes, slam poets, break dance crews, drum lines, gospel choirs and more.
Collaboraction’s Let Hope Rise series is presented with the Chicago Park District with the support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel to help advances the goals of the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Cultural Plan.
More about Collaboraction
Collaboraction (collaboraction.org) collaborates with artists, community leaders, health professionals and citizens from throughout the city to create original theatrical experiences that push artistic boundaries and explore critical social issues with a diverse community of Chicagoans.
Collaboraction is currently remounting its fall 2014 hit show Forgotten Future, an explosive, high-energy theatre experience that examines the dysfunction of Chicago’s education system. Performances are through March 22 at Collaboraction’s home in Chicago’s historic Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave, Room 300 in Wicker Park.
For tickets and information, visit collaboraction.org or call (312) 226-9633.
