In 2023, Threewalls celebrates its 20th anniversary by dreaming of a racially just future through Dreaming of a Future.

With artists and community at the heart of our project, we will host Dreaming Circles, where artists and their neighbors collectively dreamed of a future Chicago. Their dreams were shared out as calls and presented artistically in community spaces in their neighborhoods, spaces that they frequent. The spaces were identified by the Dreaming Circles participants, like laundromats, bus stops, grocery and corner stores in South Shore, Andersonville, and Back of the Yards.

Dreaming Circles kicked off in March of 2022 with an introductory event with the project’s curators Wisdom Baty, Nancy Sánchez and Adia Sykes, in which the community could hear more about the project. Attendees received offerings of movement practices, sound, and poetry from invited artists Jamila Kekulah Kinney, Dionne Victoria, and DJ Diaspora.

South Shore

Curated by: Wisdom Baty

Wisdom facilitated Dreaming Circles in South Shore and the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhoods with the primary prompt: What types of desired futures can South Side communities manifest when safe and quiet space to dream become normalized?

Sweet Dreaming

Curated by: Shonna Pryor and Alexandra Antoine

Sweet Dreaming is a series of slow down moments of dreaming, conversations and artist interventions on Chicago’s South Side. The series prioritizes South Side neighbors and community members.

Andersonville

Curated by: Adia Sykes

Artists, creatives, and community members collectively dream and vision a future for their community, their work, and their lives that is supported, care-filled, and sustainable. This first gathering in Andersonville will ask community members about the time that they’ve spent living in the area.

We’ll share stories about:

• What makes Andersonville unique?
• What drew us here?
• What’s compelled us to stay here?
• How do we define community here?
• Our ideal day out and about in the neighborhood:
  • What do we do?
  • Where do we go?
  • What times of the day?
  • Who do we see?

Back of the Yards

Curated by: Nancy Sánchez

Nancy Sánchez is facilitating this first gathering in Back of the Yards. The session encourages community members to think about the time that they’ve spent living in the area, as well as learn how to create a zine. Zine being a media that is a form of empowerment through self publishing.

• What makes Back of the Yards unique?
• What drew us here?
• What’s compelled us to stay here?
• How do we define community here?
• Our ideal day out and about in the neighborhood:
  • What do we do?
  • Where do we go?
  • What times of the day?
  • Who do we see?
  • What is dreaming for you?
  • How do you dream? (ie: meditation, painting, moving, etc.)
  • What are the practices that get you into a dreaming or visioning state/mood?
  • What do communities need to thrive and become more abundant?
  • How do we move past surviving?

This project is partially funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Image description: intersecting open circles with “Dreaming Circles” in the center of the center circle.

Descripción disponible en español aquí.