The Uptown Trilogy was three interactive public performances for the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago that were realized between 2013 & 2015.
Unto Each Their Own Safe + More
October 19 & 20, 2013
Bridgeview Bank, Uptown, Chicago
Performers: Meghan Moe Beitiks, Natalia Nicholson, Olive Stefanski and Carron Little
Curated by Eden Unluata
Hair & Make-Up by Mark Bazant
Videography by Jamie Gannon,
Photography by Joanna Matuszak
This was a interactive public performance in the historic Bridgeview Bank and was part of Open House Chicago. The performance calculated what people had not received in their lifetimes due to racial/ gender pay inequity. The data from this performance was collated and each time it is performed it highlights the ongoing disparity between the rich and the poor.
Please check out the video to see the public response. It you are interested a purchasing a book about this project that includes an essay by the curator, Eden Unluata-Foley and documentation of the data and statistics that were collated.
This piece continues to be performed and the data collated. In 2016 it was performed for Chicago Home Theater Festival in East Garfield Park, curated by Meida McNeal. And most recently, I performed it in April 2020 in a zoom room and mailed participants a check.
Please also see the Performance Objects.
Islands in the Sky
Buttercup Park, August 22, 2014 supported by Buttercup Arts Alliance
curated by Eden Unluata-Foley
Performers: Alana Parekh, Nora Sharp, Jessica Kearney, and Yuri Lane
This piece was inspired by the idea of a poetry garden and through a process of interaction with the public we created music out of their poetry. It was performed at Wicker Park Fest, curated by DfbrL8r and Buttercup Park, Uptown Chicago. It was an extension of the City Alive with Dreams interactive performance project that toured the City of Chicago in 2014. Some of the ensemble performers for City Alive with Dreams also worked on this project devising choreography based on the poetry. This was also developed in artist in residence at Ragdale.
Photo by Jamie Gannon
