Chicago Dancemakers Forum Announces The 2018 Lab Artists

Chicago Dancemakers Forum announces the six recipients of the 2018 Lab Artist Awards. Jenn Freeman, Joanna Furnans, Ayesha Jaco, Nico Rubio, Rob Welcher and Anna Martine Whitehead will each receive a cash grant of $15,000 combined with mentorship and collegial exchange throughout a year of artistic exploration. The Chicago Dancemakers Forum staff and consortium leadership support the artists as they research, develop and present new dance works.

Chicago Dancemakers Forum, now in its 15th anniversary year, fuels the field of dance by stimulating and nourishing the artistic and professional development of Chicago's individual choreographers. Since inception, Chicago Dancemakers Forum has granted over $1 million to artists and is the single largest, local source of support for the city's dancemakers which has an open call for applications.

Chicago Dancemakers' Lab Artists program is unique in its emphasis on an extended period of creative research. The Lab Artists are selected for the quality of their work, the distinctness of their vision, and their potential for artistic growth. Each of them has identified a unique path of artistic inquiry for the year which will lead to the creation of a new dance. By engaging leaders in the field in dialogue with the artists, the Lab Artists program fosters excellence, innovation, and connectivity in the field of dance.

Executive Director Ginger Farley says, "Chicago Dancemakers Forum celebrates its 15th anniversary by making grants to six Lab Artists again this year. The artists chosen for this award have exciting contemporary voices; they work across the breadth of dance disciplines which define a rich array of artistic and human perspectives which is unique to Chicago and our time. We look forward to spending a creative year with them."

Past Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab awardees vary in age, gender, race and dance discipline. They work in tap, Bharatanatyam, butoh, burlesque, Chicago Footwork, dance for the camera, voguing, classical Japanese, African, contemporary, and more. Collectively they represent the spirit and power of new dance in Chicago now.

The six 2018 Lab Artists will be recognized during the 2018 Awards Celebration and Benefit on Thursday, July 12, 5:30-8:30 PM at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611..