Chicago Dancemakers Forum Announces The Awardees Of The 2018 Greenhouse Program For Emerging Choreographers

Chicago Dancemakers Forum announces the four recipients of the 2018 Greenhouse Awards. Elysia C. Banks, Erin Kilmurray, Monica Thomas and Megan Young will each receive a cash grant of $4,000 for the development of new work with the support of a mentor who is awarded $1,000 for their participation.

Chicago Dancemakers Forum is the only organization in the city dedicated solely to nurturing the artistic advancement of dancemakers. In addition to its signature Lab Artists program for established artists, Chicago Dancemakers Forum renews its commitment to supporting Chicago choreographers by offering this opportunity for emerging artists. The Greenhouse program stimulates artistic growth and relationship-building for emerging dancemakers by providing cash grants along with paid mentorship, marketing, rehearsal space, and group dialogue-to support their creative process as they develop new work over the course of three months hosted by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) at the Chicago Cultural Center. The Greenhouse program ran once previously in 2011 and is being offered again in 2018 in honor of Chicago Dancemakers Forum's 15th anniversary. Executive Director Ginger Farley says, "To have a thriving cultural landscape in Chicago we must support artists at all stages of development. There is such a rich pool of young dancemakers in Chicago right now, we are eager to engage with them as they develop new work in 2018."

Since inception, Chicago Dancemakers Forum has granted over $1 million to artists and is the single largest, local source of support for dancemakers which has an open call for applications. Past Chicago Dancemakers Forum awardees vary in age, gender, race and dance discipline. They work in tap, butoh, burlesque, Chicago Footwork, dance for the camera, Bharatanatyam, voguing, classical Japanese, African, contemporary, and more. Collectively they represent the spirit and power of new dance in Chicago now.

The four 2018 Greenhouse awardees will be recognized along with the recently-announced 2018 Lab Artists during the Chicago Dancemakers Forum 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. At the culmination of the 2018 Greenhouse program, the four artists will show their developing work on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602 as a part of the day-long event, Elevate Chicago Dance - Investigating Dance, Space, Race, Place, in collaboration with DCASE.