Inaugural PIVOT MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL Kicks Off 6/6; Tickets On Sale Now

Pivot Arts launches a new celebration of innovative theater, music and dance in unique and often historic spaces from June 6 - 22, 2013 throughout Chicago's Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods. The inaugural PIVOT MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL answers the City's call for a reinvigorated Uptown Entertainment District by uniting artists, businesses and local organizations around multidisciplinary "pop-up" performances occurring in a former Vaudeville Theater, an at-one-time Charlie Chaplin film studio and other historic spaces throughout these communities. Tickets are now on sale, with a range of free events and no more than $15 per event. To purchase tickets, and for complete festival information, visit www.pivotarts.org/festival or call 773-609-0782.

Over three weeks, audiences will have the opportunity to attend performances, many of which blur the boundaries between theater, music and dance or use some combination of performance disciplines in their work. Programming includes: live music, theater, dance, puppetry, a community picnic and performances for children.

Participating Groups/Artists at time of release: 6018NORTH, Backroom Shakespeare Project, Chicago Architectural Foundation, Colin Bunn & Los Hombres Perdidos, The Hoyle Brothers, Mehran Flamenco Quartet, Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak Dance Company, Manual Cinema, Mucca Pazza, Neo-Futurists, Theater Oobleck, RE|Dance Group, Ami Saraiya, Tricia Sebastian with C.A.T.S., Steep Theatre Company, Ruth Margraff and Café Antarsia Ensemble, Jorge Ignacio Cortinas, Alice Austen, Martin Zimmerman, Steve Moulds and Tanya Palmer.

Children's Performances by: Alternatives, INC. Youth Group, Crooked Door Storytelling, Dream Big Performance Workshop, Storytown Improv, People's Music School and more.

Venues: Berger Park, Broadway Cellars, Burke's Public House, Chase Park, Essanay Studios at St. Augustine College, FLATStheatre (an historic vaudeville space/bank building), Francesca's Bryn Mawr, Kitchen Sink Café, L'étage, Lickity Split, Senn High School, Uncommon Ground and The Waterfront Café at Berger Park. Food vendors include Dimo's Pizza, Heritage General Store and Goose Island Catering Co.

"We applaud Pivot Arts on this exciting new festival," said Angel Ysaguirre, Deputy Commissioner of Arts Programming at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. "The Pivot Multi-Arts Festival will elevate and expand the cultural assets of the Uptown neighborhood, facilitate neighborhood planning of cultural activity and help the City integrate culture into daily life - all of which are priorities of the Chicago Cultural Plan."

Julieanne Ehre, Director of Pivot Arts adds, "We founded Pivot Arts this year as a home for innovative performance on the far North side of Chicago. Our inaugural festival is a celebration of some of Chicago's most exciting and unique companies. Our plan is to grow the festival in future years into not only a showcase for work happening here but also as a destination for performing artists and audiences from across the country."