UPDATE! Do you want to support our rent rally and interact with visionary storytellers shaping Chicago’s narrative? Join us for a conversation with four Chicago writers (Natlie Moore, Luis Urrea, José Olivarez, and Megan Steilstra) as we collectively imagine a just future for our city on April 2, 2026, at the Haymarket House!
This is a micro-fundraiser to support Free Street’s Storefront in Back of the Yards, (4625 S Ashland Ave) which offers bilingual programming, free space to Southside artists and organizers, and health and wellness workshops for our neighbors.
In a time when so much is uncertain, two things remain true: 1.) Chicago is FULL of creative, galvanized people who envision a better future for each other and 2.) theater is a unique tool for social justice.
Free Street’s work brings people together in live space. Our live space creates celebratory environments that remind us of why we love each other and Chicago. It provides platforms for neighbors to tell real stories of their communities. And Free Street provides direct training and tools for organizers to dream and build radical realities
Just as our artistic director mentioned in our season letter, we need this power now, more than ever, as the urgent needs of our communities expand — from ICE raids, to the Damen Silo demolitions, to harms that make the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance necessary.
It all starts with a space. Space to meet, space to dream, space to organize, space to deepen partnership, literally, space to see each other.
This year, we’re asking you to be our co-conspirator; to create space with us. Instead of giving a loved one another thing, give them, and our city, the gift of theater, joy + justice. Help us pay our rent in 2026.
From Free Street’s Storefront, our theater and community space on Ashland Ave, we have been expanding the boundaries of where the real world ends and the stage begins for decades. Drawing on social movements from the past, the Storefront is a space that invites community nourishment in the form of a play, or an acting class, or a “know your rights” workshop. There, community members lead the important dialogue about social change. In 2025 alone, we have supported nine organizations through donated space, hosted hundreds of rehearsals, public convenings, productions, and workshops.
Our goal is $24,000 to cover 2026’s rent so we can expand our programming to meet escalating demand and address the needs of our artists, communities, and partners. Your donation will ensure that Free Street continues offering spaces where artists thrive, neighbors gather, and an equitable Chicago takes root.
Donate today at freestreet.org/support-and-donate. Make sure to share the people you are honoring with your donation. We will email you a card to give alongside your meaningful gift. Thank you for standing with us and for imagining a better Chicago.
With love,
The Free Street Team
