LabE Launches at Experimental Station
Unfolding Disability Futures | Photo by Justin Cooper
LabE is an HCL initiative dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of disabled artists. The originating version of LabE is curated by HCL Fellow Artist in Residence Maggie Bridgers, and is a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists such as studio access, development and production support, and platforms for promoting Chicago’s sick, Deaf and disabled dance artists.
The foundation of this series was established in 2022, through a residency at the Chicago Cultural Center Learning Lab, where disabled dance artists came together to dream about ways to address barriers in Chicago’s dance community. LabE is a year-long program built out of the following collectively-identified opportunities to address the particular needs of disabled dance artists:
In-Process Showings: Provide informal spaces to show and talk about work in progress
Training Development: Develop access & disability pedagogy trainings for the local dance community
Community Building Events: Organize social and community building spaces
Funding Application Writing Group: Host a writing group for artists working on funding applications
The name “LabE” represents HCL’s Open Labs series that fosters meaningful community exchange and Experimental Station, who is supporting the project as the host site for the full 2023 series of events.
LabE Calendar
Throughout the year, the community will meet the first Sunday of each month in-person at Experimental Station, with remote meetings scheduled as needed. Each month’s meeting will be dedicated to one of the four priorities that emerged out of 2022’s convening at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Participants are very welcome to attend the gatherings that are of personal interest and are not required to attend every meeting.
Sunday, February 5: Mapping Accessible Dance
Sunday, March 5: Training Group
Sunday, April 2: In-Process Showing
Sunday, May 28: Writing Group
Sunday, June 4: Training Group
Sunday, July 2: Cancelled due to inclement weather
Sunday, August 20: In-Process Showing
Sunday, September 17: Training Group
Sunday, October 15: Social Gathering (In Person)
Sunday, November 5: Social Gathering (Virtual)
Sunday, December 3: Convening of Chicago’s Disabled Artists
Who should attend?
All LabE events are open to Chicago-area dance artists who self-identify as Deaf/deaf/hard of hearing, sick, mad, neurodivergent, disabled or living with a disability, and/or who have lived experience with disability, chronic injury/pain or impairment. The space is particularly meant for those interested in exploring disability and impairment-informed modes of practicing dance.
Location
These are hybrid events. The in-person portion will take place at the Experimental Station. The online portion will take place via Zoom, with the zoom link sent out to all registrants in advance of the event.
Experimental Station
6100 S Blackstone Ave
Chicago, IL 60637
Access Information
The first floor of Experimental Station, where the event will be held, is wheelchair accessible, including accessible bathroom stalls. This event is intended to be relaxed, welcoming and comfortable for all in the space. Multiple forms of seating are available, as well as a few stim tools. You are welcome to come and go, bring your own access tools, and move about the space as needed during the event.
Fluorescent overhead lighting can be turned off if needed.
Please refrain from wearing any scented perfume, cologne, lotion, etc.
The accessible entrance to Experimental Station is a red door on the east side of the building. Free street parking is available. The nearest bus stops are the #59 at 61st and Dorchester or the #2, #171, and #172 at 60th and Kenwood. Experimental Station is just a few blocks away from the University of Chicago/59th Street Metra Station.
All attendees are asked to wear masks for the duration of the event, but please note that Experimental Station is a public space and that there will likely be unmasked people in the building. For those unable to mask or to risk being in a public space, we are offering a virtual option to join the event via Zoom. Attendees will be asked if they prefer to attend online or in-person upon registration, though they are welcome to switch their registration type and all registrants will be provided the link to attend on Zoom. AI Captioning is available via Zoom.
Accessibility Map
One LabE action item is to come together as a community to collectively compile a list of accessible dance studios, classes, and performance spaces in the city. By building community and crowdsourcing our favorite places to rehearse, take class, and perform, LabE hopes to create a more inclusive and accessible dance scene in Chicago for all.
About the Curator
Maggie Bridger is a 2022 City of Chicago Individual Artist Program grantee and PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Disability and Human Development. She is a co-founder of the Inclusive Dance Workshop Series at Access Living, for which she and her project partner received a 2021 Chicago Area Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. She was part of the inaugural cohort of the Dancing Disability Lab at UCLA and serves on the planning committee for CounterBalance, Chicago's annual integrated dance concert.
Presented by High Concept Labs, with support from Monira Foundation and Experimental Station, where HCL is in residence.
