Empowered Creatives Project

In August we had the pleasure of teaming up with Caroga Arts Collective to work with their education program, SPACE! During this week long residency kids were able to explore creative writing, visual art, and music through workshops that culminated in a final performance that allowed them to showcase their work through musical improvisation.

Thanks so much to the SPACE program for having us! Swipe through to see each groups creations.

Meet team member, Max! Scroll through to learn more about what he does at EC.

I am the Director of Marketing at EC! I oversee our brand development and lead our promotional strategy. I also curate our social media, and work as a Teaching Artist at some of our workshops!

Our workshops let our participants step directly into the art making process. We create spaces where participants can express their inner creativity in a multitude of ways. Being able to see participants open up and explore ways of art making that they may not have been able to before is so moving. Our workshops helps foster healthy and strong communities.

I will soon be starting a new job as Acting 2nd/Eb Clarinet with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra! I’ve additionally played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Indiana, Southeastern Young Artists, Caroga Lake Music Festival, and others. I also teach music to students in classroom settings and privately.

Outside of music, I love learning about trains, finding new restaurants, and anything outdoors! I spend a portion of my summers at a family beach home in New Jersey, and do a lot of boating, jet-skiing, swimming, and biking!

We are so grateful for our partner organizations! Scroll through to see what partners and participants are saying.

Sharing Notes has connected us with memory care facilities and La Rabita Children’s Hospital! Sharing Notes helps bring the healing power of music to hospitals and assisted living communities throughout Chicago.

UCAN was our very first partnership! We have been able to work with staff from their Violence Intervention and Prevention Services, UCAN upper management, and READI Chicago. UCAN provides a wide range of support for youth, children, and families, focusing on trauma-informed care, violence prevention, and empowerment. UCAN offers foster care, behavioral health therapy, UCAN Academy, workforce development, and programs for teens and parents to help communities be safer and prosper.

We are very grateful to continue working with the Ambassador Quartet at Opus 1 Chamber Music School! We help them build skills in professional development, community engagement, and leadership.

Meet team member, Eva! Scroll through to learn more about what she does at EC.

What is your role at EC and what does it entail?
I am the Director of Creative and Strategic Programming at EC! I set up and manage all of our internal organizational systems and lead curriculum development for all of our workshops.

Why is the work that EC does important?
At our core, we step out into our communities and create spaces where people can connect with each other, collaborate, and express their innate creativity. Working in public health, I believe that non‑medical social factors and programming have a huge impact on the health and well‑being of individuals and communities. The workshops that we design ultimately aim to strengthen social cohesion, individual agency, and sense of belonging. Our work provides a reason for participants to access to joy, connection, and creative expression which all support healthier and more resilient communities!

What do you do outside of EC?
I work full time at NORC at the University of Chicago in public health research. My work spans program evaluation, sexual harassment and assault prevention, Department of Defense prevention programming, rural health research, and health communications work. I am particularly interested in working to advance maternal and child health!

In my free time, I’m usually doing something creative - whether that’s drawing, welding, pottery, improv, learning guitar, or singing. I’m almost always taking a class; I love finding new ways to express myself, try something new, or deepen my existing interests. I love spending time outdoors: camping, hiking, and generally exploring. And I try to bring a little bit of outdoors into my space through my plants!

We have surpassed our fundraising goal across all platforms! We are so grateful for everyone who donated and spread the word, and we are so excited to continue our work this season.

If you’d like to donate, we are still accepting donations! Hit the link in bio.

We have showcased a lot of graphic score workshops over the past year! But what actually is a graphic score? 🤔 Swipe through to find out!

We are nearly at our goal! Your donations make a difference in our communities. Link to donate in bio.

We are SO close to reaching our goal on GoFundMe! Every donation helps us unleash the power of the arts in our communities. Be the one to help us reach our goal! Donation link in bio.

Our team were some pretty cute kids, right? Now we bring arts and music workshops into our communities hoping to improve access for the arts! 🎨

We had such a great time at our final set of graphic score workshops with ! Thank you to Breakthrough for welcoming us and allowing us to guide your students through all sorts of creative endeavors. What a perfect end to our Spring season!