Open Center For The Arts

CommonWealth was OPENs first original theatrical play premiered produced written and directed by Artists Luis Crespo. As part of the development of the script we hosted a series of devising workshops at OPEN and community events for residents to get involved and share narratives and themse that are important in their neighborhood. "CommonWealth"ran for nine performances between April 11-21 at OPEN. The gallery space was transformed and alternative routes were used to get audience members into the stage. The goal was to create an interactive experience where participants could immerse themselves and join in during key moments of the play. Overall it was a great experience and are looking forward to the next one.

Carino: Festival de Cine was co-founded with Dos Muchachos Filmworks in 2022. This Festival provides a platform for young filmmakers to showcase short films while having a review pannel of industry experts reviewing and providing feedback of their films. While the two day festival takes place in the fall the preparations start earlier in the year with the Urban Film Crew at OPEN. During the summer months the Urban Film Crew consisting of youth 16-24 explore North Lawndale and South Lawndale to interview residents to foster connections by listening to their stories and hopes for their neighborhood. The interviews were then shaped into a documentary that was presented during the festival.