Digital Program

3:00 - 4:15PM

Ground poets and scrolls
Engineering workshops
Poetry workshops
Record Bikes

4:20PM

Chi Buck interactive Dance

4:30 - 6:00pm

Elevated poets

Emcee

Brandon Boler

Poets

Adia Davis

Alexandra Plattos Sulack

Alexis Willis

Angel Rivas

Anna Lomachenko

Annabelle Tuma

Anya Zamiar

Bianca Williams

Big Mama

Caitlin McLeod

Chelsea Bonner

1. CJ Speakman

Danielle Faith O'Brien

Deb Lader

Dion Randle

Elisabete "Kerberus" Seonwoo

Jack Dwyer

Justus Pugh

Kass Copeland

Kay Williams

Lauren M. Pacheco

Maxine Wint

Micheal Coon

Rhoda Rosen

Selah Helphand

Siyan Li

Siah Berlatsky

Theo Palmer

Toni Maugeri

Trevor WB

William Perry

and

James Williams
Rachel Johnson
The Apprentices
Theo Maciukenas

This afternoon‘s experiment is the first stage of developing further large-scale human powered Spectacle experiences.

I have long been interested in event immersion, objects and devices as tokens or spiritual items, and believe that puppetry-a craft which greatly inspires me and have participated actively in for 30 years-is the activation of a mundane or dead object brought to life by a performer to transform the spirit of the viewer or guest.

Cabinet began six years ago, with an interest in shaping a collective who would democratically determine projects and approaches.

Since then, we have developed a School of Celebration and graduated numerous students from multiple universities-all trained in the art of celebration and ceremony.

We have consistently paid our artists an hourly wage for design time, rehearsal hours, and performance. A remarkable accomplishment for such a small enterprise. An expression of value and integrity.

We have produced over 30 events-large and small-all interactive and all visually poetic.

We’ve been commissioned by major institutions and universities. The University of Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium, Delta Airlines, the McDonald’s Corporation, the Chicago Park District, Indiana University, Sundays on State, the Loop Alliance, Art West Chicago, the Lurie Children’s Hospital, and many, many more to create commissioned pageants of hope — a specialty of our company’s.

In my opinion, it’s a great start.

My fundamental interest is in new rituals: unexpected and meaningful ways people can interact with one another and objects in what is designed as sacred space.

This event came into being after applying for a grant to use bicycles to power the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Sadly, Cabinet was not selected for the funds to accomplish that project, but since then I have been drafting and doodling different unusual objects that are human powered.

Today is a start.

Brandon Boler provided a tremendous amount of civic integrity to the project by curating over 30 poets from across the city of Chicago.

Alexis Willis carefully calculated the strategy of designing the event and executing it confidently.

Jack Dwyer maintained a sense of humor, hope and joyfulness critical to our sustainability and mission.

Alexandra Plattos Sulack offered vision and expertise in the ASL contributions.

We found many partners who provided tremendous support and intellectual capital.

Lauren Pacheco of The Chicago Humanities Festival was essential to ideation, and cultivating partnerships with the Poetry Foundation, The Chicago Park District, Slow and Low Festival, and many others.

We initiated partnerships with Working Bikes — an impressive and invaluable Chicago non-profit — and the number of Biking communities, Femme Bikers and Streets Calling, that I believe will have a long arc of activities and impact.

We engaged multiple grade schools and high schools in poetry workshops

The act of making something extraordinary and new is commonly grueling and quite frightening.

We will not know what we’ve made until you gather today and explore the items and share your thoughts and feelings.

We pay close attention to our audience and their curiosity, with the goal of developing stronger future projects, carefully and enthusiastically.

Our collaborators at Verti Port were welcoming and inspiring.