GRIEVE.HEAL.ACT

1. What is this event?

GRIEVE.HEAL.ACT

CNL Projects and 6018|North invite artists, poets, performers, musicians, cultural workers, and community members to participate in GRIEVE.HEAL.ACT, a rapid response of creative resistance, Saturday, November 22nd, from 2-5pm at 6018 North, located at 6018 N Kenmore Ave, Chicago, IL 60660. 

GRIEVE.HEAL.ACT calls on artists to confront the fractures of our time — the losses of justice, safety, and belonging — and to channel that reckoning into works that repair and mobilize us into action. This art event is a response to Fall of Freedom and is free and open to the public. Many of the activations will take place outdoors so please dress appropriately. Tea/Coffee and Cookies will be provided to keep us going!
GRIEVE

• Creative Grievance & Reflection. We invite artists and participants to voice personal and collective grievances that have been lost and/or endured during this turbulent time. Each participant/collaborator will have up to 3 minutes of airtime. This event will take place outdoors, on the porch of 6018|North.

HEAL

• Collective Restoration. “Lullaby Exchange” will be facilitated by artist Tria Smith. Lullaby Exchange invites participants to sing a lullaby. It can be a lullaby sung to you, a lullaby you sang to someone else, or a lullaby you long for! This is a time for emotional respite and healing. This event will take place indoors at 6018|North.

ACT

• Calls to Action. Participants express clear, concise, and constructive calls to action for our community; let’s transform renewed energy into actionable steps. This action will be facilitated outdoors, on the porch of 6018|North.

2. What is "Fall of Freedom?

“Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.

This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part—and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.

Art matters. Artists are a threat to American fascism.”

3. How do we participate?

GRIEVE.HEAL.ACT asks us to face the fractures of our time—losses of justice, safety, and belonging—and to transform that reality into shared healing and mobilization.

This is a moment to show up, speak out, and make art that refuses silence.

We are urgently seeking artists, performers, writers, musicians, and community contributors for the GRIEVE and ACT portions of the event.

If you have a brief, powerful offering—performance, spoken word, movement, music, poem, storytelling—we want to hear from you.

Performance Length: Up to 3 minutes
Criteria: Limited slots; all submissions accepted but priority given to clearly defined proposals aligned with the spirit of the event.

Attendance is encouraged even if you do not submit.

Important Dates:

Submission Deadline: November 21st (5pm CST)

Notification of Acceptance/ Time Slot Confirmation: November 22 at 10am

Event: November 22, 2–5 PM at 6018|North