This year, Piven Theatre collaborated with six community and arts organizations to stage the world premiere production, A Home on the Lake. Based on Dear Evanston interviews with longtime Evanston residents and an exhaustive study of historical documents, Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre’s Tim Rhoze and our own Stephen Fedo shared the story of 100 years of housing discrimination in Evanston. The talkbacks, media, and community buzz resulted in a ripple effect of important conversations, instances of recognition and reconciliation, and the long overdue signing of the Fair Housing Agreement in Evanston. That is what art can do. That is why your support for Piven can create empathy, transformation, and connection across community.
Whether you attended a performance, took a class, made a donation, or danced with us at our annual gala, your partnership made an impact. From onsite classes, to partnerships at the Cook County Jail, Off the Street Club, the Rice Child & Family Center, and our PEEP Players (adults with developmental disabilities) together we brought art to over 20,000 people in 2017-2018. Our public conversations on history and home embraced our mutual community, welcoming each voice with enthusiasm. It was one of our best years ever. But over 50% of our funding comes from continued support from donors like you.
When you give charitable dollars, you hope to strengthen your community.
Art does that. Piven does that. We do that together.