FOSTERING
THRIVING
COMMUNITIES
Bustling Spaces LLC supports artists, community groups, and creative businesses in historically disinvested communities to manifest their visions, access new resources, and tell their stories.
AwarenessArts and cultural activities are essential to thriving communities. They generate local economic activity, forge connections between neighbors, pass on cultural values, and improve our quality of life.
In Chicago, like in cities across the country, investment in the arts has historically followed longstanding patterns of racial inequity (see maps below). Arts institutions have transformed the Loop and contributed to thriving economic activity in commercial districts in Northside neighborhoods. At the same time, disinvestment and racist economic policies have led to depopulation, business closures, and economic stagnation in many Black and Brown neighborhoods.
Spatial Patterns of Inequity in Chicago
Today, Black and Brown artists, activists, community groups, and entrepreneurs are building new hubs for arts, cultural, and economic activity in neighborhoods across the South and West Sides.
Bustling Spaces is here to support you as you make your vision a reality in your community. We primarily focus on supporting projects in their early stages of development. We offer a variety of services to help you clarify your vision, tell your story, and access financial and other resources.
This is a time of tremendous opportunity for artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses. Bustling Spaces is here to help you navigate these opportunities to access new resources to support you, your work, and your community.
We Provide:
Strategic Consulting
Grant Writing
Project Support
Programming Support
Storytelling Support
Photo credit: Partners for Sacred Places
Bustling Spaces is partnering with Arts Alliance Illinois and Partners for Sacred Places on a pilot program to help Southside congregations transform their buildings into thriving community arts centers.
South Side Artists in Sacred PlacesCommunity ResourceS Explore valuable resources for artists, community groups, and creative businesses.
Discover a wealth of helpful resources specially curated for artists, community groups, and creative businesses. Whether you're seeking funding opportunities, strategic guidance, or storytelling support, our toolkit has it all! Empower your projects and fuel your community's growth with these valuable assets.