The J e l l o Performance Series 2022 Season

The J e l l o Performance Series provides the space, resources, and community for dancers and performance artists to create, explore, and share their work. Since our inception in 2017, we have been committed to providing paid opportunities for every artist that participates, but we can’t do it alone. We are reaching out to our community to help us sustain the series for this year; with your donation, J e l l o will be able to guarantee artist compensation per show, compensate the J e l l o team who maintains the series, pay monthly server costs for our online curation platform, and host post-show DJ sets.

From J e l l o: Season 3, Episode 1 at Link Hall, October 2019.

We believe in supporting working artists in all capacities -- not only providing space, community, and video documentation, but also compensation for their craft. It can be hard for an artist to find all these things in one place. J e l l o is that place, and it’s so important that it continues to be that place. We recognize that J e l l o functions outside of conventional institutions and that relying on ticket sales and volunteer hours isn’t a sustainable long-term solution -- that’s why we’re calling upon our community and beyond to sustain the series this year.

From J e l l o: S I X at Elastic Arts, May 2017.

The J e l l o Team is motivated by love and meeting the needs of the Chicago performance art community. Artist compensation is a core value of the series: any profits we receive from ticket sales or donations go straight into the hands of artists and curators (after venue costs). Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of the J e l l o Team. We’re seeking funds to sustain the series and compensate artists even more for the shows we have lined up.

We have 3 shows for our 2022 season, and a 4th show in the works. Each show has 7 artists, 1-2 curators, 1 DJ, and the J e l l o Team to keep it all together. In total, these funds will benefit 34 working artists!

Budget Breakdown

About the Series

Like Jell-O, the series is easily made. It jiggles, it morphs, it can take any form. All you need is a few simple ingredients to create a delicious masterpiece… sticky, sweet, and satisfying. This is the motivation behind every J e l l o show. Artists have ideas; J e l l o provides the space to explore those ideas.

From J e l l o: The 4th at Links Hall, April 2017.

From J e l l o: S I X at Elastic Arts, May 2017.

The series values and upholds a safe, low-stakes, supportive environment, where anyone at any stage of their career can show any iteration of an idea on stage. In its evolution, J e l l o curators have expanded the series to different venues, imagining different ways a show could take form. J e l l o provides the space for curators and artists alike to try, risk, experiment, create, and be in community.

Any donation is greatly appreciated. Your generosity will allow the series to support working artists and grow in new and exciting ways! A little bit goes a long way. Thank you so much for your support!

Read more about The J e l l o Performance Series at our website.

From J e l l o: Jerry’s Map at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outside Art, January 2020. An improvised collaborative performance of dancers, musicians, and visual art. Photo by Jacob Joseph Photography.