Propose a Class or Event
If you would like to hold an event at Life Force Arts Center, or you have an idea for an event, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Folk & Beyond, Sound & Spirit, Performance of the Spirit
The LFAC performance series
LFAC sponsors several performance series:
- Folk & Beyond
- Sound & Spirit
- Performance of the Spirit
We usually have the performances on a Friday or Saturday night, depending on which day is best for the particular performers for the month.
The mission of Life Force Arts Foundation (LFA) is to present visual, literary, and performing art for creating spiritual awakening and transformation. We advance the field of spiritual art through events and publications that promote awareness of the connection between art and spiritual experience. LFA defines spiritual art as art that flows from spiritual practice, art that strives to connect the audience with Spirit, and art that creates spiritual revival, healing, or evolution. The arts are a common ground of human expression, where artists and audiences of diverse spiritual traditions can share their personal and collective experiences of the spiritual aspect of life. Life Force Arts Foundation operates Life Force Arts Center (LFAC), Chicago's spiritual art gallery and performance space, as a facility to present visual art exhibits, dance, theater and music performances, author book signings and workshops with artists who are experts in spiritual artmaking.
- a short bio of yourself and your work
- an artist's statement explaining why your art is spiritual art
- a description of your work and the program you plan to offer
- a link to your website or other online presence
- a publicity photo of yourself and/or group
Relation of performer and audience is typical of performance in a club setting: personable, often fun and lighthearted, uplifting the human spirit through music; more along the lines of an "entertainment" setting than the other two series we have.
Space set up is "cafe seating": small tables with tea lights on them, 2 - 4 people sitting at each table.
Admission policy - audience members can come in throughout the evening, it's not an event where we close the door and don't admit anyone after the performance starts.
Relation of performer and audience is focused on creating meditation or ritual. Audience members may be encouraged to have their eyes closed to enhance their inward journey.
Admission policy - Depending on the needs of the performance, we can have a policy of no admission after the performance begins, if the performers request it.
Space Set up varies to accommodate the needs of the performance. For example, for a gong bath or crystal bowl healing, we would have folding chairs available, as well as space for people to sit or lie on the ground; for a drum performance, we may arrange the space so audience members have room to dance.
Relation of performer and audience is focused on creating an energetic shift, a spiritual experience and/or ritual for the performers and audience.
Admission policy - Depending on the needs of the performance, we can have a policy of no admission after the performance begins, if the performers request it.
We set up the space in various ways to accommodate the needs of the performance. For example, we may have theater seating, with chairs side by side in rows or a semi-circle.
General Technical info
LFAC is an intimate performance space, 25 x 19 feet with a carpeted floor and movable seating on folding chairs. We are an art gallery, which holds curated shows based on themes. Our art exhibits change about every 3 months. Please check our website to see the show that will be playing during the time you will be performing.
We do not serve alcohol at LFAC. We do have complimentary tea and water available from our water cooler.
We usually have music playing on our CD player as pre-show and also during the break between bands. If you have a cd of your music to play for this purpose, please bring it, and we will use if for the pre-show or break.
Parking
FREE PARKING is available in Central Savings bank parking lot when the bank is closed (during the hours listed below):
- after 4 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
- all day Wednesdays
- after 1 PM on Saturdays
- all day Sundays
- all day on bank holidays that the bank is closed
There is FREE street parking near the Center on the side streets south of Barry or west of Ashland. There is a City of Chicago metered parking lot on Barry Street, one block south of the Center. The cost is one hour for $1.50 and you can purchase up to 6 hours of time on the meter. Meters in this lot are operational 24 hours per day.
There are also meters on the streets near the Center. These meters are operational from 8 AM - 9 PM seven days a week. We do not recommend parking at these meters, since they cost $1.50 per hour and they are only two hour parking, and the meter readers patrol vigilantly and will issue a $50 parking ticket if you overstay even a few minutes. For example, if the event you are attending is 2 hours, you will have to run out and feed the meter before the end of the event, or you will most likely get a $50 ticket.
LFAC does not cover parking costs or parking tickets that performers incur.
Financial arrangements
LFAC collects the admission fees for all Performance Series. We pay performers at the end of the performance, either in check or cash, depending on how much cash was collected that day - if more people paid by paypal or credit card, it's usually easier for us to pay the performers by check.
Our normal financial arrangement is that LFAC retains 50% of the box office, and the other 50% is split among the performers on a "performer unit" basis. Performer unit basis means that the 50% allocated for the performers is split by the number of individual performers in the concert that night.
For example, if one act is a solo act, and the other act is a band with 5 members, the 50% that the performers receive would be split 6 ways, with each performer being given an equal share of the 50%. I usually give a check to the leader of the band, with funds equaling the share for the number of performers in the band.
Sometimes LFAC makes special arrangements with performers, especially if they are traveling distances and need a guaranteed amount in order to make it feasible for them to come to LFAC. Vice versa, some performers are willing and able to donate their services to LFAC to benefit the organization. Please talk to Joan to make the financial arrangements best for you.
Publicity
LFAC and the presenter share responsibility to promote the performance to their respective lists. LFAC promotes the event by:
- listing it on LFAC's website calendar
- mentioning the event in our "Long List" Event Announcements, which come out the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, to our email list of approximately 1300 subscribers
- In addition to the "Long List" announcement, the event may be included in some of LFAC's Special Announcements
- most announcements sent to our email list are also posted to our facebook and twitter accounts
- presenters are welcome to write articles for our ezine, Transcendent Journeys. See below "To presenters:submitting an article or link for LFAC's ezine"
- creating and posting flyers for the concert at LFAC and other neighborhood locations
- posting announcements in online and print publications such as the Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Time Out Chicago, Mindful Metropolis etc.
To Presenters: Submitting an article or link for LFAC's ezine
We're looking forward to your presentation at LFAC! Do you have an article about your work that we can publish in LFAC's ezine, Transcendent Journeys? This would help publicize your upcoming event.
Articles can be anything from a 3 paragraph blog-type personal reflection to a 4000 word academic document with footnotes. We've published it all in LFAC's ezine! Click here to see past issues of LFAC's ezine, Transcendent Journeys.
Also, we are happy to link to an existing article on your website or other location. We can also link to a youtube video, radio interview, online art gallery and other types of media and display that would be an expression of who you are and what you do.
The article does not have to directly relate to your event, it could be something you've written about another topic. It could also be an online article written by someone other than yourself about the subject of your event.
Deadline for submission of articles is no later than two weeks before the issue. For example, for an issue Feb. 22, we would need the article no later than Feb. 7.
You send the article or link to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Sales of products
At Performance Series events, performers are welcome to sell their cd's or other products to the audience without paying a percentage of the sale to LFAC. This applies if you set up a table and sell your own products. We do have tables that you can set up your cd's in order to sell them.
Alternatively, if you want LFAC to sell the products at our front desk, we do our usual 50-50% split of product sales (we get 50% of the sale) and we charge sales tax to the customer.