Information for proposing an event at LFAC 

If you are interested in presenting a workshop, performance or other event at Life Force Arts Center, please send a written proposal, preferably by email, to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We look for presentations that fit our primary mission, which is to present spiritually based visual, literary and performing art. For example: dance, music and theater performances or classes; visual art classes or lectures;  poetry readings. We also present programs related to spiritual matters that enhance the understanding of our primary mission, the arts. 

LFAC presents four themed shows throughout the year (fall, winter, spring and summer). Shows include an art exhibit plus events such as workshops, performances, lectures and poetry readings. We give preference to presentations that are related to the theme of the show.

Before sending a proposal, please carefully read the information below about the physical space at LFAC to make sure the space is appropriate for your event.

• Title of event
• Description of event: how many hours is it, what time (from what hour to what hour) do you prefer, what days of the week can you do it, is there a charge, is there a maximum or minimum number of participants, who would benefit by this event, are there prerequisites for attending, what should participants bring, etc.
• Your bio, detailing why you are qualified to present this event (education, professional experience with subject, etc.)
• Contact info including phone and email

                         Description of Main Space & Parking 

This 450 square foot open room (24 x 19 feet) with a carpeted floor is ideal for  small workshops and meetings.

It can accommodate approximately 30 people seated. Folding chairs and tables are included in the rental cost. We have 63 folding chairs available.Tables available:

• 5 folding tables that are 6 x 2 feet
• 2  folding tables that are 5 x 2 feet
• 1 folding table that is 8 x 2 feet
• 3 card tables

There is no raised stage or theatrical lighting. There are no mirrors on the walls. We do not have audiovisual equipment (no microphone). There are two bathrooms and a small kitchenette area.

Our Center is an art gallery, with curated shows that remain hanging for 2 - 4 months. The artwork remains on the walls during all events, i.e., renters are not permitted to remove the artwork from the walls during their rental time.

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

Other parking options

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 or patrons incur.

                                          Sending a Proposal

1) Title of event

2) Description of event

             General Information

• how many hours it is
• what time (from what hour to what hour) you prefer
• what days of the week you would be able to present
• is there a charge (based on a 50-50% split of admissions with LFAC*)
• is there a maximum or minimum number of participants

           Learning objectives

• who would benefit by this event? Please be specific - for example: people who are beginners in this topic; women or men; youth ages 13 - 18; people dealing with grief; intermediate-advanced yoga students
• Learning objectives: answer the question "By the end of this event, participants will be able to...." (insert knowledge or skill that will be acquired)
• prerequisites for attending: what should participants bring, wear, etc.

             Student preparation

• how students should prepare: readings, assignments, etc. to be done before class
• what students should bring to class
• what students should wear
  

3) Your bio, focusing on why you are qualified to present this event. This may include information on:

• your education in the subject
  
• professional experience with subject
• what inspires you about this subject
  

4) Your contact info including, phone and email

Financial and Promotional Arrangements

Percentage of Fees

LFAC collects fees from attendees. The fees collected are split  50-50% between Life Force Arts Center and the Presenter. The Presenter receives 50% of the admission fees, and LFAC retains  50%. LFAC pays the Presenter's share of the fees within one week after the event.

LFAC pays the instructor for the people who actually attend the class. We do not pay the instructor for people who pay for the class but do not attend. In that case, LFAC gives the student a tuition credit to take another class at LFAC. It may or may not be a class that the instructor for the class they paid for is teaching. 

For classes with set fees (rather than suggested donation) LFA Volunteers pay the 50% that the instructor receives. In other words, the instructor will be paid the normal amount of his/her fee for LFA Volunteers who attend. 

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 "Big List" Event Announcements, which come out the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, to our email list of over 1300 subscribers
• In addition to the "Big 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"
• posting flyers for the event at LFAC and other neighborhood locations. Presenter and LFAC will agree which one will create the flyer
• posting announcements in online and print publications such as the Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Time Out Chicago, Mindful Metropolis etc.
  

The Presenter is expected to promote the event by:

• Promoting to their own lists through email, in person, etc.
• Presenter and LFAC will agree which one will create the flyer

To Presenters: Submitting an article or link for LFAC's blog Pantheon

We're looking forward to your presentation at LFAC!  Do you have an article about your work that we can publish in LFAC's blog Pantheon? 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 blog! Click here to see LFA's blog Pantheon.

Please send the article to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Information for LFAC Performance Presenters

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 advance the field of spiritual art through artistically excellent exhibits, events and publications that explore the art-spirituality connection. We define spiritual art as visual, literary or performing art that flows from spiritual practice, strives to connect the audience with Spirit, and creates spiritual awakening, healing, or evolution. We focus on the arts as a common ground of human expression, where artists and audiences of diverse spiritual traditions can honor each other, and share their personal and collective experiences of the spiritual aspect of life through the arts. LFA's goals are to develop spiritual artists, the spiritual arts audience, and the spiritual arts community. The Foundation operates Life Force Arts Center (LFAC), Chicago's spiritual art gallery and performance space, which presents artistically excellent, spiritually based visual art exhibits, dance, theater and music performances, author book signings and workshops with artists who are experts in spiritual artmaking.

To submit a proposal for a performance, please contact Joan Forest Mage, Executive Director of Life Force Arts at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please send:

• 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

Please read the description below General Technical info to make sure our facility has the capability of supporting the performance you are proposing.

LFAC does not have any audi-visual equipment. We do not have amplifiers, microphones, etc. Please bring any such equipment that you need.

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.

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.

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.