Collaboraction Theatre opens new House of Belonging in arts corridor along 606

A performing arts theater is the latest addition to what arts leaders say is an increasingly blooming arts scene along The 606 in Humboldt Park.

Collaboraction, a social justice-oriented theater company established in 1996, opened its new 4,000-square-foot “House of Belonging” to the public this month at the former site of dog food and apparel store For Dog’s Sake.

The theater’s inaugural show in its new venue is “Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till,” extended until March 15.

The extension is a positive early sign for the theater group, which is a key tenant of the Kimball Arts Center. Collaboraction Theatre signed a 20-year lease with the building’s owner, Stocking Urban Development.

The new theater is opening at a particularly risky time for the arts. A year into President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has ordered ideological audits of cultural institutions like the Smithsonian. Some grants awarded through the National Endowment for the Arts have been canceled.

In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed state budget leaves funding flat for the sector in the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, a January report by a coalition of independent venue owners said many of its members are struggling to keep their lights on due to rising costs and changing audience behavior.

Collaboraction leaders are optimistic that the House of Belonging will draw audiences, especially in a post-COVID-19 lockdown world where people are seeking meaningful human connection, said artistic director Anthony Moseley.

“People are now working at home. They watch their movies at home. This is a space to be with other people and experience art that is authentic and rooted in our belonging to one another,” he said.

The project cost between $800,000 and $1 million, said Collaboraction CEO Darlene Jackson, also known as Chicago house music queen DJ Lady D. Significant donations and in-kind contributions from local arts foundations and organizations such as Illinois Humanities and the Chicago Community Trust helped underwrite the costs.

In addition to the new 99-seat black box theater, the space includes a 49-seat lounge with a full-service bar and a small stage for variety shows, live-band karaoke, pre- and post-show community conversations and youth programming.

Jackson and Moseley are betting, too, that the building itself will become a destination. The Kimball Arts Center already houses tattoo shops, art studios, a coffee importer, a spa, a dog chew manufacturer, therapists’ offices and a salon. The building is home to artsy cafe Dayglow Coffee, too.

The theater’s presence has been received positively by other KAC tenants and ownership, Jackson said.

Foot traffic to the arts center is looking promising, especially with proximity to The 606, also known as the Bloomingdale Trail. The 2.7-mile elevated trail runs east to west along Bloomingdale Avenue before ending at the Exelon Observatory.

New energy is flowing into the building, with the majority of the theater’s programming happening outside of normal working hours on evenings and weekends. And when the theater hosts matinee shows, attendees are “exploring the building” and shopping with other tenants, Jackson said.

Previously, Collaboraction operated out of the Flatiron Arts Building in Wicker Park.

But Humboldt Park’s House of Belonging is helping usher in “a new generation, a new decade for Collaboration. It’s a new era,” Jackson said, especially as the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

As a community-centered organization, Collaboraction’s mission goes beyond platforming its own work. With actor and playwright Sandra Delgado at the helm, the group launched its “You Belong Here” series.

The House of Belonging program highlights hyperlocal talent through one-night events and a few anchor programs. As part of the deal, the artists benefit from not just a place to perform, but they get technology, marketing and production support, Jackson said.

A regular anchor event of “You Belong Here” is Rudy Mendoza’s Spanish-language Bilingual Improv School, where all levels of language fluency and improv experience are welcome to attend drop-in classes or enroll in the eight-week program.

And in February, Collaboraction hosted a comedy and music jam with multi-hyphenates Binkey & Max and violinist Windy Indie as part of a Friday night showcase.

“We really want to support and be a space for artists in the area,” Jackson said. “You don't have to go Downtown or to the Far North Side … It could happen for you in your community.”