Community Response on Chicago Dance
At the beginning of February, See Chicago Dance published an article by Lauren Warnecke that a number of people found disrespectful and problematic. A group of independent artists got together to talk about not only Lauren's history of problematic writing, but the broader ways white supremacist culture and other historic inequities shape our city's arts platforms and resources. These artists have formed an open collective now known as Movers & Makers Addressing Performance Systems (MMAPS).

As a way of responding not only to this article, but also those larger systems, we are seeking input from as many Chicago dancers and dancemakers as possible on your experiences with Chicago dance institutions, funders, platforms and writers. We would like you to add your voice in response to the following questions. If you have any questions or concerns before filling out this form, please email mmapscollective@gmail.com and someone will get to you as soon as possible. Be mindful, those responsible for responding to questions/concerns for MMAPS are also working artists and do not get paid for contributing time and labor in this endeavor.

Amidst an ongoing and incredibly painful time, we are hoping to take this opportunity to let the powers that be know what the communities they aim and claim to serve are really looking for. And though it can be nerve-racking to speak truth to power, we hope that having all of our testaments combined will strengthen and secure our power together. We've received over 50 responses so far and hope you can be a part of this ongoing movement forward. If you haven't already, you can find other responses, both triumphant & challenging, at performanceresponsejournal.com/mmaps-statement.

*The form includes room for you to self-identify in the way you would like to be acknowledged. We encourage you to include your name if you feel safe doing so, and also welcome mention of other factors you might use to self-identify or position yourself, such as race, gender, neighborhood, dance form or lineage, age, class, sexuality, occupation context apart from dance, or anything else that feels relevant.

We appreciate you taking the time and the care in making the Chicago dance community better.  

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Email *
Tell us your name: *
Tell us your pronouns: *
What makes you feel supported by Chicago dance institutions, funders, platforms, and/or writers? Please feel free to share specific examples with an eye toward broad practices and patterns of behavior. *150 word max
What makes you feel unsupported or harmed by Chicago dance institutions, funders, platforms, and/or writers?
Though we're not looking for gossip, we welcome specificity about abusive or problematic practices executed against you in 150 words or less. Please note that while our plan is to publish all responses we receive, as volunteers we may not be able to publish content that would require journalistic verification, put us at risk of libel, or speak to major conflicts that we are not in a position to mediate. If you have questions about this, we're happy to talk.
If you could make 3 demands for material change from Chicago dance institutions, funders, platforms and/or writers, what would they be?
150 word maximum
Would you like your response to be anonymous? *
Required
How would you like to be listed/identified? *
We encourage you to include your name if you feel safe doing so, and also welcome mention of other factors you might use to self-identify or position yourself, such as race, gender, neighborhood, dance form or lineage, age, class, sexuality, occupation context apart from dance, or anything else that feels relevant.
Do you consent to having your name/identifier directly connected to your response? *
Required
Any additional thoughts or words you would like to share?
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