As city ordinances requiring licensing, zoning, and massive insurance make it increasingly difficult for alternative, multi-purpose work/art/learn/fun spaces to thrive in certain cities, Chicago’s Version Festival is here with some answers. Chicago’s only independent arts festival, now in its 11th year, Version is a ten-day-long series of events centered around a theme of Community—those spaces, collectives, galleries, groups, and workshops around the country promoting progressive, experimental, radical, and/or sustainable activity.

This thing is full-on overstimulation, with workshops, classes, discussions, a full-scale historical re-enactment of the Haymarket Riot, art shows, public intervention, video screenings, interactive performances, and wild dance parties, all on offer to the public. And ReadyMade will be there for the opening weekend, starting this Friday with a group exhibition called New New Chicagoans, featuring works by local artists who, if you haven’t heard of already, you will within a couple years. It’s topped off with performances by Mahjongg, Magical Beautiful, Mr. 666, and our own Online Director Liz Armstrong will be DJing the dance party well into the night.

On Saturday and Sunday, head on over to visit us at Version’s MDW Fair, where 50+ independent art initiatives and publications will be demonstrating what they do best—sharing ideas, tips, and lessons on participatory action and engagement. Stay tuned to ReadyMade.com for updates. Click on each event above, or visit the Version site for more info. See you there!

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