Discipline: Literary Arts

Em Beckert is a Chicago poet and somatic artist who aims to help their students notice and remark on the beauty, injustice, spirituality, music, and heart in themselves, in this …

Musician, maker, and educator, Aquil “AQ” Charlton (he/him/his), uses his imagination and musical talents to engage others in envisioning a more just world. AQ’s live electronic improvisations, DJ sets, and …

Jillian Gryzlak is a maker of things. She builds costumes, works with ceramics and textiles, makes props and puppets for theater, and designs immersive installations. Working with a multitude of …

Kate Hendrickson is a Chicago based theatre director and teaching artist, who specializes in premiering new plays by radical American playwrights. Kate directed the world premiere of Lipstick Lobotomy by …

Joy Young is a Chicago-born storyteller and educator, who holds a BA in Fiction from Columbia College Chicago and MA in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. Her work has …

Marya Spont-Lemus writes fiction and personal narratives, critically re-makes objects, and educates/facilitates/collaborates, often in public spaces. As an educator, Marya has worked in various out-of-school-time and community settings, as well …

Héctor Alvarez is an actor, director, and theater critic from Spain. He has worked as a teaching artist with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Youth Shakespeare, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Congo …

Runako Jahi, an actor/playwright/director/graphic artist/poet and acting coach, attended Columbia College and the American Academy of Art. He works as a teaching artist for Urban Gateways, and is former artistic …

A theater / literary arts residency at this Humboldt Park school allowed students to create their own story, develop the courage to perform for an audience, and discover what they have in common with their favorite super heroes.

Jennifer Green has been a part of the Urban Gateways community for almost twenty years. As a teaching artist she specializes in theater games, improvisation, and developing new works. Her …