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ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

We pioneer thought-provoking and collaborative cross-cultural programs to build a more vibrant and inclusive Chicago

ACTIVATING HERITAGE

CONFERENCE

 MARCH 31ST, 2025

An annual capacity-building conference and workshop series for Members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance and other arts & culture professionals throughout the region.

Our next conference will be held on Monday, Mar. 31st, 2025 on the UIC Campus. Click below to view the schedule and register.

2025 SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION

JOURNEY CHICAGO

OCTOBER 2025

A citywide, intercultural festival of art, ideas, and performance, hosted annually in October.

Journey Chicago 2022 included 11 events across more than 9 Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs with 23 collaborating organiztaions.

Journey Chicago will return October 2025.

LEARN MORE

WORLD DUMPLING FEST

A celebration of Chicago’s diverse cultural communities through musical performances, art, and of course, dumplings!

World Dumpling Fest most recently was held on Saturday, 21st 2024 in Logan Square. Click the button below to view the archived page for a list of cultural performances and vendors.

2024 WORLD DUMPLING FEST (Archived)

Core Member Programs

The Chicago Cultural Alliance pioneers capacity-building programs that connect and support our Core Members. It is a core value of the Alliance that all programs are collaborative and cross-cultural, building greater impact than could be achieved by any one member or partner individually.

CULTURAL HERITAGE CURRICULUM INCUBATOR

The Cultural Heritage Curriculum Incubator (CHCI) is a cohort-based, intensive capacity-building program that works with cultural heritage museums to develop and implement heritage-based arts curriculum in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Our goal is to create a mutually-beneficial, long-lasting relationship between our Core Members and Chicago students, elevating the voices of youth and increasing engagement with our diverse cultures.

 

Our 2022 cohort includes the National Hellenic Museum, the Filipino American Historical Society, and the National Cambodian Museum and Killing Fields Memorial. The CHCI is supported by the Elizabeth Morse Trust.

Archives Crawl

The Archives Crawl is a peer-led program that allows Members to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and triumphs they experience as caretakers for the Chicago region’s cultural archives and collections. Members alternate hosting these meetings to share their own archival stories.

Conservation & Collections

The Conservation & Collections program works with our Core Members to ensure that cultural heritage collections, which tell the story of Chicago’s communities, remain properly conserved, and accessible to the public.

Leadership Council Workshops

The Leadership Council, comprising the Executive Directors of all our Core Member institutions, can access quarterly workshops that the Alliance organizes to address needs specific to them. We draw on experts and partners in relevant fields to create hands-on workshops on topics in finance, budgeting, human resources, facilities, legal resources, and more.