History
Links Hall encourages artistic innovation and public engagement by maintaining a facility and providing flexible programming for the research, development and presentation of new work in the performing arts. Links Hall was founded in 1978 as a non-profit 501(c)3 arts organization by three innovative dancers and choreographers, Bob Eisen, Carol Bobrow and Charlie Vernon (Eisen now serves on our Advisory Board and Vernon on our Board). The space was initially run as an artists' cooperative which provided space and community to hundreds of artists of multiple performance disciplines and cultures from Chicago and around the US. In 1984, Bobrow and Vernon left the organization, and Bob Eisen remained as the sole visionary until his retirement in 2000.
Specialties
Mission: Links Hall encourages artistic innovation and public engagement by maintaining a facility and providing flexible programming for the research, development and presentation of new work in the performing arts. Links Hall most effectively realizes its mission by serving as an artistic incubator and launch pad. Through its residency programs, artist-curated festivals, fiscal sponsorship program, co-presentations with self-producing artists, cabarets, performance series, workshops and low-cost studio rentals, Links provides a home for artists across all performance disciplines, at all stages of their careers. For 51 weeks each year, Links encourages artists and audiences to take an equal risk. Links Hall also provides low-cost hourly rehearsal rental space 7 days a week to artists. In addition, Links Hall welcomes volunteer service hours as barter for rehearsal space. Links Hall also hosts a variety of workshops dedicated to nurturing the unique creativity of your own expression, through the exploration and practice of contemporary methods with passionate, intelligent, and informed artist-instructors.