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The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

For more information on the following opportunities and to apply, visit www.chicago.gov/careers.

Administrative Assistant III, Operations Division (Job Number: 377629)

Application Closing Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 11:59pm CDT

The Operations Division at DCASE consists of Facility Operations, Event Operations, Production, and Permitting. Staff coordinates and produces programs and provides support for DCASE and privately produced events (concerts, events, festivals, athletic events, city markets, and major civic celebrations). Facilities include Millennium Park, Chicago Cultural Center, Clarke-Ford House, 72 E. Randolph, and the Historic Water Works.

The Administrative Assistant III position in DCASE Operations Division will provide administrative and clerical support to the Deputy Commissioner and Operations Division.

Contracts Coordinator, Finance and Administration Division (Job Number: 377608)

Application Closing Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 11:59pm CDT

The Contracts Coordinator position is in the Finance and Administration Division and will report to the Director of Purchase Contract Administration with the responsibility of directing, preparing, and coordinating the processing of contracts, suborders, and purchases for the purpose of procuring goods and services from various vendors that provide services, goods, and/or equipment.

Cultural Affairs Coordinator II, Performing Arts (Job Number: 378693)

Application Closing Date: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 11:59pm CDT

The Cultural Affairs Coordinator II, Performing Arts position works at the senior level to produce programs, special events and festivals managed by DCASE and the city of Chicago. The position works with musicians, performers, artists, arts organizations, arts communities, city contractors, event specialists and various technicians to showcase the talent of local, national, and international performances at the Chicago Cultural Center, outdoor spaces, and other venues throughout the City.

Staff Assistant, Cultural Grants and Resources Division (Job Number: 377454)

Application Closing Date: Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:59pm CDT

The Staff Assistant will provide administrative support to the Cultural Grants and Resources Division in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

Special Events Permit Application

DCASE processes Special Events applications for outdoor festivals, street and art/craft fairs and athletic events. Special Event Permits will be issued but are subject to change based on updated health and safety guidelines from either the City of Chicago or State of Illinois. All events must follow guidelines in place at the time of the event. For more information and to apply online, visit our Special Events Permit Application website.

Public and Onsite Media Relations Service Provider – Request For Proposals (RFP)

Deadline to Submit: Tuesday, April 25, 3pm CT

Download the RFP

The City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide public and onsite media relations services for several public events that are part of the city’s upcoming festival season.

Chicago Presents Program

Deadline: Rolling

The 2023 Chicago Presents application is now open for grant requests to support organizations that present free, large-scale arts-based events in Chicago. As part of the 2023 Chicago Presents program, DCASE is launching the Chicago Presents Loop Program, a special initiative to support arts programming in Chicago’s downtown as a strategy to complement recovery and revitalization efforts taking place in the heart of the city. Applicants that are otherwise eligible for the 2023 Chicago Presents program will automatically be considered for the Chicago Presents Loop Program if their event activities will take place in the downtown area. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until program funds are spent. Apply at ChicagoCulturalGrants.org.

Chicago Arts Programs for People Living with Disabilities Survey

Survey Deadline: Friday, March 31

The survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete

Take Survey

The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) has launched the first Artist-in-Residence at the Central West Center, 2102 W. Ogden Avenue. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The purpose of this survey is to capture general feedback from the Chicago community of adult people living with disabilities, seniors, and Medical District community members. We want to know what arts and culture programs you want to see and/or participate in and how can we make them as accessible and accommodating as possible.

Apply for Millennium Park Residency Program

Application Deadline: Friday, April 14, 5pm CT

Chicago based Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are invited to apply for the 2nd Millennium Park Residency Program (MPRP). This residency opportunity will provide four organization grants up to $150,000 to curate, develop and produce free public programs and performances from June-September 2024 at the Pritzker Pavilion and other park cultural amenities in Millennium Park. Learn more and apply at MillenniumPark.org.

Meet an Artist – A Long Walk Home

Chicago Cultural Center’s Learning Lab, 1st Floor South

April 14, 15, 28, 29; May 12, 13, 26, 27, 2023

Second & Fourth, Fridays & Saturdays, 12-2pm

A Long Walk Home's Scheherazade Tillet, Leah Gipson, and Robert Narciso invite visitors to participate in the creation of “The Black Girlhood Altar” to honor and create awareness for missing and murdered Black girls and young women.

Visit the Artist-in-Residence webpage for a complete list of upcoming programs.

Chicago Recovery Plan

Cash Assistance & Funding Opportunities

On February 2, The Department of Family and Support Services announced a new round of applications for $500 direct cash payments through the Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0. Chicago residents who make a living as domestic workers or who missed COVID stimulus due to immigration status, can now apply. More information, including application details, at chicash.org.

The Department of Planning and Development is now accepting applications for the following programs: Community Development Grants; Climate Infrastructure Fund; Equitable Transit-Oriented Development; and Community Wealth Building Grants.

Chicago Cultural Center Audience + Engagement Project

Share your feedback in this survey by Friday, March 31

The Practice, a group of socially engaged artists, researchers, and educators, is working with DCASE to reimagine how the Chicago Cultural Center (CCC) can serve as a hub for artistic innovation and an active gathering place for creatives and audiences.

If you want to participate or learn more, you can visit the Chicago Cultural Center and share your thoughts through an interactive wall installation in the Welcome Center, take a survey or participate in interviews.

Through March 31 you may take this survey yourself and pass it on to anyone you consider to be involved in making or enjoying art and culture in Chicago.

Apply for the Small Business Improvement Fund

The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF), offered by the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), provides grant funding for permanent building improvements and repairs across the city.

SBIF is offered to tenants and owners of industrial and commercial properties. Program participants can receive grants to cover between 30% and 90% of the cost of remodeling work, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grant, which is administered by SomerCor on the City’s behalf, does not have to be repaid. To learn about eligibility, attend an information session, and apply, please visit Chicago.gov/SBIF.

March's prioritized geographies are the following TIF districts (the districts change each month):

• 47th/State
• Elston/Armstrong
• Michigan/Cermak
• Midwest
• South Chicago

P.A.R.T.Y. (Public Art Reimagining Tour with You)

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has launched an initiative to develop a Public Art Vision Plan for each INVEST South/West neighborhood. Each plan will outline public art themes, types, and locations unique to each neighborhood, contributing to its revitalization.

To get involved and stay up to speed, please visit: www.iswpublicart.org.

Call for Submissions: “Now Playing...Sights & Sounds” in the Learning Lab

Applications accepted on a rolling basis

The Learning Lab at the Chicago Cultural Center is an interactive studio that offers sights, sounds, and experiences for visitors of all ages and a wide range of abilities. Reinvigorated by design team Made in Englewood.

Organizations and artists from around the world are invited to submit their work to play in the sound dome and projection wall in the Learning Lab. For more information visit: "Now Playing...Sights & Sounds" in the Learning Lab.

City of Chicago Mural Registry

Applications accepted on a rolling basis

DCASE manages the City of Chicago Mural Registry, a publicly-accessible database documenting the growing collection of murals across the city on both private and public property. Artists, organizations and property owners are encouraged to register completed murals by submitting an application. For more information about the registration, application and process, visit chicago.gov/muralregistry.

Nominate CULTURE SNAPS for 2023

Chicago Cultural Center, Welcome Center, 1st Floor North

CULTURE SNAPS features people, places and things nominated and recognized for a cultural contribution to their neighborhood’s vitality, and celebrates cultural assets in Chicago’s varied and vibrant 77 community areas.

SNAPS can be given to your local puppeteer, the house on the block with sculptural installations in the yard, the neighborhood culture compiler who sends out a newsletter, or the local arts supporter who your community relies upon.

Know a person, place or thing in your neighborhood that deserves a SNAP?  Nominate now https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QVZ87LV

Check out the current CULTURE SNAPS in the Welcome Center and then nominate your favorite neighborhood cultural asset to be a 2023 SNAP!

Culture In My Neighborhood

Announced as part of the Arts77 recovery and reopening plan, Culture In My Neighborhood is a unique partnership between the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Chicago Park District, and Chicago Public Library to advance Mayor Lightfoot’s vision for equitable access to the arts in all of Chicago’s 77 community areas. This $40 million collaborative initiative supports cultural programming at the Chicago Cultural Center, 18 Chicago Park District neighborhood cultural centers, and the Chicago Public Library regional libraries — through grants and commission opportunities for artists and organizations. Visit the DCASE, Park District, and Library websites to find free arts activities near you. Learn more at CultureInMyNeighborhood.org and join the conversation on social media using #CultureInMyNeighborhood.

Volunteer for DCASE

Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Share your love of Chicago’s culture, history and architecture by volunteering with DCASE. With DCASE you will connect guests (Chicagoans and visitors alike) with some of the city’s cultural treasures, such as Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center, Clarke House Museum and the Taste of Chicago. Volunteers help in a variety of ways: leading tours, providing information, greeting and wayfinding at events and more. Information and application at dcasevoluntours.org.

Call for Corporate Partners

DCASE produces Chicago's largest free festivals including Taste of Chicago, Chicago Blues Festival and Chicago Jazz Festival plus a variety of other festivals and events throughout the year. Our goal is to engage companies, agencies and other partners to add value to the City's events while bringing brands directly to local consumers to increase brand awareness, generate valuable press exposure, drive traffic and sales, and build customer loyalty. To learn more about partnership opportunities, visit ChicagoPartnerships.com or email at chicagopartnerships@cityofchicago.org.

City Marketing Assets + Resource Guide

Access a partial list of City of Chicago Marketing Assets available to the local arts industry. This was compiled by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) for its Performing Arts Convening: Marketing and Audience Development, held October 26, 2022. Download the guide (PDF).