Poetics of Place weaves together poetry, live music, and visual art to explore resilience, memory, and belonging in North Lawndale. From powerful spoken word to soul-stirring performances and klezmer music, the program invites audiences into an immersive afternoon of sound, story, live art, and movement. Together, these performances transform the sukkahs into living stages of solidarity and creative expression.

This event is presented in partnership with Chicago Humanities, featuring an opening poem by Marvin Tate, a performance by Zeshan B, and melodies by klezmer musician Hannah Mira Friedland. Savera Iftikhar will create a live painting reflecting the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival’s mission and vision of building third spaces where diverse interfaith, multi-racial, and multi-cultural communities gather, create, and envision just futures.

The Chicago Sukkah Design Festival pairs community organizations in North Lawndale with architectural designers, artists, students, and faith leaders to build sukkahs — outdoor structures inspired by Jewish tradition — reimagined as vibrant third spaces of belonging, action, and solidarity. Rooted in North Lawndale’s rich Black and Jewish history, the Festival honors the neighborhood’s evolution and the intertwined legacies of civil rights, migration, and cultural resilience. The festival has grown into a gathering place where interfaith, multicultural, and multiracial communities come together to envision just futures. Join us as we partner with the Festival for an immersive sukkah tour featuring performances from Chicago-area poets and musicians.

This event is presented in partnership with the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival.

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