A Letter From The Directors

Dear Supporters and friends,

We are absolutely thrilled to finally share some exciting news with you: after years of dedicated work and commitment to our shared artistic vision, we are overjoyed to announce that as of 2023 Project Bound Dance has officially obtained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status! This exciting development marks a significant milestone in our journey and opens up new possibilities for our future.

Since its inception in 2015 as an individual artist-driven project, Project Bound Dance has been devoted to the creation of exceptional modern dance performance while fostering collaborative dialogue in the city of Chicago. Under the dedicated direction of Ashley Deran and Emily Loar, we have embraced collaboration and curiosity as the cornerstone of our practice. This new nonprofit status solidifies our commitment to the arts and allows us to continue our work on a more sustainable and impactful level.

Achieving these goals and sustaining a thriving artistic practice will require ongoing support from people like you who believe in the essential role art plays in our lives. We have reached a pivotal moment and we need your help. In celebration of our new organizational status, we invite you to become an integral part of our work by becoming a monthly sustaining donor. 

Your generosity will ensure that our collaborating artists receive the compensation they deserve, that we can develop the administrative team vital for future operations, and that our artistic offerings can reach their full potential impact. 

In the expansion of our organization we believe in a bottom-up approach, where compensating artists effectively and equitably is not only crucial for their well-being but also vital for the quality of the art we create. Before anything else, we have made it our priority to ensure that our dance artists and collaborators receive fair compensation for their invaluable contributions to the work we create. By implementing an improved payment structure, we will provide our team of professional artists with equitable rehearsal and performance rates, and mark the beginning of our journey towards our expanded goals, including ongoing compensation for administrative positions, capital costs, enhanced performance budgets and more public offerings for our community (that’s you).

Join us on this exciting journey and become a monthly sustaining patron of the arts today. Every contribution will support our continued work and make a meaningful difference towards our artistic aspirations. 

Lastly, thank you for your unwavering support and belief in our work. We are incredibly grateful for your partnership as we embark on this exciting new chapter, and for your belief in both our mission and the impact dance can have on our ability to relate and connect with one another. Together, let's build a stronger, more sustainable and impactful future for Project Bound Dance and the arts community we cherish. Together, we can make Project Bound Dance an anchor within the incredible and vibrant arts community we serve.

With heartfelt appreciation, and an endless supply of the Inner Groove,

Emily Loar and Ashley Deran,

Co-Artistic Directors

Project Bound Dance