Lollapalooza Pledges $1.7 Million For Arts Education In Chicago Schools

Lollapalooza has announced a $1.7 million commitment to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to expand arts education opportunities for students, supporting music, dance, theatre and other creative programmes through 2031.

The funding, among the largest donations CPS has received for arts programming, takes the festival’s total contribution to arts education in the city to $3.9 million since 2021. The investment will be delivered in partnership with Ingenuity and Children First Fund, the Chicago Public Schools Foundation.

The grant will support two key initiatives. This includes a $634,000 investment in All-City Performing Arts, which offers after-school music, dance and theatre programmes, and a $1.1 million renewal of the Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund, which provides grants to schools to strengthen their in-school arts programmes.

Founded in 1963, All-City Performing Arts serves students from grades 3 to 12. The latest funding includes $134,000 for an instrument lending library and $500,000 towards rehearsal spaces, transportation, supplies and performances. The programme will be reintroduced as Lollapalooza Presents: All-City Performing Arts.

Meanwhile, the Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund supports arts instruction, teaching artists and creative space improvements in schools with limited resources. Since its launch in 2021, the fund has awarded 234 grants to 117 schools across 43 Chicago wards, reaching more than 80,000 students.

The initiatives are expected to reach over 40,000 students across more than 150 schools and 40 Chicago wards over the next five years.

Charlie Walker, Partner at C3 Presents and a Lollapalooza promoter, said the investment aims to create meaningful opportunities for students to develop their creative abilities, both inside and outside the classroom.