Old Town School of Folk Music

ALL together NOW

Be part of our BUILDING COMMUNITY

Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music Grows.
Opening Fall 2011

Facility features are designed to address our efforts to further our mission,
expand awareness and access, and improve the quality of arts education for both teachers and students.

Three large dance studios equipped with sprung floors.
Sixteen acoustically engineered classrooms
A flex-use 2,100-square-foot, 150-seat convertible space that will act as a classroom, community area, dance hall or performance venue.
Large lobby/community gathering area.
LEED Certified, environmentally friendly building features

Click here to contact the Development Department for more information.

PLAY together: Every day at the Old Town School of Folk Music...; Lasting friendships form. Band-mates bond. Beginners discover they can play. Performers discover an audience that is as passionate as their music. Babies discover the magic of rhythm. Soul-mates find each other in a song. Everybody's participation matters. We honor our traditions, try out the next new thing, and make a whole lot of music. Together. This is the Old Town School Experience.; Old Town School of Folk Music is unique. It offers the most wildly diverse range of performances and arts classes in the city. It attracts people of every interest, ability and background — babies, kids, teens, adult learners and seniors. Rock 'n' rollers, country crooners, jazz hounds, urban dancers and square dancers. All are welcome here, and all make their own special contribution to the sense of community that defines this place. There is nothing else quite like it, anywhere.; Your donation is a tangible expression of this community.

GET together: With 700 group class offerings, the Old Town School of Folk Music is the largest community arts school in the nation — and it's right here in Chicago. About 1,000 people come through our doors every day, creating an unmistakable vibrancy that spills out of our doors and into the neighborhood.; The School also employs 220 local artists and is among the most active presenters of folk, traditional, and world music in the Midwest.; The new facility will expand student capacity by 60% and provide public access to new concerts and dance parties every week. When the new building is up and running, Old Town School will pump an estimated total of $17 million into the local economy every year and support 800 permanent jobs.; Your donation will be magnified every day by investing in culture and community.

JOIN together: Old Town School is passing the torch to the next generation every day. But to secure the future, we need you to help us create the facilities that can sustain our mission.; All together, our community continues to grow. Current facilities do not satisfy demand — classes are often held in busy administrative offices and lobbies, and concert venues are stretched beyond capacity. You can help us create a space that will set a new standard for teaching the world of dance and music.; Your donation today supports tomorrow's artists and audiences.

BUILD together: For the first time in the Old Town School's history, a new arts education facility will be built from the ground up. Right across the street from our Lincoln Avenue location, the new building will provide 27,120 square feet of acoustically-engineered, state-of-the-art classrooms.; The new facility will become the primary site for the School's loudest group classes, such as Irish step dancing, Japanese taiko drums and rock ensembles. Along with upgrades to existing facilities, our new Lincoln Square campus will ensure that acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies no longer have to compete with tap shoes overhead and booming bass sounds bleeding through the walls.; Your donation creates a home for community.