What is Listening Across Neighborhoods?
Listening Across Neighborhoods is a unique opportunity to gain skills with audio technology and public speaking while exploring the city of Chicago and learning more about your neighborhood.
- Discover: Learn about Chicago’s unique neighborhoods through sound.
- Engage: Participate in soundwalks, workshops, and public presentations.
- Create: Contribute to the Neighborhood Sound Archive, preserving the acoustic heritage of your community.
Is There Compensation?
Earn $200 for completing the program and making your public presentation.
Why Listen?
- Make a Difference: Identify neighborhood investment and disinvestment through sound.
- Develop Skills: gain life skills in active listening, sound recording, storytelling, and public speaking.
- Build Community: Connect with peers and different neighborhoods and share your findings.
Who Can Join?
High school students and youth: from all Chicago Neighborhoods.
When Is It?
- 4 Workshops between August – September, 2025
- Sound Workshops: August 9, August 16, August 23, 2025
- Public Speaking Workshop: September 6 or 13, 2025
LAN Staff
Sam Anthem, teaching artist
Sam Anthem is an artist working across sound, performance, and media to better understand social patterns of thinking of and being in the world. Through creative approaches to archives and interactive technology, they believe art can reshape how we relate to our natural surroundings and communities.
Mira Simonton-Chao, teaching artist
Mira Simonton-Chao is an artist, educator, and organizer based between Chicago, IL and Ann Arbor, MI. Their work is largely informed by their research in institutional violence, epistemicide, weaponized data, and teaching and archives, which they synthesize via an interdisciplinary making practice.
Marco Guagnelli, teaching artist
Marco Guagnelli specializes in creating, teaching and researching performance, community-based theatre and contemporary art. With over 7 years of professional experience his work uniquely combines methods of scholarly research with creative practice.
Phillip Purkett, leadership and public speaking trainer
Phillip Purkett is a senior moderator and leadership coach with over two decades of expertise as a facilitator and instructor specializing in leadership and organizational development, as well as collaboration, effective communication, individual consultation and team training. He serves in leadership roles at the local, district, and regional levels in his church. He is a community activist and neighborhood coordinator.
Eric Leonardson, project manager, Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology
Eric Leonardson, a Chicago-based audio artist, is President of the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology and Vice-President of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. He is an Adjunct Professor in Art and Technology/Sound Practices at SAIC. As a performer, composer, sound designer, and inventor, he performs internationally and promotes acoustic ecology, connecting communities through sound, listening, and the environment.
Christophe Preissing, project director, NON:op Arts and Humanities
Christophe Preissing is the founder and artistic director of NON:op Arts and Humanities. He is also a composer, sound artist, producer and artistic instigator, whose work tackles social, political, and cultural issues. Since 2020, he and NON:op have been focused on facilitating radical access, experimentation, and creativity across communities while working collectively towards a more just society.
