Thursday, October 22, 2026

Definition Theatre (1160 E 55th St., Chicago IL)

6:30pm - Music and sound pieces created by Stateville artists through the Sound Studio.

8:00pm - Winning essays from the Conditions of Your Existence Writing Contest, a statewide personal essay contest for people incarcerated in Illinois, will be brought to the stage on opening night of the Resilience Arts Festival.

9:00pm - Reception

Friday, October 23, 2026

Definition Theatre (1160 E 55th St., Chicago IL)

5:30pm - Can’t Get Back Yesterday is a theatrical, poetic, and musical exploration into the mental health effects that prison has on someone who has been on the inside. Written and performed by Prince Saleem Alexis.

6:30pm - Prayers Of A Lost Dog: The Story of DMX. Writer and performer Anthony Spaulding prays, raps, tells stories, and discusses issues prevalent to those incarcerated and the journey of finding their way home. The opening line says it all. “We have all wandered around like lost dogs scavenging for light, I pray you find your way home before it gets dark.”

7:30pm - Benevolent Blues by JES Gems encompasses the complexities of experiencing sexual assault, dealing with a pregnancy/abortion as a result of the assault, and being a criminalized survivor. JES Gems is a multi-hyphenate trio that creates mixed media performances from inside Logan Correction Center. The groups members are Jeanine Elam, Erika Ray, and Stephanie Bonds.

Saturday, October 24, 2026

Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th St., Chicago IL)

1:00pm - Join the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments for their first Fully Free Annual Membership Assembly!

3:30pm - Join Walls Turned Sideways to screenprint posters & t-shirts with designs in our archive, including those made as a part of our No New Prisons IL Print Portfolio. Bring your own clothes to screenprint on and to spread the word on abolition! 

5:00pm - ENDPP.ORG & Restore Justice Presents: VOICES. Hear the story of redemption from directly impacted advocates. 

6:00pm - A screening of Civil Death by Reparations Medai. Civil Death explores the lasting, invisible punishments faced by formerly incarcerated people - and the growing movement to dismantle them. Each year, over 650,000 people leave U.S. prisons. But for many, freedom is just the beginning of a new kind of sentence. In Illinois alone, 4 million people—nearly 1 in 4 — carry criminal records that block access to jobs, housing, education, and basic rights of citizenship.
Rooted in the ancient concept of civil death, this film follows real people and real policy change - challenging the ingrained practices of permanent punishments. The feature length documentary film flips the script on how we view formerly incarcerated people. It reveals their strength, struggle and humanity - and asks us to imagine real redemption, forgiveness, and justice. When does punishment finally end?

Sunday, October 25, 2026