Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

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Midnight  Circus in the Parks was founded on the belief that community involvement is the foundation on which to build long‐term success with positive effects lasting well beyond a two‐hour performance. To that end, all performances are affordable, accessible, and provide a platform for community groups to volunteer, fund raise and become active arts participants. Along with the wonderful Park Advisory Councils (PACs) at each park,  Midnight  Circus in the Parks seeks out extraordinary community organizations to collaborate with in the neighborhoods we play.

At McKinley Park, we look forward to  once again  working with the  incredible folks at  Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC). BPNC is a community-based, nonprofit organization serving a working-class neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest side with a mission to create a safer community, improve the learning environment at public schools, preserve affordable housing, provide a voice for youth, protect immigrant rights, promote gender equality, and end all forms of violence.

Find out more about this wonderful organization and how you can support the work of Brighton Park Neighborhood Council by visiting their site.

More Volunteer Stories
The Usher with the Clown Nose: Christopher and the Haite Family Capture our Hearts
The Usher with the Clown Nose: Christopher and the Haite Family Capture our Hearts

Christopher plays a unique and highly recognizable role at Midnight Circus–part usher, part clown, part ringmaster. “I found a clown wig, and when I wore it the kids would actually listen!”

Volunteer Spotlight: Amy Ewaldt
Volunteer Spotlight: Amy Ewaldt

Amy Ewaldt, President of the Maplewood and Lucy Flower Park Advisory Council (MLFPAC), invited me and Maria Stone, Community Relations Manager for the Chicago Park District, to take a walking tour of her community.

McKinley Park & Midnight Circus: A force for community engagement
McKinley Park & Midnight Circus: A force for community engagement

Find out how McKinley Park has changed since they began working with Midnight Circus in the Parks.

Benefit Performance Raised $18,000 for the people of Puerto Rico
Benefit Performance Raised $18,000 for the people of Puerto Rico

It was such a special opportunity to share our performance to make a real difference.

Volunteer Spotlight: LaTanya Johnson
Volunteer Spotlight: LaTanya Johnson

LaTanya & The Youth of Englewood is an after-school program in the Chicago neighborhood of Englewood.

Volunteer Spotlight: Joyce Chapman
Volunteer Spotlight: Joyce Chapman

Joyce Chapman was born in Japan to an African American dad and Japanese mother. Her father, a soldier with the Army, met her mother while stationed in Japan. Joyce’s early years were that of a typically ‘Army brat’ living in various places throughout the world. In June of 1968 when Joyce was twelve, her parents settled in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. Pullman was a bit of a shock to Joyce and her brother. They had never lived in a solely black community before.

Volunteer Spotlight: Asiaha Butler
Volunteer Spotlight: Asiaha Butler

Asiaha Butler (pronounce Ay-Sha) has a positive energy that’s infectious. She saw a problem in her community of Englewood and wanted to make a difference. She didn’t know where to start, at first, but that didn’t stop her. Until recently, she was working downtown at the Institute of Real Estate Management, an association for property managers, as the supervisor for Education Services. Anyone who meets Asiaha knows she’s a natural leader. Plus, from her years in the business, she understood real estate and development. Butler felt she had the capacity to make an impact, the question was how.

Volunteer Spotlight: Geary Yonker, president Kosciuszko Park Advisory Council
Volunteer Spotlight: Geary Yonker, president Kosciuszko Park Advisory Council

The park had an amazing neighborhood advocate, Tom Cunningham, who basically served as a one-man advisory council. He pushed for the new playground that was installed ten years ago and the new roof on the field house. When Tom passed, I felt compelled to get involved to help continue his work.

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Midnight  Circus in the Parks was founded on the belief that community involvement is the foundation on which to build long‐term success with positive effects lasting well beyond a two‐hour performance. To that end, all performances are affordable, accessible, and provide a platform for community groups to volunteer, fund raise and become active arts participants. Along with the wonderful Park Advisory Councils (PACs) at each park,  Midnight  Circus in the Parks seeks out extraordinary community organizations to collaborate with in the neighborhoods we play.

Eileen Palmer, a Family Tradition
Eileen Palmer, a Family Tradition

It all started at a Welles Park Advisory Council meeting about eleven years ago. Jeff and Julie Jenkins walked in with a video of Midnight Circus and an idea to help the park raise the money to redo our terribly run down play lot. The second I saw the video, I knew, if we built it, they would come. We had just organized our Easter Egg Extravaganza with pizza, an art project and Easter bunny raising $6,000. The community was ready.

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