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ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative

ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media is so humbled and grateful to be a part of the MacArthur Foundation Jack Fuller Initiative. Jack Fuller, former Editor and Publisher of The Chicago Tribune and MacArthur Trustee, was a firm believer that good journalism and civic engagement are inextricably linked.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Events
Mid Summer Fun Fest
Jul 19
Mid Summer Fun Fest

Free Spirit Media

Calling all #FSMfam artists and alumni! Come out and enjoy a HoopsHIGH game at 2:30pm then stay for the after party from 3:00-5:00 pm

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LATEST

ORGANIZATION NEWS

Featured
Free Spirit Media's Digital Yearbook 2018
Free Spirit Media's Digital Yearbook 2018

This year has been a great one for Free Spirit Media. We've traveled all over from bustling cities like New York to marches in Washington D.C. to relaxing in rural farms in India. We've won awards, hosted parties, rebranded, and celebrated one another's work.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media Receives $650,000 grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Strengthen Inclusive Journalism as part of the Jack Fuller Legacy Initiative

ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media is so humbled and grateful to be a part of the MacArthur Foundation Jack Fuller Initiative. Jack Fuller, former Editor and Publisher of The Chicago Tribune and MacArthur Trustee, was a firm believer that good journalism and civic engagement are inextricably linked.

Read More →
The Real Chi: A Rebrand
The Real Chi: A Rebrand

We want to tell REAL stories about REAL people living the REAL realities of the various systemic inequalities plaguing black and brown communities in this city.

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Over 100K raised at #FSMFOCUS 2018!
Over 100K raised at #FSMFOCUS 2018!

RECAP: Free Spirit Media's annual fundraiser was truly a night to remember. We'd like to thank all of our sponsors, our dedicated board, our brilliant staff, our wonderful volunteers, and our community of supporters for showing up, sharing our work, and investing in our vision. 

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Spring 2018 Industry Pathways Cohort wraps!
Spring 2018 Industry Pathways Cohort wraps!

PHOTOS: Last week the Industry Pathways Cohort hosted a wrap party to celebrate another cohort graduation! 

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media receives a two-year $300k Grant from the McCormick Foundation
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media receives a two-year $300k Grant from the McCormick Foundation

The McCormick Foundation generously extended a two-year grant to Free Spirit Media to continue our work supporting youth artists to tell authentic stories about Chicago, an especially urgent need in our current climate of increased distrust in the media.

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Discussion & Resource Guide: National School Walkout & March For Our Lives:
Discussion & Resource Guide: National School Walkout & March For Our Lives:

Free Spirit Media youth artists produced a video documenting the March For Our Lives and National School Walkouts. This guide is meant for educators and community members to help facilitate discussions and connect youth to more resources. 

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media to Receive $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Spirit Media to Receive $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

CHICAGO — National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. 

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25,000 reached with Free Spirit Media Produced Films on WTTW
25,000 reached with Free Spirit Media Produced Films on WTTW

RECAP: 25,000 tuned in to WTTW on May 3rd and 5th to watch Free Spirit Media produced films!

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Industry Pathways Cohort wraps production on Fuzzy Legs
Industry Pathways Cohort wraps production on Fuzzy Legs

PHOTOS: This past weekend the Industry Pathways Cohort wrapped production on their short film, "Fuzzy Legs." On Friday, they shot at the DePaul stages at Cinespace using their home set and on Saturday they shot at Hales Franciscan. 

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Free Spirit Media films screened at the Chicago Cultural Center
Free Spirit Media films screened at the Chicago Cultural Center

PHOTOS: On Saturday, April 21, Free Spirit Media and WTTW hosted a screening and panel discussion at the Chicago Cultural Center. The selected pieces were documentaries and one narrative film that cover youth responses to gun violence. 

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Youth Council hosts Showcase!
Youth Council hosts Showcase!

PHOTOS: Our Youth Council gathered each FSM program in one theater to share and enjoy the films they've been working on this year! #FSMforever  #FSMfam 

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VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Media Library 2017 Archive
Open House Chicago With Free Spirit Media

On October 14, 2017, Free Spirit Media hosted an Open House as part of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago, drawing over 200 visitors to the historic Nichols Tower. An FSM News crew covered the event.

Solutions for Chicago: Diversity and Inclusion in the Creative Economy

Free Spirit Media was excited to celebrate and grow our Founders Circle at this year's Solutions for Chicago: Diversity, Inclusion & the Creative Economy panel discussion at the Arts Club of Chicago on Tuesday, September 26.

SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT

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Robert R. McCormick Foundation

Fostering communities of educated, informed, and engaged citizens.

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INSTAGRAM - @FreeSpiritChi

Special thanks to @uchicago for hosting us for our summer staff retreat last week!! We’re excited to keep building up the #FSMfam. 📸: @cb_0116
ATTN: Real Chi Youth has a new name! Introducing The Real Chi. Find us at @TheRealChiFSM and freespiritmedia.org/therealchi “We realized that in order to be taken as seriously as we take ourselves, we needed to rebrand in a way that is accommodating of and appropriate for our current cohort of emerging journalists. After months of deliberation we finally settled on “THE REAL CHI: Community News from Free Spirit Media”.”
Thank you Hootenanny for letting us use your green screen for a new video coming soon! Check out some behind the scenes photos :)
Need some new reading for this #YouthMediaMonday? Check out the latest piece from @realchiyouth Is the sudden end to the 40 year run of Little Village’s Cinco de Mayo parade the nail in the gentrification coffin? PERSPECTIVE: Pilsen's Cinco de Mayo parade was yanked from the calendar just six days before its May 6 kick-off date, leaving business owners and would-be parade goers in Little Village and Pilsen with nothing but questions. Full story online! Freespiritmedia.org/realchiyouth
#TBT to #FSMFOCUS last week! Thank you so much to everyone who came out and helped us raise over 100k to support Chicago youth artists. We are excited to announce that you can keep the momentum going with our DONATION MATCHING CHALLENGE! Any new or increased donation up to $10,000 from today to the end of June will be matched BUT we need to reach $10,000 for this generous anonymous gift to be fulfilled. Show some love to the #FSMfam and donate today!! FOCUS pics and more donation matching link in bio (📸: @qurissyphoto)
ICYMI: check out @realchiyouth’s feature from last week on a student athlete who is proving to be a star, both on the court and in the classroom. A Real Chi reporter spoke to Dorian Robinson about his love for the game, his journey as a student athlete, and his hopes for the future. Read all about it online! #YouthMediaMondays
We’re so pumped for #FSMFOCUS tonight!! Huge thank you to all of our sponsors 💙 You can still buy tickets! Link in bio (more thanks also to @saicpics @snapyourself @sagaftra @lagunitasbeer @drinkcrafthouse @boomboomduprey @djraechardonnay)
PHOTOS: Congrats to the @inpathways Spring 2018 Cohort for wrapping programming! At the wrap party, we watched the first preview of the #fsmcohort18 short film, "Fuzzy Legs," thanked our industry partners and cohort members with certificates of appreciation, and celebrated the success of the program with food, games and reminiscing. You can watch the first public preview of "Fuzzy Legs" at FOCUS 2018! (Link in bio) More photos online! 📸 @brianajaneearts
T-2 days until #FSMFOCUS!! Meet @inpathways members Amber and Pascal, who will be introducing the preview of their short film, Fuzzy Legs, at FOCUS! Amber is the Fuzzy Legs writer, producer and director and Pascal is the boom/sound PA. Come out on Thursday to meet the #fsmcohort18!
#fsmcohort18 SPOTLIGHT: Meet Angelica, Assistant Editor, and Alexis, Art PA on @inpathways cohort film #fuzzylegs! First preview in ONE WEEK at #FSMFOCUS! Ticket and sponsorship link in bio
Shout out to our newest #FSMFOCUS director level sponsor @google! You can still become a sponsor until May 25!! TICKETS & SPONSORSHIP link in bio

TWITTER - @FreeSpiritChi

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