Main fundraiser photo

Journey to Windyland with Abby & Chicago's Foster Care Youth

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Hey there! Join me in my Train-a-thon!

As you may know, this past year I have been chosen as the recipient of League of Chicago Theatres' Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Fellowship in Artivism. My project, Alex in Windyland, will be premiering in Chicago in May 2025 and on TOUR to Milwaukee, WI in July 2025!

Alex in Windyland is a new play in development created alongside Chicago’s foster care youth. The play explores themes and metaphors based on real life research and experience working alongside youth in Chicago’s foster care system, specifically youth at Lydia Home. As a former foster sibling, this collaboration is so valuable to me.

Alex, who is displaced, relocated, and transported into another world, a train called Windyland, a magical liminal moving unknown. Onboard Windyland, Alex has many of their choices taken away and the world is much different and unfamiliar than anything they have ever called home. Not knowing how long they'll be on the train, through new friendships, challenges, and adventures, Alex explores Windyland to find what they need to make home right where they are, process their trauma, and heal through community. The play also explores themes of the liminal space, a universal theme amongst artists and amongst youth in foster care who often move throughout the liminal space and, really, amongst all humans.

With your help, we are looking to match residency funds to bring Alex and Windyland to life more fully! There are many moving parts to a project like this! There’s going into Lydia Home to continue community engagement with youth, adult artists bringing the characters to life, understudies who bring creativity to the room and provide security that all arts spaces need, designers to bring the youth’s visions to life, marketing, stage managing, props, costumes, and so much more! The play also has the opportunity to be brought to foster youth in Milwaukee in July 2025! All extra funds beyond production costs will go directly towards supporting Lydia Home.

Chicago has 8 CTA (public transportation) train lines: purple, yellow, red, green, blue, orange, brown, and pink! For every $2,500 raised, I will ride one of these 8 train lines there and back! Every donation counts! If just 800 gave $25, 1,000 gave $20, or 2,000 gave $10, we could meet our goal!

Join me on the train - on the way to 20k!
Follow along the ride on Instagram: @alexinwindyland or Facebook: Alex in Windyland!





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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $250
    • 5 d
  • Mary Jo Wilmot
    • $25
    • 1 mo
  • Kim Hoenick
    • $100
    • 1 mo
  • Anonymous
    • $150
    • 2 mos
  • Anonymous
    • $100
    • 2 mos
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Organizer

Abigail Thompson
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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