A Third Annum Festival of Holes

“Join an unruly ensemble of archaeologists to excavate and celebrate the hole as a gathering point; that into which everything falls: black holes, boreholes, manholes, potholes, airholes, sinkholes, stink holes, wormholes, tone holes, keyholes, cunt holes, a-holes, mouth holes, hideyholes, holy holes, wholly holes, breath holes, holes in the head and in the body and in the earth, holes in humanity, holes as escape routes and connection points … a gap, a gape, a gasp, agape …” -Stacy Hardy, author, An Archaeology of Holes

A Festival of Holes 2026 brings together performance, film/video, comedy, installation, sound, publishing, poetry, and public conversation across two days at SITE/less. Throughout the weekend, several Holes Fest features will remain open:

Unpacked Mobile Gallery: Nothing, But [Holes]
Curated by Naomi Elson, Rebecca Griffith, and Lauren Iacoponi

Lauren Iacoponi — artist, Purple Window Gallery co-curator, and founder of Unpacked Mobile Gallery — will stage Nothing, But [Holes], a special edition of Unpacked that docks with SITE/less, curated alongside the Unpacked team and fellow visual artists Naomi Elson and Rebecca Griffith.

View the full program.

Environmental Installations
The festival will feature installation elements by architect and artist David Sundry, Iacoponi & Workman.

Performance
The Dance for the Lost, an Active Investigations performance, serves as the ceremonial opening and closing of this year’s Festival of Holes, bringing experimental poetics, dance, and performance play into dialogue with artistic place histories. Through assembled fragments of language and movement, Active Investigators explore transformation, censorship, and the struggle against erasure, entering a landscape where everyday construction objects become instruments of voice and bodies discover pathways through obstruction. Mirrorglass, an ensemble convened when needed for Active Investigations performances that require additional Active Investigators, will perform. Created by Michael Workman in collaboration with Mirrorglass ensemble members Tina Wang, Ali Lorenz, McKenna Mahacek, and Amanda Saucedo, the performance asks how collective action and community care can confront social brutality and make space for voices that have been erased and rendered invisible.
View the full ensemble photos and bios.

Bridge Books Releases
Bridge Books will release two new titles during the festival: Natasha Mijares’ Violent Wave, the first poetry title in Bridge Books’ new Allen imprint, and Ahmed Ozsever’s River, Red.

Membership Passes

Friday and Saturday evening admission is through Artists United Membership Passes. Artists United membership is open to everyone — artists, cultural workers, audiences, friends, supporters, and community members. You do not need to identify as an artist to attend.

Friday Evening Artists United Membership Pass: $25
Includes admission to the Friday, October 30, 6–9 PM program.

Saturday Afternoon Public Program Pass: $15
Includes admission to the Saturday, October 31, noon–4 PM public program. This pass does not include Artists United membership access.

Saturday Evening Artists United Membership Pass: $25
Includes admission to the Saturday, October 31, 6–9 PM program.

All-In Weekend Artists United Membership Pass: $50
Includes admission to both evening programs and the Saturday afternoon public program, along with Artists United membership access for the festival weekend.

Membership pass purchases support Artists United, Bridge’s artist-service initiative supporting Chicago’s freelance creative workforce through public programming, resource-sharing, advocacy, and artist support. You can choose to make your purchase a subscription, and become a long-term supporter. There are also discounted subscription options to Bridge magazine and the Bridge Journal available only to attendees of the festival. Click here to learn more.

Please note: Advance-ticket holders receive priority access to the catered food included with their passes. Tickets purchased at the door will not automatically include catering. Once all advance-ticket holders have checked in, any remaining catered food will be made available to door-ticket holders, subject to availability.

Festival of Holes emcee: Madison Parker
Madison Mae Parker is a writer, performer, somatic educator, arts doula, and space-maker. Her experience has been collected across a smattering of spaces: from DIY poetry spaces and dive bars; a collaborative dance/poetry touring project across the US, EU, and Australia; an MFA in Performance from SAIC; community organizing and nonprofit work across Texas and Missouri; as well as studying somatics at the Tamalpa Institute. Recently, their projects have varied from a ritual arts residency through Artists in Public Schools, working as an arts educator through CAPE and Chicago Poetry Center, co-curating Many Times at Yes Project Space in Chicago, and facilitating an on-going workshop titled Movement Philosophy–exploring how texts lives in the body. They believe poems are just feelings on display, a way to let the body vocalize the internal knowing. Talk to her about poetry, cats, somatics, astrology, or cartoons, and you’ve found a friend. @MadisonMaeParker // www.MadisonMaeParker.com

Exterum Inexact: Friday, October 30th, 6-9pm

6pm

Fixed-Price Grazing Reception
A grazing reception by Antique Taco is included with the evening ticket price.

6:45pm

Opening Invocation: A Dance for the Lost
A Dance for the Lost, an Active Investigations performance, serves as the ceremonial opening and closing of this year’s Festival of Holes, bringing experimental poetics, dance, and performance play into dialogue with artistic place histories. Mirrorglass, an ensemble convened when needed for Active Investigations performances that require additional Active Investigators, will perform. Created by Michael Workman in collaboration with Mirrorglass ensemble members Tina Wang, Ali Lorenz, McKenna Mahacek, and Amanda Saucedo, the performance asks how collective action and community care can confront social brutality and make space for voices that have been erased and rendered invisible.
View the full ensemble photos and bios.

7pm

Bridge Video Official Screening Selections:
Inhale Directed by Lagha Ghavam and Mohsen Pouryousefian, Runtime: 6:43
the archivist is dying Directed by Esme Laam, Runtime: 8:29
View the full film and video program for more information.

7:30pm

Comedy Program organized with HACC
A comedy section organized in partnership with HACC — Health Alliance for Chicago Comedians.
Standup comics: Jacob Crow, Jarrell Scott Barnes, Elizabeth Grossman & Kristi Durkin
Improv: Stir Friday Night!
View the full lineup with photos and bios.

8:30pm

Bridge Video Official Screening Selection:
Goin’ Down The Road Directed by Brian R Donnelly, Runtime: 4:11
View the full film and video program for more information.

8:35pm

Member Mixer with interactionist choreography by Mirrorglass ensemble members Tina Wang, Ali Lorenz, McKenna Mahacek, and Amanda Saucedo.
View the full ensemble photos and bios.

Bridge Video Official Screening Selection:
Ocean Screensaver Directed by Gia Abucejo, Runtime: 11:36
View the full film and video program for more information.

Official Website

More events on this date

Tags: Ahmed Ozsever, Ali Lorenz, Amanda Saucedo, Brian R Donnelly, Bridge Chicago, Chicago, David Sundry, Elizabeth Grossman, Esme Laam, Festival of Holes, Gia Abucejo, Jacob Crow, Jarrell ScottBarnes, Kristi Durkin, Lagha Ghavam, Lauren Iacoponi, Madison Parker, McKenna Mahacek, michael workman, Mohsen Pouryousefian, Naomi Elson, NATASHA MIJARES, Rebecca Griffith, SITE/less, Tina Wang