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Focus on the Arts 2015

PROGRAMS

Focus on the Arts Schedule

2025 Schedule
April 1-4, 2025

Opening Night

Tuesday, April 1 at 7 PM

HPHS Auditorium

 

Student Workshops

Wednesday & Thursday, April 2 & 3

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Art Night

Thursday, April 3 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM

HPHS Cafeteria

 

Dance Night

Friday, April 4 at 7 PM

HPHS Auditorium​​

Community Programs

Not only does our community generously fund the majority of our programming, but they are also invited to our creative and engaging evening programs - Opening Night, Art Night and Dance Night. After nearly 60 years, Focus has become a renowned tradition for those who live here.

Focus on the Arts Opening Night

Opening Night

Focus on the Arts kicks off with a spectacular evening of music and theater featuring both professional and student artists.


This year's event is under development, more details to follow.
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Tickets required.

Focus on the Arts Art Night

Art Night

Join us for Art Night, featuring a diverse group of over 40 local professional artists and our HPHS Advanced Placement visual art students. Engage in community art-making and observe creative works in progress. This free, family-friendly event offers a unique hands-on opportunity to get creative for all ages.

Focus on the Arts Dance Night

Dance Night

Focus on the Arts Dance Night is not to be missed! See some of Chicago's premier dance companies perform together on the same bill. Our own HPHS Collage dance company will debut a piece created through a professional choreographer's artist residency.
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Past companies participating in Dance Night include:: Cerqua Rivera, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Giordano, Hubbard Street, Visceral Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted, Joffrey II, and more!


Tickets required.
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Focus on the Arts Architecture

ARCHITECTURE

Past Workshop Include: 

Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Green Architecture, Designing Schools, Walking Tours, Tiny Houses, and more!

Focus on the Arts Drama

DRAMA

Past Workshop Include: 

Accents & Dialogues, Improv, Voice Over, Storytelling, Stage Combat, Directing, Animation, Costume Design, Auditions, Commercials, and more!

Focus on the Arts Art Workshop

ART

Past Workshop Include: 

Mosaics, Screen Printing, Ceramics, Cartooning, Bonsai, Woodturning, Weaving, Origami, Puppetry, Photography, Graphic Novels, and more!

Focus on the Arts Media

MEDIA

Past Workshops Include:

Sports Media, Photography, Documentaries, Directing, Casting, Radio & TV, Social Media, Movies, Video Game Design, Journalism, News, and more!

Focus on the Arts Creative Writing

CREATIVE WRITING

Past Workshop Include: 

Poetry, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Podcasting, Screenwriting, Comedy Sketch Writing, Documentary Journalism, and more!

Focus on the Arts Music

MUSIC

Past Workshop Include: 

Jazz, Indo/African/Caribbean, Opera, Strings, Guitar, Cabaret, Conducting, A Capella, Percussion, Folk, Beat Making, DJ’ing, and more!

Focus on the Arts Dance

DANCE

Past Workshops Include:

Swing, Israeli, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Improv, Irish, Ballet, Salsa, Musical Theater, Aerial, Flamenco, and more!

Focus on the Arts Social Justice

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Past Workshop Include: 

Arts Activism, Dance as Resistance, Mental Health &Theater, Making a Movement, Anti-Semitism, Art for Social Justice, Music & Healing, and more!

Student Workshops

Students at Focus have the unique opportunity to take two days off of school and register for over 300 workshops, performances, and masterclasses across a wide variety of topics! Students work alongside professional artists learning not only their craft but also the qualities of those who pursue their dreams with a sense of purpose.

Past Events

Browse catalogs from past Focus on the Arts events to see the breadth and depth of our student workshops and community events. Watch this video to hear from one of HPHS’ most illustrious graduates, Rachel Brosnihan, on the impact Focus has had on her as a student and a visiting artist. 

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