More than 3,000 teens attended last year’s event

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Park District and Donda House, Inc., today announced that auditions will be held for young adults wishing to perform in Mayor Emanuel’s Teens in the Park (T.I.P.) Fest on Saturday, July 9 at Northerly Island. Talented individuals between the ages of 14 - 20 (as of July 9, 2016) are invited to showcase their talent to earn a performance spot in the 2016 festival.

Mayor Emanuel’s Teens in the Park (T.I.P.) Fest is the largest platform for Chicago’s young artists to showcase their work, connect to resources and celebrate young talent in Chicago’s parks. Last year, more than 3,000 teens attended the T.I.P Festival, which featured Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, DLow and more.

This year, in addition to well-known artists, T.I.P. Fest will feature new, up and coming Chicago artists. Auditions to perform in the T.I.P. Fest will take place 11:30 am – 3 pm on the following dates and locations:

• February 27, Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St.
• March 5, Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72^nd St.
• March 12, Revere Park, 2509 W. Irving Park Rd.

Audition slots are limited, and are available on a first come-first serve basis. Pre-registration is available here. Pre-Registration does not guarantee an audition slot. Individuals will be contacted via e-mail to confirm an audition date and location, in the order in which their registration was received. Performers must arrive no later than 11:30 am and the event will end at 3:00 pm. Performers must be on time, present and available throughout the duration of the event in order to audition! Confirmation e-mails will be sent from DondasHouseInc@gmail.com.

Audition seekers should also remember the following:

1. Register online here or on-site on the day of audition. Failure to show up on time could result in losing your audition slot.
2. There will be a limited number of on-site registration opportunities, as well as a waitlist. Interested artists should arrive no earlier than 9:30 am, but no later than 11:30 a.m. to the respective audition location. Audition slots are granted on a first come, first served basis. Please pay attention to signage and be sure to line up in the “Performer” line.
3. Both individuals and groups must be physically present on-site, both at the time of registration AND when their audition number is called. There is a maximum of 10 performers per group. A total of 3 microphones will be provided — please plan accordingly.
4. Rap, hip-hop or poetry performances must use an original piece either acapella or with a track.
5. Music & lyrics must be CLEAN, meaning free of profanity.
6. Music must be available on a flash (USB) drive.
7. Backline will not be provided. Artists with instruments are responsible for transporting and setting up their own instruments. Drum sets are not allowed.
8. The entire audition performance must not exceed 2 minutes.

T.I.P. Fest is presented as part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Night Out in the Parks series in partnership with Chicago City of Learning (CCOL). Mayor Emanuel’s CCOL initiative is the largest coordinated summer learning effort in the country, enabling hundreds of thousands of young Chicagoans to continue learning while school is out.

The Chicago Park District is the 2014 Gold Medal Award winner, recognized for excellence in park and recreation management across the nation. For more information about the Chicago Park District, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312.742.PLAY or 312.747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312.742.PLAY.

Mayor's Office Official Press Release