ESS produces and presents 40-60 events per year. Most of ESS’s programs are special projects— discrete, site-specific projects presented at partner venues and locations throughout Chicago. Most of these programs are booked and programmed a minimum 6-12 months in advance. We do produce a few recurring series, listed below. We do not function as a typical venue, meaning that for the most part we do not present shows at ESS unless they are part of a larger initiative or an existing series. 

If you think ESS is the right partner for your project, we invite you to send a proposal to proposals@experimentalsoundstudio.org. Please include a short project description, if you see your project aligned with a particular existing stream of activity (this isn’t necessary, just helpful to know relevant), and the ESS resources that would come into play for your project (e.g., are you looking for a producer, a creative partner, a venue, technical support, access to ESS’s audience…). 

We read all new proposals at our monthly programming meetings and will reach out with any further questions. Due to limited staff capacity, we cannot respond to all proposals, but rest assured that if you receive the auto-reply, we have received your proposal and have read it! 

Current streams of programming include:

• Site-specific or large-scale projects
• OPTION series: an annual salon of 8 concerts over the summer featuring improvised music followed by an artist-led interview. Curated by Andrew Clinkman and Lily Finnegan. 
• Florasonic: multi-channel sound installation at Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room; usually two per year.
• Creative Audio Archive Programs: public programs affiliated with specific collections or materials in the Creative Audio Archive. The focus in 2025 will be on the Tatsu Aoki Fred Anderson Collection. 

Workshops: ESS currently supports two workshop series. Chicago Creative Machines a lecture-performance series featuring artists who use machine learning and ML-adjacent tools and techniques in their creative practice. The 2025 line-up is already confirmed. Patchbent Sessions is a meeting place and learning community for women, trans, and non-binary people interested in sound technology. We plan to hold 6-8 sessions in 2025, split between spring and fall. One focus of 2025 programming is electronic music production and studio upgrades—any additional workshops in the coming year will align with those themes.