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Activating Heritage 2026 | Panel Submission

Complete this form in order to propose a panel or workshop to the March 10th, 2026 Activating Heritage conference organized by the Chicago Cultural Alliance (CCA). Activating Heritage is the CCA's annual professional development conference for cultural heritage and non-profit professionals. Panel submissions will only be considered that include (either as a moderator or panelist) members from a Core Member or Partner Member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance. All panels and conference activities will be held on the UIC campus in the Student Center East building located at 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607.Please note that submitting your panel proposal does not guarantee acceptance into the conference. Due to limited space and schedule limitations, not all proposals or workshops can be admitted. Your submission will be reviewed by the conference committee and will receive a response by January 15th, 2026.**Note: All panel participants must register for conference. Link to conference registration: https://bit.ly/3IeaJ9l ----------- PROPOSAL GUIDELINES & RECOMMENDATIONSThis year we especially encourage submissions for panels or workshops that include one of the following elements:-Discuss how your activities responded to a challenge that you faced this year. This can be from any number of perspectives: marketing, operating, exhibit development, program development, fundraising.-Present what changes you plan to make in the future to ANTICIPATE a challenge or change. For example: if your programming schedule was built based around federal funding that is no longer available, how are you pivoting to respond to this? Are you exploring any new revenue streams? How has your program development or exhibit development been impacted by federal policy changes or public attitudes?*Please note that all panel or workshop proposals MUST include participation from at least one Core or Partner Member organization of the Chicago Cultural Alliance*.

Proposal Submission Deadline is Monday, January 5th, 2026 (11:59pm)

About Activating Heritage Conference

Activating Heritage is the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s annual professional development conference for cultural heritage and non-profit professionals. The conference connects our Core Members and other arts & culture workers from across the Chicago region with meaningful, hands-on, capacity-building experiences facilitated by a host of scholars and leaders in the field, through dynamic presentations, panels, and workshops. We enthusiastically encourage participation from members of the community as well. The conference will also be of interest to students (both undergraduate and graduate), historians, and anyone else interested in learning more about community engagements with culture. Follow the link below to for the main Activating Heritage 2026 site.

Learn More about the Activating Heritage Conference (Mar. 10, 2026)

https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/activating-heritage-2026/
Name (as it would appear in the conference program)(Required)
Please list your organizational affiliation as it would appear in the conference program.

Session Format
Click which session format best fits:

Do you plan to be a moderator or a panelist?

Check if you anticipate needing any of the following for your panel or workshop:
Who would most benefit from this session (ex. curators, marketing professionals, nonprofit administrators, community collections, etc)?
What do you expect attendees will take away or learn from this session?
Photography Consent
By submitting this proposal, you grant the Chicago Cultural Alliance and its partners permission to photograph your participation in the conference for documentation, educational, and promotional purposes if the session is accepted.