A documentary screening and participatory workshop with Paola Aguirre Serrano
Friday, September 19
Lunch 12:00pm | Film Screening 1:00pm | Workshop 2:00pm
Temple Hoyne Buell Hall
Plym Auditorium
Beyond Closure Homepage
Architecture Webpage
RSVP here
What happened after Chicago shuttered 50 public schools in 2013? Beyond Closure is a new documentary that revisits the largest mass school closure in U.S. history, exposing its entanglement with inequity, racism, and injustice. The film follows three schools—Emmet, Woods, and Overton—as they chart new paths toward community self-determination. Through the voices of community members leading their transformation, Beyond Closure reveals the struggles, setbacks, and hard-won victories of reclaiming these buildings for the future. Watch the trailer here!
Join us on Friday, September 19 for lunch and a screening of Beyond Closure by On The Reel Film and Borderless, followed by a discussion and workshop with creator and executive producer Paola Aguirre Serrano. Paola is a native of the US-Mexico border, urban designer, educator and partner at Borderless Studio, an architecture and urban design practice based in Chicago and San Antonio. Borderless Studio is invested in spatial justice and equitable design through collaborative approaches. Paola also leads Creative Grounds, a special initiative focused on Chicago's closed public schools.
A complimentary lunch will be provided before the screening at 12:00pm. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 17 for lunch and attendance at the screening.