60+ events hosted at Experimental Station in 2026.
A collage of event photos with a short highlight about Ground Rules Movie Night.
Addressing the question ‘What are the ground rules for democratic participation?’ Experimental Station created the series Ground Rules to provide opportunities for the public to gather, share an experience, engage in conversation, and learn from one another. Since October 2025, Ground Rules has offered semi-monthly movie nights, game nights, and music and open mic events.
As part of the series, Experimental Station partnered with curators Arieon Whittsey and Olivia Remington at Common Threads, a Chicago-based queer POC-centered film screening initiative sharing a similar vision.
Arieon, a teacher and artist, and Olivia, who works in customer service and live music events, became friends after meeting in line for a flash tattoo deal. With a shared passion for storytelling, they started seeing movies together, finding that films gave them space to understand their ideas and lives in new ways.
They subsequently started Common Threads, with the mission to create accessible spaces for people to gather around films that tell stories. Chocolate Babies, Paris Is Burning, and Saving Face are some of the most popular movies screened that celebrate queer cinema and the many stories, histories, and communities within it.
A movie night in June, the highlight of the series so far, featured drag performances and a DJ set in celebration of Pride Month. “It made the evening feel like a special event and gave people another reason to come together to celebrate,” said Olivia.
The last movie night of 2026 will be a screening of short films from local filmmakers. As Olivia puts it, the night will “highlight marginalized voices in film and create space for stories that don't always get the spotlight they deserve.”
