A mural featuring musicians, instruments and vinyl records in front of a purple sky is the dominant feature of Evanston’s Boocoo, a cultural center at 1823 Church St.
Students, along with older patrons, trickle in as school lets out. Everyone sits at one of the many music-themed tables – each tabletop featuring a variety of CD covers from genres ranging from classic rock to soul to rap – and sets about doing whatever they have come to do. Boocoo, a not-for-profit facility, was founded in the summer of 2007 to provide students a place to do just that.
“The purpose was to bring a safe, creative outlet primarily for the youth in the Fifth Ward of Evanston,” Ted Sirota said.
Sirota, the artistic director at Boocoo, has been involved with the center since the initial planning began in September of 2006. He says that the café and cultural activities have become very popular with Evanston Township High School students.
“A lot of the youth have taken this place up and are here every day, ” said Sirota.
Claire Aichholzer is one of those students.
“I have Driver’s Ed., so I come here every day after school,” the ETHS sophomore said. Aichholzer said she and her friends use Boocoo as a place to eat and talk before walking to their class together.
In addition to providing a place for killing time and socializing, Boocoo offers classes in all musical disciplines and many forms of dance.
“We have private and group music lessons on just about every instrument,” said Sirota.
Boocoo also offers classes where students are given instruction and help in forming bands of different genres, such as hip-hop and heavy metal. Classes are also available for students interested in music production and dance styles like hip-hop, tap and aikido.
Bethany Cruz, an ETHS senior, started dancing after school at Boocoo in September and continues to use the facility frequently.
“We do performances and stuff,” she said. “(Other) people take drum lessons, tap dance lessons – there’s a studio.”
Despite all the activities and opportunities it offers, Sirota said Boocoo’s presence alone may be the most important service it offers to the community.
“The population is really underserved in the form of services and healthy places, physically and spiritually,” Sirota said.
Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) said Boocoo is having the desired effect.
“It’s a positive setting, it’s a positive place, they offer positive things, you cannot help but have a positive effect,” she said.
Sirota said he has made some difference just by purchasing the space “to prevent it from becoming something like a payday loans store or a Starbucks.”
Students are grateful for Boocoo’s brightly colored walls and warm lighting, which provides a stark contrast to the cold gray that is prevalent on fall afternoons.
“People feel more comfortable here than they would at one of the places over there,” said Aichholzer, pointing west down Church Street. “I’m sure every ETHS student has been here at least once.”
