POWERHOUSE Residency

POWERHOUSE exists as a residency, a retreat space, a refuge for New York City based Black women/WOC and also Queer, Trans, & other Othered Folx.

Mission

POWERHOUSE is a homeplace / safe space for Black women/ WOC artists, activists, creatives, free-thinkers, fugitives, makers, resters, resisters, weirdos & writers. we are committed to supporting Folx who need time & space outside New York City to create, commune with nature, read, relax, reflect, restore, ruminate & rejuvenate. we believe that Folx are most powerful when they are unbothered & unencumbered by day-to-day stressors, chaotic environments, & oppressive systems. our mission is to provide a place to revive & reconnect with the creative power within.

Impact

in the United States, there are less than 15 retreat/ residency spaces that cater specifically to Black/ POC/ Indigenous/ LQBTIA+ Folx. in New York State, there are only three. POWERHOUSE intends to fill a void as the ONLY multi-genre creative residency providing artists with a NO COST space to escape, dream, plan, plot & rest. one week residencies will be awarded every month during spring, summer & fall for a total of 9 residencies per year.

Overview

potential residents will go through an application process(unless nominated by a collaborating sponsor). applicants will be chosen based on merit & need.
residents need not be tethered to a specific work-related outcome or creation of new work. post residency, residents will be asked to write an impact statement (500 words or less)
residencies will take place from Saturday to Saturday. transport to and from POWERHOUSE can be provided if necessary.

Partnerships

we are excited to announce a partnership with the Ms. Foundation as recipients of funding from their Girls of Color Initiative. this $15,000 grant will support five new residents in the spring & summer of 2024. through this generous funding, each resident will receive a $500 stipend as a part of their residency.
we are proud to partner with JustMedia, an organization dedicated to the abolition of mass incarceration by providing open access to their justice-based media archives.
in this collaboration, JustMedia has pledged $10,000 to sponsor five POWERHOUSE residents in the spring & summer of 2023. in honor of JustMedia’s mission, we’re seeking Folx who have been impacted by the US criminal (in)justice system and/or mass incarceration in some way.