POWERHOUSE Residency

POWERHOUSE exists as a residency, a retreat space, a refuge for Black women/femmes & women/femmes of color who use words as a primary medium of artistic expression.

Mission

POWERHOUSE is a homeplace / safe space for Black women/ WOC writers who may also be artists, activists, creatives, free-thinkers, fugitives, makers, resters, resisters, & weirdos. we are committed to supporting Folx who need time & space outside New York City (and other urban centers) to rest, 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 twenty retreat/ residency spaces that cater specifically to Black/ POC/ Indigenous/ LQBTIA+ Folx. in New York State, there are less than five. POWERHOUSE represents one of the few creative residencies providing writers with a NO COST space to escape, dream, plan, plot & rest.

Overview

potential residents complete a simplified, no-fee application process(unless nominated by a collaborating sponsor). applicants are chosen based on merit & need.
residents need not be tethered to a specific work-related outcome or creation of new work. post residency, residents are asked to complete a short feedback form.
residencies will take place from Saturday to Saturday. transport to and from POWERHOUSE is provided to all selected residents.
funds permitting, residents will receive a $500 stipend to mitigate travel & supply costs.

Partnerships

SPRING/SUMMER 2024: through our partnership with the Ms. Foundation as recipients of their Girls of Color Initiative Grant, we were able to welcome five new residents. this $15,000 windfall, allowed us to provide each resident with a $500 stipend.
SPRING/SUMMER 2023: we were 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 pledged $10,000 to sponsor five POWERHOUSE residents. in honor of JustMedia’s mission, we invited Folx who had been impacted by the US criminal (in)justice system and/or mass incarceration.