At SOMOS: Centering Culture and Collective Power
Last month, our Executive Director Rasu Jilani joined partners, cultural leaders, and public officials at the 2025 SOMOS, Inc. Conference in Puerto Rico, organized by SOMOS, Inc. together with the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force of the New York State Legislature (PRHTF-NYS) and Assembly Member Karines Reyes. The convening brought together organizers, policymakers, artists, and advocates committed to justice, creativity, and community care.
BAC participated in conversations on cultural equity, creative economies, and the role of artists in shaping a more just future, representing the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Kollective (BACK) alongside 651 ARTS, BRIC, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Prospect Park Alliance, Recess Art, Ifetayo Cultural Arts, and Drive Change NYC.
Highlights included BACK’s reception and the Culture as Power panel, sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Emerita Torres, both affirming the importance of shared cultural leadership.
We’re deeply grateful to the SOMOS, Inc. organizers and our partners, and we’re energized to carry these insights forward as we continue strengthening support for artists and cultural workers across Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Arts and Culture Kollective (BACK) Culture as Power panel at SOMOS, Inc.
BAC Grantee Events
Katharine Pettit - Keeping People Connected: Pathway to Wellness through Movement: I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE...
Katharine Pettit is a 2025 BAC Grantee.
December 3 | 7pm | Brooklyn Community Pride Center - 1561 Bedford Ave, BK
KPC - Keeping People Connected is a multidisciplinary collective of Performing Artists who tell stories examining social injustices and stigmatized subject matter through dance, music, and conversation. KPC’s Pathway to Wellness through Movement: I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE... is an adjunct resource for people dealing with substance use and mental health disorders. "I could never love anyone as much as I love my sisters", a quote from LITTLE WOMEN, inspired KPC founder Katharine Pettit to draw from their lived experience and turn a personal coping mechanism into healing for everyone across the Recovery community. I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE... is a dance musical that centers a person with substance use disorder and their siblings as they face this family disorder together. KPC's workshops start with emotionally guided movement exercises inspiring physical expression, followed by the performance of I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE..., culminating in a talkback between artists and audience.
Das Besties: Das Rauschgift
Das Besties is a 2025 BAC Grantee. Poster by Eric Kostiuk Williams.
December 4 | 7:30pm | 17 Saratoga Ave Floor 2, BK
Das Rauschgift is a dance-theatre spectacle. The title comes from the German word meaning “dope”, “poison”, and “medicine”. The never-ending battle of trying to have a good time is warped within a prism of problems as Travis, Cosimo, and Arzu attempt to convince their friend Nina to hit the town and indulge (even though she’s content to raw-dog life). Along the way, the gang approaches an intersection of conflicting desires: Is it truly possible to release your inhibitions and not lose control? To follow the herd and still feel like an individual? A lava lamp of 1960s/70s variety shows, 2000s pop-culture, and baroque sensibilities, Das Rauschgift takes audiences on a joyride through the peaks and valleys of trying to belong. The production takes influence from queer nightlife, ballet, post-modern dance, and collage to create a group of characters who rise, fall, stretch, and coalesce in mundane and fantastical ways.
The Narcotix: Echoes of the Divine
The Narcotix is a 2025 BAC Grantee.
December 5 | First Unitarian Congregational Society - 119-121 Pierrepont St, BK
Echoes of the Divine is a ritual-inspired choral performance that explores the spiritual process of ego-dissolution, rebirth, and return to elemental essence. Led by a powerful ensemble of Brooklyn-based women musicians and composers—Esther Quansah, Becky Foinchas, Javen Lara, Alex Koi, and Naimah Kai—the work reinterprets selections from Dying, the debut album by The Narcotix, as a transcendent sound ceremony. With new choral arrangements by Esther Quansah, Becky Foinchas, Simon Hanes, and Jaren Feely, the performance blends experimental composition, folkloric influence, and meditative vocal textures to create an immersive experience rooted in spirituality, alchemy, and the healing potential of sound. Presented as the opening act for Night One of the Brooklyn Choir Project’s final concert, Echoes of the Divine invites audiences into an intimate, esoteric exploration of the mysteries of transformation.
Jian Yi: Cloud States
Jian Yi is a 2025 BAC Grantee.
December 11 &12 | Center for Performance Research - 1361 Manhattan Avenue BK
Cloud States is a new multi-disciplinary dance project / film screening / live art performance by Jian Yi.
Cloud States is a tender, visually-rich meditation on loss / love and self-identity, inviting audiences to reflect, feel, and rediscover what connects us across borders and experience.
Interwoven by choreography sculpted in immersive light atmospheres to create a sensory experience questioning the boundaries between dream / memory and reality – the work features a talented ensemble of trans-national performers in a powerful combination of video art, dance, autobiographical / personal storytelling and immersive lighting / FX. The work explores intersectional-migrant identities, the process of reconciling living in a new time and place with our ancestral connections and familial memories – and creates an awareness / new perception of personal-yearning for the fragile beauty and nostalgia of living in the present time. Set across neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, the work is a love letter to the city of immigrants and new beginnings.
Lucia Warck-Meister: ECHOES OF THE LAND
Lucia Warck-Meister is a 2025 BAC Grantee.
December 13 | Stand4 Gallery and Community Arts Center - 719 Fifth Ave Apt 8, BK
ECHOES OF THE LAND is inspired by Latin American folktales, particularly the legendary story of Anahí—a young Indigenous woman who resisted conquest and found transformation in the form of a Ceibo (Coral Tree). Through visual, performative, and community-based storytelling, Warck-Meister reimagines this ancestral narrative as a powerful symbol of resilience and of the enduring bond between humanity and nature, while also examining how folklore shapes Latine identity within a state of constant diaspora. ECHOES OF THE LAND affirms that our stories, like the land itself, hold the power to heal, transform, and unite us. In this exhibition, Lucia shares her stories alongside many others: felt collages created by participants in a recent workshop she led at Sunset Park Library, as well as contributions from visitors to Stand4 Gallery, who will engage in colorful yarn-braiding to further shape a collective experience.
Events, Workshops, & Professional Development
The Evolution of Addressing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic - A Community Conversation
December 2 | Brooklyn Community Pride Center - 1561 Bedford Avenue, BK
Join the NYCenter for Advancing Translational Research and Health, HIV/AIDS health advocates, professionals, and community members living with HIV/AIDS for an intergenerational discussion on the radical changes in the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
From the earliest days of fear and stigma to today’s advancements in long-acting treatment and prevention, our communities have led the way. Together, we’ll honor our past, address present challenges, and imagine a healthier future.
Be part of this powerful community dialogue commemorating World AIDS Awareness Month.
Weeksville Heritage Center: Lunch and Learn Financial Literacy Workshop - Improving Credit and Debt Management
December 3 | Virtual
Our final Lunch & Learn Financial Literacy Workshop of 2025 is here! Join us on Wednesday, December 3rd to discuss Improving Credit and Debt Management.
We’ll break down how credit works, explore strategies for boosting your score, and share practical steps to manage debt, leaving you with clear and approachable steps towards building your abundant financial future.
This workshop is presented in partnership with Chase Bank’s Community Manager for Crown Heights and Brownsville, dedicated to offering financial education and resources to increase the equity of economic opportunity.
Center for Communication & BRIC: 9th Annual Women + Media Career Summit
December 4 | BRIC House - 647 Fulton St, BK
Join us for inspiration, motivation, and connection at our 9th Annual Women + Media Career Summit. The Summit is designed to help students and recent graduates break into the business and be successful in their early careers through keynotes, panels, and skill workshops. You’ll hear wisdom and actionable advice from trailblazers across the industry and have the opportunity to network with representatives from leading media organizations.
IndieSpace: The Big Give
December 4 | Judson Memorial Church - 55 Washington Square S, NY
The Big Give is IndieSpace's annual event, celebrating indie theater where we award grants to indie theater companies, fiscally sponsored collectives/productions, and indie theater venues.
We have created this joyous event so you can reconnect and socialize with your fellow indie theater makers, celebrate and honor the amazing work, artistry, and love in the indie theater community, AND so we can distribute $1,000 Pay Your People grants! We really hope you can join us!
NAJEE OMAR’S POETIC THEATER: Little Black Book
December 5 & 6 | 10 Lafayette Ave, 4th Floor, BK
Little Black Book follows a recently out Brooklyn poet as he looks back on the lovers who shaped him, ultimately discovering the power of self-love. Inspired by real stories and personal experience, the play turns memories of heartbreak, intimacy, and desire into living theater through poetry, movement, and live DJ mixes.
The work builds on Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem tradition, using rhythm and lyricism to tell stories that are both deeply personal and widely resonant. Like for colored girls…, it brings the audience into a world where vulnerability becomes strength. Poet Essex Hemphill’s Ceremonies also inspires the play, grounding its exploration of Black gay love in tenderness, longing, and defiance.
At its core, Little Black Book asks: How do we learn to hold ourselves with the same tenderness we offer others? It is a bold, intimate celebration of Black queer love, resilience, and joy.
Powerhouse Arts: crafternoon - animation and storytelling
December 6 & 13 | 322 Third Ave, BK
This fall, Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn invites you to Crafternoons—a series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages. Each week, participants can roll up their sleeves for hands-on art-making projects inspired by our upcoming performance festival, Powerhouse: International.
From building whimsical landscapes to designing costumes, props, and characters, every session is a chance to play, imagine, and create together. Whether you’re a seasoned maker or just curious to try something new, Crafternoons offers a welcoming space to explore creativity, connect with the community, and contribute to a collaborative artwork that will come to life during the festival.
Gaymes & Gab: A Fundraiser for Immigrant Justice
December 7 | Starr Bar - 214 Starr St, BK
Gaymes & Gab is a board game fundraiser supporting Dignity Not Detention's Fund for Detained Community Members: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/envision-freedom-fund/dignity-not-detention-raising-funds-for-detained-community-members (Note that we are not affiliated with Dignity Not Detention; we are raising money for their fund autonomously.) We'll have a variety of games of varying difficulty levels that you're free to play. Bring your friends, bring your crushes, or come alone and make new ones ;) There will also be space to relax solo or chat with friends throughout the bar if you ever want a break from the games!
"We Never Imagined All the Cameras Would be Useless": Films from the Gaza Biennale
December 9 | e-flux Screening Room - 172 Classon Ave, BK
The Gaza Biennale and the Forbidden Museum of Al Risan Mountain, in collaboration with Recess and e-flux Screening Room, present films by Emad Badwan and Yahya Alsholy, filmmakers and artists working in Gaza today. The works of Badwan and Alsholy challenge the ubiquitous image of life in Gaza, fusing fact and fiction to capture the material and unconscious realities of a life distorted by genocide, pushing the medium to its limits.
The screening will be presented alongside a virtual Q&A with the filmmakers, moderated by Farah Barqawi and Omar Berrada.
These films are part of the New York Pavilion of the Gaza Biennale, on view at Recess through December 20, 2025.
Green-Wood Cemetery: Grieving and Weaving
December 12 | Modern Chapel - 500 25th St, BK
Stitching together creativity and community, this knitting and crocheting group is unique for one reason: it meets in a cemetery. Whether you’re an expert with yarn or just starting out, you are welcome to join us as we share stories, skills, and grief resources in the comfort of Green-Wood’s Modern Chapel. As we create together, we’ll talk about the significance of handmade items in both our personal and collective histories.
Dancing Crane Georgian Cultural Center: Art Exhibition Sale
December 20 | 302 Kings Highway 2F, BK
Dancing Crane is c elebrating a history of tradition and art from the country of Georgia, here in the heart of Brooklyn. Come shop the jewelry, textiles, and many other items at our art exhibition sale, happening this December at the Brooklyn studio.
Bundith Phunsombatlert: Transtrack
Bundith Phunsombatlert, 2024 BAC Grantee.
On View until December 21 | Transmitter - 1329 Willoughby Avenue, 2A, BK
Transmitter proudly presents Transtrack, a new multimedia installation by artist Bundith Phunsombatlert. Building on Phunsombatlert’s community-centered practice and ongoing exploration of oral immigration histories gathered from local elders, the exhibition invites participants from diverse backgrounds to share memories of landscape and migration, fostering moments of cross-cultural connection. Transtrack transforms the idea of a train platform into a multisensory space where the voices of elderly immigrants recount life journeys, weaving an immersive landscape of sound and story.
Kujichagulia Kwanzaa Celebration
Chief Baba Neil Clarke is a Cultural Heritage Advisory Group (CHAG) Member
December 27 | St Philip's Episcopal Church (Martin Hall) - 265 Decatur St, BK
Join the Episcopal Church Women of St. Philip's as they present Kujichagulia Kwanzaa Celebration and Boxing Day Bash on Saturday, December 27, 2025, from 12 noon to 5 pm. Come dressed in your festive attire and celebrate the rhythm, resilience, and richness of our culture. There will be a special performance by Chief Baba Neil Clarke's Jazzy Holiday Party. Also, shop local by supporting community businesses - Vendors & Artisans.
Brooklyn Org Nonprofit Leader Salon
January 6 | Brooklyn Org's Office - 80 Hanson Pl, 5th Floor, BK
Leader Salons are gatherings designed for Executive Directors to foster deeper relationships across the nonprofit sector. These monthly sessions provide a welcoming space for nonprofit leaders to share insights, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections with peers.
In this session, join BKO in envisioning the year ahead for your organization, and crafting a vision board to take home!
Refreshments will be served.
NYFA: Public Art and Creative Placemaking: Activating Nontraditional Spaces
January 15, 2026 | Virtual
Interested in public art and creative placemaking? Perhaps you could envision your work in airports, subways, parks and/or cityscapes.
This online panel discussion (Free with RSVP!) will explore the possibilities for art in public and nontraditional spaces, drawing upon the perspective of both artists who have landed these commissions and public art managers who administer them.
In this session, we’ll cover:
Types of public art opportunities
Tips for applying to open calls and/or sharing your work for consideration
How these commissions are structured: budget, process, and timeline
An inside look as to how these projects come to fruition, from both the artists’ and managers’ perspectives
Brooklyn Org: Building Blocks - Forming A Nonprofit
January 20, 2026 | Brooklyn Org's Office - 80 Hanson Pl, 5th Floor, BK
Join us at BKO headquarters for a training led by Melissa Prober, an experienced attorney specializing in small businesses and nonprofits! In this training, participants will learn the complexities of running a new nonprofit or obtaining 501C3 status in compliance with current laws and regulations.
Light breakfast will be served.
Opportunities
2026 NYS Choreographers Initiative
Deadline: December 3
The NYS Choreographers Initiative (NYSCI) is a program of the NYS DanceForce in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). NYSCI is designed to help individual choreographers, in all genres, develop their choreographic skills by providing them with resources that are generally unavailable or unaffordable. These resources include a $2,500 stipend, a minimum of 20 hours of creative time with professional dancers, and the guidance of a mentor of their choice.
FAB NYC: Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellowship
Deadline: December 7
FAB’s Lower East Side (LES) Young Artists of Color Fellowship supports early career artists in exploring creative practices centered on community engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
The fellowship aims to help these artists build a peer network of mutual support, meet with experienced artists & producers of color to help shape strategies for furthering their work in the field, and participate in a culminating public showcase of original projects.
BAX’s FREE annual YouthWorks Festival!
Orientation: December 7
YouthWorks has been a cornerstone of BAX Education for over 30 years. Mirroring BAX’s professional artist residencies, YouthWorks young artists (ages 8-18) have the opportunity to develop their artistic voices and practices while receiving artistic mentorship over a 6-8 week rehearsal period in BAX’s studios.
Come to our Orientation for Young Artists, Families & Volunteer Artist Coaches!
Orientation & Info Session: Sunday, December 7, 2025
Coaches: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Artists & Families: 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Location: BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange, 421 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Studio D
The Laundromat Project: Create Change Fellowship
Deadline: December 15
The Create Change Fellowship is a six-month incubator for multiracial artists and cultural producers committed to art for social transformation. The program is grounded in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, though Fellows are not required to live there. Fellows receive training in community arts practices, cultural organizing, policy advocacy, and project planning. They work in small interdisciplinary groups, each paired with a community partner aligned with priority neighborhood concerns.
Rattlestick Theater: Van Lier New Voices Fellowship
Deadline: December 23
This program provides substantial support to two playwrights of color under 30 annually, including a $35,000 living stipend, a $5,000 artistic fund, mentorship with a chosen mentor playwright, workshops and readings of new work, as well as participation in Rattlestick's larger artistic network. The Van Lier New Voices Fellowship is funded by The New York Community Trust and the Jerome Foundation.
Artists & Mothers Grant
Deadline: January 2, 2026
Artists & Mothers is committed to supporting artists who identify as mothers at an inflection point in their careers. Eligible to New York City-based artists with children under the age of three, awardees will receive a grant for $25,000 to be used for childcare expenses with the provider of their choice.
Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to their practice and must have an exhibition history. We invite artists within the field of contemporary art to apply, which can include painting, sculpture, installation, new media, performance art, and socially-engaged forms.
NYSCA: FY27 Capital Opportunity
Deadline: January 13, 2026
Attention NYS arts and culture nonprofits! The FY 2026 Capital Projects Fund application is now open!
Eligible organizations must prequalify to do business with NYS before they can compete for grants with any NYS agency. NYSCA recommends starting the process as soon as possible.
BAX: EmergeNYC
Deadline: January 15, 2026
This is the flagship program that has been the heart and soul of Emerge since 2008. Designed and led by george emilio sánchez, this program is open to artists in the New York City area, and is comprised of weekly workshops facilitated by george, as well as workshops by guest artists who are leaders in the field of performance and politics. With a decolonial lens, we explore the intersection of art and activism through creative writing, autobiographical narratives, group work, and other multi-disciplinary adventures—all while creating and re-creating a space in which all participants build community with one another, actively listen with their bodies, and build intentional trust to lay a foundation where compassion and risk-taking guide our work together.
Staten Island Arts: DCLA Art Fund Grants
Deadline: January 31, 2026
This grant category is for individual Staten Island artists and art collectives who produce art or cultural programming. All projects must include a public component or simply a public sharing of work (for example, an exhibition/showing at a local venue).
All art and artistic cultural disciplines are considered, including music, dance, digital/new media, film/video/animation, folk arts, humanities and cultural studies, interdisciplinary events/festivals, literature, public art, theatre, and performing and visual arts. No conduit or 501(c)3 is required.
Each grant cycle, under-resourced disciplines are identified and then prioritized in the panel process.
Under-resourced disciplines for 2025 are: Folk Arts, Classical Music/Opera, Photography
NYLAAT: 2026 Residency Program
Deadline: February 15, 2026
The New York Latin American Art Triennial (NYLAAT) Artist Residency Program is process-based, with the expectation or promise of a final exhibition of the work. The program provides artists, designers and creative thinkers time, space and a supportive community in which to develop ideas and focus on their artistic direction. In addition to our time-honored studio residencies, a variety of innovative professional immersion program provide opportunities for artists to explore new areas of social and technological practice and engage critically within their field. A unique combination of creative and professional resources provides a rich environment for growth and opportunity in the current, vibrant art scene.
Dance Workforce Resilience Fund
Deadline: Rolling until March 6, 2026
Made possible by the support of the Ford Foundation, New York Community Trust, and other generous funders, the pilot iteration of the Dance Workforce Resilience (DWR) Fund directly supports individual freelance dancers through one-time $1,000 grants. Awards are determined through a weighted lottery system that prioritizes the most underpaid and unprotected groups of dance workers. It will distribute $324,000 over the course of the grant period to 320+ awardees for contracted dance work completed between January 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026.
Resources
FAB NYC: Space @ 70: Subsidized Rehearsal Rentals for Independent Artists
Through FAB’s Space @ 70 program, independent artists can book rehearsal hours in two studios at 70 E 4th St: DTA Theater as Studio and DTA Second Floor Studio from Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm at the subsidized rate of $10/hour.
Bushwick Ayuda Mutua (BAM)
A network of Bushwick neighbors supporting neighbors. We offer food assistance and access to essential items like menstrual products, soap, baby and adult diapers, and baby food. We make referrals to organizations we trust can support you in legal support, housing assistance, medical assistance, and more.
What We're Reading
“Met Museum Workers Push to Unionize”
by Rhea Nayyar | Hyperallergic
“How an Air Purifier Can Make Your Art Event Safer”
by Rhea Nayyar | Hyperallergic
“Alice Wong, disability justice advocate and author, dies at 51”
by Sara Luterman | The 19th
“Parents incarcerated on Rikers reunite with their children at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum”
by Kirstyn Brendlen | Brooklyn Paper
Cover Image: Evan Silver aka Tiresias, 2025 BAC Grantee. Photo: Rachel Slakter
Empowering Artists. Empowering Communities.
The arts are a lifeline to sustain wonder, inspiration, healing, and a sense of community in our lives. Please join Brooklyn Arts Council in our mission to empower Brooklyn artists and arts organizations that bring life and joy into our home borough.