A new pilot cohort offers free studio space to artists through a mutual aid–driven model, running April–June 2026. Read the full article in Broadway World! Bechdel Project is proud to announce the launch of its FIFE CoHo (Feminism is for Everybody Cooperative Cohort) Pilot Program, a new initiative designed to expand access to creative space while actively reimagining how artists are resourced and supported. Running from April 1 through June 30, 2026, this pilot marks a bold step away from traditional nonprofit frameworks and toward a solidarity economy model rooted in mutual aid, shared investment, and collective sustainability. Developed under the umbrella of Bechdel Project’s Community Space Program and made possible with support in part from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the FIFE CoHo offers a cohort-based structure that prioritizes both artistic freedom and community contribution. The FIFE CoHo Pilot Cohort includes 15 artists who each receive 72 hours of...

The ROO Residency, inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, is designed to remove the systemic and financial barriers that often sideline feminist writers. Bechdel Project , the feminist new play incubator, is proud to announce that acclaimed Broadway playwright Sandy Rustin has been selected as the 2026 ROO Resident . The announcement coincides with Women’s History Month and the anniversary of a watershed moment in feminist history: the 1970 Ladies’ Home Journal Sit-In . During her two-year residency, Rustin will develop a new farce centered on this radical act of defiance, bringing the high-stakes, 11-hour takeover of the magazine’s editorial offices to life for modern audiences. In March of 1970, a coalition of nearly 200 women from Media Women, New York Radical Feminists, the National Organization of Women (NOW), the Redstockings, and Barnard College Students staged a tactical occupation of the Ladies’ Home Journal offices. Protesters targeted the magazine becaus...

  Out of nearly 400 applicants from 23 states and 22 countries, comprising TONY and Emmy (and other) award winners as well as those new to playwriting - covering subjects from Cannibalism to Nude Dinner Parties, Drag Kings to Godhood, Birthwork to Assassinations, our 2026 ROO Applicants have it all!  We are thrilled to introduce the 2026 ROO semifinalists! Adina Aaron - Textiles Lindsay Bourne - Some Place You Don't Have to Take Your Body with You  Ella Rose Chary - The Wrong Question Jayne Deely - Legacy Steph Del Rosso - Damage Control Penelope Gould - Untitled Women's House of Detention Play Zoë Kim - Famished Megan Medley - I'm God Mamie Parris - The Circle Sandy Rustin - Ladies Home Journal Project M.D. Schaffer - Untitled White Woman Militia Play Kimberly Senior - The Reinvention of Annie Besant Melisa Tien - Antidotes to Patriarch - A Series of Theatrical Events Ania Upstill - Ella, Annie, and Stella - a Drag King Musical Liza Wyles - The Raft

Return of the ROO Residency This two-year residency offers a combination of financial investment, physical space, and curated mentorship. We are once again opening applications for its signature  Room of One's Own (ROO) Residency . Inspired by Virginia Woolf's seminal assertion that a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write, this residency is designed to provide exactly that. This two-year residency offers a combination of financial investment, physical space, and curated mentorship to empower feminist writers to develop bold, innovative work for stage or screen. "I am thrilled that we get to continue supporting the creation of innovative works, investing in emerging talents, and creating inclusive spaces for artistic expression through our ROO Residency program," says Maria Aparo, Co-Creative Director at Bechdel Project. "By providing platforms, resources, and support, we strive to nurture the voices that are often silenced through systemi...

How did we get so lucky (sarcasm) to be making art during the rise of fascism and the collapse of safety nets globally?! It's overwhelming. It's scary. It's very real. I won't spend much time on this newsletter telling you things that you're already doom scrolling, because that's not helpful. Our hope is to provide some relief, by simply sharing the tangible actions we at Bechdel Project (and within our own families) are doing to create/find support, build resilience, and fight for a better future. Join us in any or all of these, or heck, use it as inspiration to find your own ways through. Just be sure to share your action ideas with us too! In love and solidarity, Maria, Jens, & Lucy

  BECHDEL PROJECT RECEIVES $10,000 CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT FROM NYC DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS Public support will fund a minimum of 1500 hours of free studio space for the community, for rehearsals, film shoots, workshops, performances, presentations, and community gatherings. The “Coffee’s On Us,” third space pop up series offers amenities like WiFi, refreshments, and family-friendly facilities while also providing essential support with menstrual products, a food pantry, and library. All access is free. Bechdel Project has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the City of New York as part of a historic $59.3 million investment in the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. The grant will support Bechdel Project’s Free Community Space Program , including the launch of “Coffee’s On Us”, a new monthly pop-up designed to build community and reduce barriers to connection for artists and neighbors in North Brooklyn. “Coffee’s On Us” invi...