Premiere reading set for August 15 on LPAC’s mainstage. Bechdel Project will launch a new partnership with LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) on August 15 with an in-house reading of INVISI(BILITY) by Nikki Brake-Sillá, directed by Lori Parquet (Suffs). The collaboration will provide crucial support for Bechdel Project artists and programs, including ADA-accessible rehearsal space through its Free Community Space Program. The new partnership will also extend to future events and initiatives, ensuring artists and activists doing mission-aligned work have free, accessible space for creation. Brake-Sillá’s INVISI(BILITY), developed through her ROO Residency, explores whether Blackness could legally qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The play follows Gabriela Johnson, a Black attorney with rheumatoid arthritis, as she argues for Blackness to be recognized as a protected disability—sparking a challenge from Marcus, a fellow Black Harvard Law gradu...

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...

We, Bechdel Project , as an arts organization committed to gender equity and guided by intersectional feminist principles, endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) call and affirm our support for and commitment to the growing international movement for Palestinian rights and for justice, equality, and freedom for all. Bechdel Project believes that stories don’t just reflect our culture - they shape our culture, challenge oppressive systems, and imagine a more just world. Through our work, we support feminist storytellers whose narratives illuminate lived experiences and expose the ways systemic oppression, particularly against women, is deeply entrenched in societies worldwide. Women, especially those from marginalized communities, disproportionately bear the burden of systemic violence, economic injustice, and state-sanctioned repression. From gender-based violence to economic disenfranchisement, from displacement to the suppression of ...

Welcome to "The Feminine Speaks," an up front, honest, personal, intelligent, and powerful discussion with two people living “the feminine” in life today. Inspiring others to share their story through the art of writing, poetry, and theatre performance. Hear how this passionate couple, Maria Aparo, and Jens Rasmussen, partners, parents, visionaries, movers, and shakers in the world of feminism walk their talk. Listen as Maria Aparo who describes herself as a queer feminist, multidisciplinary artist, producer, former sex worker, activist, wife and mother shares what life partnership can mean. Renowned for her groundbreaking projects that defy expectations, Maria fearlessly blurs the line between art and life while challenging societal norms. With a decade of experience in producing and theater management, Maria brings a wealth of expertise to Bechdel Project. For over 20 years, her partner Jens Rasmussen has thrived at the intersection of non-profit leadership and artistic inn...

Nikki will utilize the ROO Residency to delve into her thought-provoking new project, Invisi(bility). This powerful play confronts the complex intersection of race and disability in the United States. Invisi(bility) centers on Gabriela Johnson, a Black attorney with rheumatoid arthritis, who embarks on a legal battle to have Blackness recognized as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Through Gabriela's fight, the play compels audiences to critically examine the concept of a "post-racial" America and the enduring presence of racial prejudice within the legal and medical systems. A seasoned artist with a distinctive voice, Brake-Sillá is stunningly accomplished. She is the founder of DrAW (Dramatists At War) and has been commissioned by EST/Sloan, Elevate Theatre, RECPhilly, Revolution Shakespeare, and Philadelphia Women’s Theater. She has received funding from The MAP Fund, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, RECPhilly, The Puffin Foundation, Jody Fa...

  Maria brings a wealth of experience and a unique creative perspective to her new role. By: Chloe Rabinowitz  for Broadyway World Nov. 16, 2023 Bechdel Project a leading feminist arts incubator, has appointed of  Maria Aparo  as its Co-Creative Director. A distinguished multidisciplinary artist, producer, former sex worker, and activist, Maria brings a wealth of experience and a unique creative perspective to her new role A Fearless Trailblazer in the Arts Maria Aparo is no stranger to pushing boundaries. Her true passion lies in developing new works that question and subvert societal norms, while blurring the lines between art and life. Known for her audacious projects, including constructing a black box theater in the desert for  The Living Theater 's "No Place To Hide" at Burning Man, Maria's artistic journey has been marked by innovation. Her identity as a world-renowned "fetish queen," YouTube star and, sex worker's rights advocate, revolutionize...