creative co-working space for black artists launching in brooklyn!

When you think of Brooklyn, you probably also think of arts, culture and gentrification. The latter, obviously, is an impediment to the former, but not if Iman Essiet can help it.

On Wednesday November 1, 2017, the organizer launched House Fire, a three month cultural and community artist residency focusing on economic development and sustainability in East New York, Brooklyn.

“There is no doubt that it is the artistic and cultural scene that drives people to Brooklyn everyday. With that being said, you would think that such a city that thrives off of the benefits of these very artists and creatives on a daily basis would give provision to the fundamental needs of these very people, however, that is not the case,” Essiet explained. “Meeting these needs are vital for the development of a community beneficial to a global society. Although this project may not be able to fund housing we, united as one, can still empower NYCs starving artists by shedding light on their social issues and developing a safe and sustainable creative space for their development.”

House Fire will provide co-working space for artists to concentrate on economic development and sustainability in the community. Funded by the East New York Restoration Local Development Corporation, the project will provide a free / low cost creative incubator space for artists to develop their craft, workshops on jobs in the arts, resources for artists, grant writing workshops, and workshops on business development.

You can learn more about House Fire here!