ABOUT

The Laundromat Project is an arts organization that advances artists and neighbors as change agents in their own communities. We make art and culture in community while fostering leadership among our neighbors through our celebrated Create Change artist development programs, and our creative community-building initiatives across New York City.

CREATE CHANGE 2026

The Laundromat Project invites all NYC-based artists, activists, neighbors, designers, organizers, healers, storytellers, and cultural producers to apply for the 2026 Create Change program as we explore social practices through a community engagement lens. 

The 2026 Open Call marks a milestone: 20 years of community-rooted visioning and the launch of a new two-year residency. This moment invites us to reconsider how we understand time—not as linear, but as symmetrical, layered, and reciprocal.

The theme for this milestone year is Resonant Futures: Time as Echo, Memory, and Motion. Drawing inspiration from African diasporic temporalities, quantum physics, and oral tradition, throughout the program we will explore time as a relational field where memory, ritual, cosmology, and imagination converge. Fellows and Artists-in-Residence will be invited to investigate how their artistic practices engage with concepts of deep time, speculative time, and community memory.

OPEN CALL TIMELINE 

• Application Opens | November 10, 2025
• Application Closes | December 15, 2025
• Award Notification | February 2026

PROGRAM TRACKS

The Create Change 2026 Program has 3 opportunities:

• The Create Change Fellowship
• The Create Change Residency
• The Bed-Stuy Residency

Please review the details of each program track before beginning the application.  Overviews are provided below and in our Guidelines and FAQs documents. 

The Create Change Fellowship | March – September 2026

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 on working in community as a practice, cultural organizing, policy advocacy, and project planning. They work in small interdisciplinary groups, each paired with a community partner aligned with priority neighborhood concerns. Throughout the program, Fellows will:

• Engage in hands-on workshops;
• Co-develop responsive and reciprocal creative projects alongside community partners;
• Participate in public sharing moments, including Field Day 2026, where prototypes, activations, and research-in-progress will be shared with neighbors and broader publics. 

This is a process-forward program focused on providing transformative and supportive experiences, workshops, and mentorships that foster intentional community creation. Fellows are supported with a stipend of $1,500, production budget, and access to The Laundromat Project’s intergenerational alumni network of artists, organizers, and cultural workers. Fellows commit an average of 6–8 hours per month (approx. 50 hours total).  Up to 12 Fellows will be selected to participate in the 2026 program.

Ideal candidates have some experience with developing collaborative or community-based projects. They are in alignment with LP values and have the experience or capacity to contribute to a collaborative learning environment. 

The Create Change Residency | March 2026 - December 2027

The Create Change Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program supports the development of participatory and community-attuned creative projects by artists of color working within their communities. Projects may take place anywhere in the five boroughs, either in person or virtually, across various community sites, from laundromats and urban gardens to playgrounds and community centers. 

AiRs develop and execute detailed art projects that address relevant issues and engage the community. They participate in community events, lead workshops or public discussions, and collaborate with other artists and community members. The program includes workshop sessions alongside the Create Change Fellows, monthly cohort coaching sessions, and professional development mentorship.  AiRs will receive a total honorarium of $40,000 ($20,000 per year of the residency), a production budget of up to $20,000 ($10,000 per year of the residency), and access to in-depth resources, including specialized materials and advanced professional networks.

Starting in 2026, the AiR program operates on a 2-year cycle to deepen artistic practice, strengthen community relationships, and increase long-term neighborhood impact.

• Year 1: Focus on deepening practice in place, early-stage project development, and collaborative exploration through Open Studios. Includes individualized coaching, peer learning, and early planning for public work.
• Year 2: Focus on project implementation, leadership, and partnership engagement aligned with community priority areas (Climate Justice, Economic Justice, Health Equity, Displacement Prevention). Culminates in GATHER, an annual celebration featuring a conversation with and reflections from our 2026 Create Change Artists-in-Residence. 

Up to 4 Create Change Artists-in-Residence will be selected to participate in the 2026-2027 program.

Ideal candidates have experience with developing collaborative or community-based projects. They demonstrate an alignment with LP values, have a background in community organizing and outreach strategies, and are at a catalytic moment within their creative practices. 

The Create Change Bed-Stuy Residency | March 2026 - December 2027

The Create Change Bed-Stuy Residency program supports the development of participatory and community-attuned creative projects by artists of color who live, work, or are otherwise invested in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Projects may take place anywhere in Bed-Stuy, either in person or virtually, across various community sites, from laundromats and urban gardens to playgrounds and community centers. 

Bed-Stuy AiRs develop and execute detailed art projects that address relevant issues and engage the community. They participate in community events, lead workshops or public discussions, and collaborate with other artists and community members. The program includes workshop sessions alongside the Create Change Fellows, monthly cohort coaching sessions, and professional development mentorship.  AiRs will receive a total honorarium of $40,000 ($20,000 per year of the residency), a production budget of up to $20,000 ($10,000 per year of the residency), and access to in-depth resources, including specialized materials and advanced professional networks.

Starting in 2026, the Bed-Stuy AiR program operates on a 2-year cycle to deepen artistic practice, strengthen community relationships, and increase long-term neighborhood impact.

• Year 1: Focus on deepening practice in place, early-stage project development, and collaborative exploration through Open Studios. Includes individualized coaching, peer learning, and early planning for public work.
• Year 2: Focus on project implementation, leadership, and partnership engagement aligned with community priority areas (Climate Justice, Economic Justice, Health Equity, Displacement Prevention). Culminates in GATHER, an annual celebration featuring a conversation with and reflections from our 2026 Create Change Artists-in-Residence.

1 Bed-Stuy Artists-in-Residence will be selected to participate in the 2026-2027 program.

Ideal candidates have experience with developing collaborative or community-based projects. They demonstrate an alignment with LP values, have a background in community organizing and outreach strategies, and are at a catalytic moment within their creative practices. 

ELIGIBILITY

The Laundromat Project accepts applications from artists who: 

• Are 21 years or older;
• Live in one of the five NYC boroughs;
• Are not enrolled in a degree-seeking program;
• Are in alignment with The Laundromat Project’s values and POC-centered principles;
• Demonstrate a practice or deep interest in socially and community engaged art;
• Are familiar with the cultural history and local issues impacting communities of color;

We value applications with diverse backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and expertise, while encouraging age diversity, multilingual folks, and practitioners without formal arts education to apply. 

RESOURCES

Review the Guidelines and  FAQs documents before applying. 

Register here for one of our upcoming information sessions

• Brooklyn: Thursday, November 13, 6:00-7:00p
• Staten Island: Thursday, November 20, 6:00-7:00p
• Queens: Tuesday, December 2, 6:00-7:00p
• Manhattan: Wednesday, December 10, 6:00-7:00p

Schedule a 20 minute Office Hour session here for 1:1 support navigating the 2026 Create Change Open Call application between November 17 and December 8.