Leeway Foundation

Leeway Foundation Supporting women, trans*, & gender non-conforming artists at the intersection of art for social change

Applications are now open for the 2026 Art and Change Grant! Please note this year the ACG has increased to $5,000! Ther...
06/01/2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Art and Change Grant! Please note this year the ACG has increased to $5,000!

There have been some changes to the ACG overall this year so we encourage you to take time to review the guidelines, and SIGN UP for an information and applicant support session!

The Art and Change Grant (ACG) provides $5,000 grants to fund art for social change projects by women, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia.

📝 Sign up for Support: luma.com/leewayfoundation
💻 Learn more & review the guidelines: leeway.org/acg
🗓 Deadline: Monday, August 3, 2026 11:59pm

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/29/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Erlina Ortiz (WOO ‘26, ‘24; LTA ‘21; ACG ‘21, ‘20) has been accepted into a July 2026 writing residency in the Dominican Republic through the Dominican Writers Association, where she will continue developing the second installment of her Honey Bee Baby play trilogy. Set in a speculative future shaped by environmental collapse, colonization, and cultural erasure, the trilogy explores themes of conservation, assimilation, community, and cultural preservation through characters inspired by Dominican history and diaspora experience. The residency will provide dedicated time, workshops, and cultural immersion opportunities that will allow Erlina to deepen her work while reconnecting with her heritage and engaging with artists, activists, and community members on the island.

The WOO grant will support Erlina with the residency fee and airfare.

Learn more about Erlina here: leeway.org/grantees/erlina-ortiz

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/28/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Chela Ixcopal (WOO ‘26; AiR ‘25; ACG ‘23) has been selected for the Kathryn Pannepacker Fellowship at the Da Vinci Art Alliance, where they will lead a series of community-centered art workshops from May through September 2026 exploring nostalgia, memory, and collective healing. Designed primarily for BIPOC and immigrant participants who may feel excluded from traditional art spaces, the workshops will create welcoming environments for creative expression, emotional processing, and mutual support through the use of accessible and scavenged materials. The project uses art-making as a tool for healing and empowerment, while challenging barriers that often prevent underrepresented communities from participating in cultural institutions. Participants’ artwork and shared experiences will culminate in an interactive October exhibition that transforms the gallery into a “living room” time capsule centered on collective memory and belonging.

The WOO grant will support Chela with workshop supplies, exhibition materials, food for participants, as well as photographic and video documentation costs.

Learn more about Chela here: leeway.org/grantees/chela-ixcopal

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/21/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Stephanie Amma (WOO ‘26, ‘24, ‘22, ‘19, ‘17; ACG ‘24, ‘19, ‘17, ‘10, 08, ‘06) will support students in grades 2-5 at Julia Ward Howe School in presenting their African American History performance in May 2026, with culminating events on May 15th at Philippian Baptist Church and May 28th at the school’s Family Celebration Day. The performances will showcase West African and African Diaspora dance styles, live drumming, and storytelling, offering students an opportunity to embody and celebrate Black cultural history through movement and music.

The WOO grant will support Stephanie with professional documentation of the performances, as well as costumes, props, supplies, and compensation for accompanying drummers.

Learn more about Stephanie here: leeway.org/grantees/stephanie-amma-young

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/20/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Nicole Bindler (WOO ‘26, ‘25, ‘24; ACG ‘15) presented "Sand in My Soda Pop, Part 2" at Movement Research at the Judson Church in New York City on April 27, 2026, performed with Ella-Gabriel Mason, Katherine Desimine, and Kate Seethaler, with outside-eye support from Skye Hughes and Chelsea Thaler. This new work revisited and expanded a dance originally created in 2003 in response to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, now reimagined in the context of ongoing global violence and Nicole’s continued engagement with anti-war and Palestine solidarity movements. Blending dance-theater, Butoh-influenced physicality, clown, and political performance, the work juxtaposed imagery of American leisure and pop culture with sonic and embodied traces of war, grief, and dissociation.

The WOO grant supported Nicole with the cost of props and costumes, as well as transportation and food expenses.

Learn more about Nicole here: leeway.org/grantees/nicole-bindler

SPOTLIGHTS ARE BACK AT LEEWAY! 💖This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting writer, poet, and multidisciplinary artist ...
05/18/2026

SPOTLIGHTS ARE BACK AT LEEWAY! 💖

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting writer, poet, and multidisciplinary artist Mir Masud-Elias — whose work moves through migration, language, spirituality, climate, belonging, and the complicated truths of identity.

Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and shaped by Philadelphia, Mir reflects on living “in the in-between.” In her responses, she speaks powerfully about community that makes room for complexity, art as a practice of honesty rather than visibility alone, and the importance of creating work that remains loyal to the people who need it most.

From honoring ancestral histories and the women who created quietly before her, to exploring embodiment, migration, and ecological grief through poetry and installation, Mir reminds us that liberation is not about flattening ourselves into a single story — but becoming “free enough to be complicated.”

🔗 Read the full spotlight here: leeway.org/news/cultural-roots-migration-and-community-within-aapi-spaces-and-beyond-mir-elias

Today is the day! All Transformation Award Stage 1 applications are due by 11:59pm EST (we do not recommend waiting unti...
05/15/2026

Today is the day! All Transformation Award Stage 1 applications are due by 11:59pm EST (we do not recommend waiting until the last minute). Visit: leeway.org/lta.

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/14/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Kay Healy (WOO ‘26, ‘24, ‘18; ACG ‘08) was invited to attend the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy from April 15-19, 2026, where her debut graphic novel, "Casey’s Cases: The Mysterious New Girl," was named a 2026 BolognaRagazzi Award winner – an internationally recognized honor in children’s publishing. This opportunity allowed Kay to participate in the awards ceremony while engaging with global publishers, licensing agents, and fellow authors through workshops, panels, and networking events. Attending the fair supported the visibility and distribution of Kay’s work while deepening her development as a storyteller committed to fostering literacy, imagination, and empathy in children through inclusive and engaging narratives.

The WOO grant supported Kay with the cost of a 4-day pass to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, airfare, accommodation, and ground transportation.

Learn more about Kay here: leeway.org/grantees/kay-healy

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients...
05/13/2026

The Window of Opportunity (WOO) grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Judith Sachs (WOO ‘26, ‘25, ‘22, ‘17; ACG ‘15) will be presenting her program, "Date Night and Intimacy: Reconnecting Parkinson’s Couples and Dating Singles," at the World Parkinson Congress in Phoenix, AZ (May 23-27, 2026), a global gathering held every three years. Her work addresses the often overlooked emotional and relational impacts of Parkinson’s, offering creative, sensory-based approaches through movement, play, and guided interaction to help couples and individuals reconnect beyond the roles of “patient” and “carepartner.” At the Congress, Judith will share her research through a poster presentation, attend informative sessions, and build relationships with practitioners and community members interested in expanding her program. With a specific focus on reaching marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ couples and those underserved by traditional care models, she will grow the reach of her practice and foster new pathways for intimacy, communication, and connection within the Parkinson’s community.

The WOO grant will support Judith with the World Parkinson Congress registration fee, airfare, accommodation costs, and presentation materials.

Learn more about Judith here: leeway.org/grantees/judith-sachs

📢 Reminder that the Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) deadly is quickly approaching (NEXT FRIDAY)!The LTA provides unre...
05/07/2026

📢 Reminder that the Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) deadly is quickly approaching (NEXT FRIDAY)!

The LTA provides unrestricted annual awards of $15,000 to women, trans*, and gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work.

🚨 There is one FINAL opportunity to receive Applicant Support, virtually on Tuesday, May 12th with 45 minute time slots available from 10am-3pm. Sign up at: luma.com/52l0uypk

Learn more about the LTA and submit your application by Friday, May 15th at 11:59pm EST. Visit: leeway.org/lta

Address

1315 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
19107

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12155454078

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