Halcyon Announces First Ever Halcyon Arts Lab Cohort of Fellows, Halcyon Incubator's Seventh Cohort of Fellows

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Halcyon, the newly launched nonprofit dedicated to the power of human creativity, today announces its new cohorts for the coveted Halcyon Arts Lab and Halcyon Incubator programs. Halcyon received an unprecedented number of applications across programs, and accepted eight ventures to the Arts Lab and nine ventures to Halcyon Incubator.

Halcyon Arts Lab: The newly launched Halcyon Arts Lab provides change-agent artists with the freedom and resources needed to drive cultural shifts by shining a light on some of societies most pressing issues. Adapting the well-honed methodology of the Halcyon model, Halcyon Arts Lab fosters self-efficacy for its artist fellows through an environment of learning, access, collaboration and support. Each cohort of fellows will have access to individual studios on the campus. Non D.C.-resident fellows will also be eligible for nine months of off-site residential accommodation. Fellows also receive a competitive scholarship to support living expenses and artistic material costs during the fellowship.

Halcyon Arts Lab's Inaugural Cohort is composed of:

Kristin Adair: A documentary photographer and multimedia storyteller advocating for incarcerated youth (http://www.kristinadair.com)

Chloe Bensahel: A design thinker highlighting immigrant narratives and collective cultures (http://www.chloebensahel.com)

Antonius Bui: A hand-cut paper and textile artist empowering queer and trans people of color (http://portfolios.mica.edu/AntoniusBui)

Hoesy Corona: A performative sculpture artist investigating alien tropes and combating xenophobia (http://hoesycorona.com/home.html)

Stephen Hayes: A sculpture and storyteller changing societal perceptions of black identity (http://www.stephenhayescreations.com/enter)

Estefaní Mercedes: A photographer seeking to restore missing violent histories, namely actions surrounding the Argentine Dirty War (https://www.visartscenter.org/more/event/estefani-mercedes-1000-yellow-dahlias/)

Georgia Saxelby: A creator of interactive installations designed to investigate feminine mythology rituals and sacred spaces (https://georgiasaxelby.com)

Sheldon Scott: A performance-based artist reimaging and reframing American childhood pedagogy (http://sheldonscottstudios.com)

"I am proud to welcome the first cohort of Halcyon Arts Lab to the Halcyon family," said Kate Goodall, CEO of Halcyon. "We are honored to help these artists shine a spotlight on some of the greatest truths and fears that we, as a society, struggle to confront and address. I look forward to seeing how each artist reaches their potential, and how their art helps to shape the larger cultural narratives that surround these critical issues."

Halcyon Incubator: Halcyon Incubator is a haven for social entrepreneurs who are driven to solve some of the most pressing challenges of the 21st-century that are affecting individuals and communities around the world. The 18-month fellowship mentors and supplies fellows with robust support from experts, alongside the resources needed to turn groundbreaking ideas into businesses that drive actionable and sustainable change. To date, Halcyon Incubator has supported 46 ventures and impacted 300,000+ lives. Halcyon Incubator ventures have collectively raised over $16M in funding in only 2.5 years.

Halcyon Incubator's Cohort Seven ventures include:

Barakat Bundle: A nonprofit that provides life-saving bundles (that double as portable cribs) to mothers and newborns in underserved communities of South Asia (http://barakatbundle.org)

KnoNap: A discrete, disposable device that detects selected dangerous chemicals within a beverage (www.knonap.com)

TRAXyL:  Bringing underserved areas affordable access to broadband with their technology FiberTRAX (http://traxyl.com)

Vibrating Therapeutic Apparel (VTA): VTA offers drug-free, wearable devices that use vibration therapy to help amputees and neuropathic pain sufferers manage pain (https://www.wearvta.com)

Onward Financial: Helping low-to-moderate income workers build their savings, access responsible credit, and engage with financial and educational resources to avoid and move past financial shocks (http://www.onward.financial)

Raheem.ai: A Facebook Messenger Chatbot that listens to stories about police interactions — and is building the first national database of police performance open to the public (http://raheem.ai)

VivaVax: Making healthcare more accessible by protecting vaccines from increased temperatures during transport and storage (http://biomedicalzone.ca/ventures/vivavax/)

Agri-Tech Producers (ATP): creators of a patent-pending invention that cost-effectively cleans contaminated land and water (http://www.agri-techproducers.com/)

Spira: using microalgae to address food insecurity and malnutrition through products that promote a nutritious and healthful life while absorbing carbon from the atmosphere (https://www.livespira.com)

"I am thrilled to welcome Cohort seven to Halcyon for an exciting program," said Ryan Ross, Program Director of Halcyon Incubator. "Together we will build the relationships necessary to generate the largest impact. It is my hope that the resources provided to this cohort will put their ventures on a path of sustainability and growth for years to come."

The inaugural cohort of Halcyon Arts Lab and cohort seven of Halcyon Incubator will begin on October 1^st, and August 28^th 2017 at Halcyon's Fillmore School and Halcyon House, respectively - both located in Washington D.C.

About Halcyon: Halcyon is devoted to the power of human creativity to promote social good. Halcyon brings together diverse groups of changemakers in art and social enterprise and provide a safe haven for their bold ideas to take flight. Halcyon offers an ecosystem of advocacy that encourages socially engaged creatives to learn, freely experiment, sometimes fail, and advance their talents and visions. In doing so, we foster new pathways to knowledge and resources, and help innovators transform their inspiration into impact.

To learn more about Halcyon, and the full list of programs and critical initiatives and work surrounding Halcyon, please visit halcyonhouse.org

SOURCE Halcyon

Related Links

http://halcyonhouse.org