Women of Banglatown (WOB) is a neighborhood-based community arts organization that provides a supportive, culturally-sensitive space for arts and well-being programming for first generation and immigrant girls and young women (10-26 years of age) from the Banglatown neighborhood of Detroit and Hamtramck.
“WOB classes give me a chance to learn new forms of art, make new friends, and have fun right from my home. I feel comfortable sharing many things with them and asking questions because I know they won’t judge me. Everyone in WOB is also very kind.”
- WOB Member, 11
Weekly Programming
Self-led Activities,
Workshops & Events
Women of Banglatown offers free weekly art + well-being programming (virtual + in-person) and a monthly self-led activity kit for our members. Self-led kits and online workshops supplies are dropped off directly to our members homes. WOB also hosts in-person programming which includes art, nature and well-being workshops and events April - November. Our programming is facilitated by WOB members, women teaching artists and trauma informed facilitators.
Our community is always interested in exploring different forms of art, nature and wellness practices. If you are interested in being a potential teaching artists or wellness facilitator at WOB (virtual or in-person), we invite you to fill out the form here. Below are some of our previous workshops.
paper making
natural dyeing
Native Plant Identification
Block printing
YOga / Stretching
“When I taught my embroidery class I was able to see the potential and passion you can unleash by simply teaching something you enjoy doing. It’s an unexplainable feeling that you have to experience firsthand.”
– WOB member, age 19
2022
A Year in Review
74
Girls & Young Women
74 girls and young women from the Banglatown and Hamtramck neighborhood participated in our workshops and events in 2022. Our members are 10-26y, majority being 11-16y.
40
Workshops & events
This year we held both virtual and in-person programming for our community. Some workshops and events included: watercolor painting, a women’s wellness event, book making, garden design, seed art, mandala painting, embroidery and stamp making.
556
Art kits
Last year 556 art kits were distributed to our members homes for virtual programming and self-led activities. Supplies they received included paints, artist paper, calligraphy pens, stickers, seeds, drawing pencils, embroidery string, and flowers among so many more fun materials.
8
member led
WOB is dedicated to supporting youth-driven programming and leadership. 2022 was a big year of member led programming and events. Our members planned and facilitated our first in-person picnic at our home base, led an essential oil workshop and taught fellow members how to sign paint.
Inspired by last years workshops WOB launched a new leadership
initiative in 2023 — once a month there is at least one member led workshop or event.
Today Women of Banglatown has over 75 active members,
80% of members participate every month.
future
Women of Banglatown
Home Base
“a space by and for first generation and immigrant girls and young women to be unapologetically who they are and explore themselves through nature, art, entrepreneurship, and community.” - WOB members
In 2020, Women of Banglatown received a Kresge Innovation Project Planning Grant to consult our neighborhood on WOB’s future. We held five community listening sessions that reached 39 girls and women (10-55y). In 2021, we launched a community design initiative, facilitating seven design workshops to date.
Three main findings emerged: 1) while members appreciated shifting online due to COVID-19, they long to return to a safe, in-person space. 2) participating girls and women recognize that women’s only spaces are limited. 3) all participants want public multi-generational space for families in their neighborhood.
With additional support from Artspace, Grow Wayne County, Skillman Foundation and NeighborHUB, Women of Banglatown has been able to further plan and begin implementation on our future home base space located at 2960 Lawley St. Hamtramck, MI.
“Often times, connecting with others becomes hard due to many reasons. WOB has allowed me and many other people come out of their shells and meet new people. WOB host picnics and other gatherings where people can come
together and celebrate each other. Finding people who you can talk to and people who respect you and your identity is important to everyone and WOB’ social gatherings give us an opportunity to meet such people and connect with them.
”
