Author | Winter Mendelson
I’ve been to the WITCHES parties at Tandem and Tutu’s in Bushwick multiple times, but who they were as an entity remained a mystery to me. Not even their sleek and appropriately witchy website satisfied my curiosity.
The truth is that one Tuesday evening at Tandem last year, I couldn’t help but notice that even though the crowd was pleasantly mixed, there was a substantial amount of queer females in attendance. Everyone was attractive, covered in tattoos, and wearing black. Perfect.
What made me even want to go to one of their parties when I knew nothing about them? The aesthetic. It makes sense why this party draws a queer crowd. The notion of the witch embodies the “other,” the outcast, the powerful woman, hollywoodization, oddities, etc. As a queer female I like being all of these things. Clearly I’m not alone.
Founded about one year ago by Anne Alexander and Christine Tran, WITCHES developed as a “think tank” focused on bringing Bushwick creatives together through both digital and physical mediums. The name, Anne explains, was originally just a humorous play on the 1980’s film, The Witches of Eastwick. While some members do practice form(s) of witchcraft, it is by no means a requirement. The Coven is open to people of all religions and backgrounds and is what they refer to as “exclusively inclusive.”
Not only do they host their monthly dance party, but they also collaborate with outside businesses. For example, they recently hooked up with Shops at the Loom and Gnostic Tattoo for a Tarot + Tattoo party. Further, you can join them for a viewing of American Horror Story’s The Coven every Wednesday at 10pm at the West Cafe in Williamsburg.
WITCHES has a slew of other exciting projects in the works. Currently they are working on a calendar that captures the Bushwick landscape through 12 different people in various artistic fields. Similarly, the Coven Magazine will be released in January or February of 2014 and will feature 13 creative individuals. And, finally, they are building a Coven iPhone App with the purpose of connecting creative individuals who are looking for inspiration and collaboration.
One of their main goals is to find a physical space to host events and exhibitions in Bushwick and ultimately become an international hub for likeminded people. They recently appointed a representative in Sydney, Australia to expand The Coven there and want to continue to do this all over the world.
If you haven’t been to a WITCHES event yet you have the chance to do so on Tuesday, October 29th, for their Halloween party at Tandem.
Make sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Tumblr to not miss out on what they’re up to.
