About Well of Wills
A Well... a source of water, of life, a symbol of Desire, according to the Jewish mystics. The site of ancient miracles and prayer. Well of Wills is our ward against the fears, doubts, and stagnancy that can block us on our creative, spiritual paths. Within every human being is a Well of Wills. A fountain of divine desires. Grounded in this consciousness and the particulars of our lives, we ask: What can be emptied, released, made to flow, healed and/or transformed?
Well of Wills is a New York based community of practice in pursuit of collective liberation through the production of interdisciplinary art and research. Rooted in the traditions of Judaism and intersectional feminism, Well of Wills produces workshops, short films and performances showcased in galleries and stages around New York City. Their research draws upon ancestral wisdom, somatics, and hybrid non-fiction storytelling methods to investigate the power of women’s spiritual leadership in history and the present. Well of Wills cultivates nourishing and playful spaces for the creative expression of professional and novice makers alike and is committed to centering the voices of all who identify as women and non-binary.
Well of Wills’ work centers the female, non-binary, and trans experience, however we encourage people of all gender/identities to engage with our work and attend our programs.
meet the founders
Hannah Roodman
Filmmaker | Designer
For the past ten years Hannah has been directing and producing video, for the likes of Malala Fund, the UN, Alicia Keys Foundation, and the World Food Program. Hannah has presented her work internationally, at the TED Conference (2014) and the INK Conference (2014). Hannah has her MFA in the TransDisciplinary Design at Parsons School of Design.
Instagram @hroodman
Nessa Norich
Director | Writer | Choreographer | Performance Educator
Nessa Norich is an interdisciplinary artist who trained at the Lecoq school for physical theater in Paris. She has collaboratively created over a dozen original works of theater in NYC and Europe, at such notable venues as the Institute for Contemporary Art, The Battersea Arts Center, and the British Film Institute in London, the Edinburgh Fringe, Showbox Festival in Oslo, the New Orleans Fringe Festival, and Magic Futurebox and Joe’s Pub in New York City. Her work has received critical acclaim most notably in the Huffington Post and the NY Times and has been recognized with a 2016 NY Innovative Theater Award. Nessa has also taught Devised Theater, Free Movement and Writing to ages 8-80.
Instagram @nessoono
Meirav Ong
Artist | Art Director
Meirav Ong is a visual artist based in Ridgewood, NY. Ong received her BFA from the University of Michigan in 2012 and is expected to receive her MFA in Fibers from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2022. She has exhibited throughout the US, including The Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY and has received grants and merit scholarships to Vermont Studio Center, Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and most recently Chautauqua School of Art. Her art practice focuses on elevating voices and identities marginalized within patriarchal systems of religion. She uses textiles, clay, sound recordings and body-based performances to create sanctuaries for listening.