2022 CatchLight Global Fellowship for Visual Storytellers
CatchLight believes in the power of visuals to inform, connect and transform communities. We are a hybrid nonprofit media organization borrowing from the practices of art, journalism, and social justice. We are a transformational force, urgently bringing resources and organizations together to nurture and grow a thriving visual ecosystem.
The CatchLight Global Fellowship serves as an incubator — a place for innovative leaders in the visual storytelling field to receive financial support, unlock individual potential, grow and leverage partnerships. The Fellowship cultivates a vibrant community of creative thought leaders whose work will be enhanced by collaboration, personal development, and networking.
We aim to bring resources and support to all types of visual storytelling leaders who will make a significant impact and care about the sustainability of the field.
For example, they can be:
- Organizational leaders working to further the visual storytelling ecosystem.
and/or
- Storytellers using visuals to spark new conversations, engage communities and are poised to be significantly amplified by collaboration, mentorship and networking.
and/or
- Educators supporting the next generation of visual storytellers through innovative approaches.
CatchLight seeks candidates who think through the long-term impact of current social issues and embrace the Fellowship as an opportunity to lead the field in creative and innovative ways.
Proposals must represent excellence in the visual field and innovative engagement ideas. We invite and encourage a broad diversity in applicants, ideas, and creative mediums.
In addition to the $30,000 financial award, the Fellowship offers personal development opportunities, impact strategy and networking support from CatchLight staff and our extended network. You join a community of like-minded Fellows and industry professionals with opportunities for mentorship, education and speaking engagements.
A CatchLight Global Fellowship is awarded for life. Fellows are encouraged to share expertise beyond the year of their Fellowship of the grant period, and CatchLight hopes that Fellows will offer mentorship and seek mentorship within the community throughout their lives.
Requirements
- Applicants will submit 20-25 still images or visuals, or 15 minutes or less of audio/motion or VR from a previous or a related piece of work. Images will be 72DPI, 1200 longest edge.
- Project statement summarizing the project. 100 words
- Project proposal outlining: 500 words
1. The work to be pursued in the course of a 12-month Fellowship, how it builds on past work, and the relevance of this Fellowship in furthering the impact and reach of the work. CatchLight may grant exceptions to the timeline where warranted.
2. Why this work exemplifies innovative distribution to engage audiences in new and different ways or why this work exemplifies impact on the visual storytelling field.
3. How this work demonstrates measurable social awareness and engagement.
- Distribution and/or engagement plan: 300 words
- Answer to the question: What would you hope to learn from the CatchLight Fellowship and/or network? 100 words
- Answer to the question: What would you contribute to the CatchLight network and visual storytelling field overall? 100 words
- Three (3) professional references with contact information (letters of recommendations not required).
- One (1) 60-90 second video describing your fellowship proposal and why it is important to you. We are not expecting great production values; webcam or mobile phone videos are encouraged.
- Personal contact information, portfolio links, CV.
- Adherence to the ethical standards as described.
- All applications must be submitted in English. Please indicate if you used a translation program for your proposal.
Application Open: Thursday, June 23 – Monday, July 18, 2022, 12:00AM PST
No Entry Fee
Award amount: $30,000
CatchLight Fellows Announced: October 4, 2022
Any questions can be addressed to Adriana García at adriana@catchlight.io
