Define American Fellowship
The world is moved by stories and storytellers. Culture is changed by compelling narratives.
The Define American Fellowship supports artists and storytellers who happen to be immigrants who are working in narrative art forms. In 2022, we will select five fellows to participate in workshops and conversations around: defining and broadening their audiences, demystifying career paths and opportunities, and methods for building support for a creative practice both within their individual communities as well as in the larger national arts community.
Conversations and workshops may include:
- Telling your own story
- Building digital audience through an artist website and social media
- How to find and apply for arts grants and other funding
- Culture change in the worlds of entertainment media, journalism, and digital storytelling
- The role of an artist in intersectional and ethical storytelling
- Best practices for engaging community organizations in your creative practice
The Define American Fellowship is open to immigrant artists working in a lead creative role in narrative-oriented art forms (writing, filmmaking, visual storytelling, theater, illustration, podcasting, etc.) with some experience in their chosen medium.
Examples of experience level:
(These ranges are only to be used as reference and are NOT a requirement for application.)
- Filmmakers who have completed 2-3 short films
- Writers who have published 2-3 short-form pieces and/or 1-2 books
- Theatre makers who have written and/or directed 1-3 produced plays
- Illustrators/Cartoonists who have published 2-3 pieces
- Podcasters with an established show they consistently either produce and/or write for
- Digital storytellers with a consistent audience and content output
Fellows will receive:
- A $5,000 stipend
- Regular check-ins with Define American staff
- 6-8 professional development workshops and facilitated conversations
- Introductions to experienced artists and storytellers in their field
- An opportunity to apply for additional project-based funding
Application process:
- Read through the fellowship expectations and tips for applying
- Complete the application form and upload portfolio
- 2022 application period: January 3 to February 4 at 11:59pm PST
- Finalists will be contacted by email to schedule a phone interview in March
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be at least 18 years old at time of application
- Must have been born outside of the U.S. and currently living in the U.S.
- Must be an Immigrant American, regardless of current immigration status – undocumented, DACAmented, naturalized citizens, green card holders, refugees, asylum seekers, etc.
- Cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program during the length of this fellowship (May-November 2022)
If you have technical questions about the application form, please reach out to SurveyMonkey directly through their help portal. For specific questions regarding the fellowship, please email [email protected]
The Define American Creative Fellowship is made possible through a grant from the Kresge Foundation with additional support from WarnerMedia and CAA Foundation.
