ASU's 2018 Projecting All Voices Fellowship invites applications from underrepresented artists

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and ASU Gammage at Arizona State University invite artists and arts practitioners to apply for a part-time, benefits-eligible appointment with the Projecting All Voices Initiative.

The fellowship, which begins in the fall of 2018, is a nine-month, benefits-eligible academic position at ASU, designated for artists who desire additional support in terms of mentorship, research, professional development, networking, instructions and opportunities to present or cultivate projects.

The position is funded by a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Projecting All Voices (PAV), an initiative of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts supported by ASU Gammage, aims to support equity and inclusion in arts and design so that our nation’s cultural life honors and represents the full creative diversity of our country’s population. Faculty, students, fellows and guests of PAV research, design, prototype, implement and disseminate ideas and mechanisms for confronting field-level issues of equity in arts and culture. The initiative also supports artists and designers from underrepresented groups through scholarships, fellowships, mentorship and visiting artist residencies.

PAV provides opportunities for artists and designers to advance ideas and projects that investigate identity, cultural heritage, power, race, policy, ability and/or place and community. PAV also focuses on curricular change in arts and design colleges as well as civic and social practices in arts and design that create equitable communities. PAV seeks transformation in educational and cultural institutions to enable the full expression of all creative voices.

A program of PAV, the Mellon Fellowship supports underrepresented artists who are interested in exploring issues of equity in the arts, engaging with an educational institution, and participating in an intergenerational mentorship cohort. Fellows will work with communities underrepresented in higher education and art institutions as that work relates to their own interests and creative practices. They will also inform conversations about how educational and cultural institutions must adapt to prepare, support and advance the creative voices of a changing America through an equitable lens and framework of practice.

“For an artist in the program, the gift of PAV is one of time and space to focus on pushing your craft and the application of your craft to the next level,” said Chicago-based actor, director, writer and teaching artist Alejandro Tey, one of three 2017 Projecting All Voices Mellon fellows.

“This year, through the Projecting All Voices fellowship, I was able to develop a brand-new form and begin work on a project I had dreamed of for years, but was never able to start until this moment,” Tey said. “Also, the relationships with everyone I've met here at ASU, but especially the other fellows, have already begun to enrich my practice and have opened my mind to possibilities of performance I had never before considered.”

Projecting All Voices Mellon Fellows will be expected to:

• Engage in social/civic and/or community projects as an artist, lead organizer, participant or adviser seeking creative ways to build healthier and more equitable communities and institutions.
• Document practice (e.g., a scholarly article, public presentation, marketing or promotional materials). Mentorship will be provided for documentation.
• Contribute to our curriculum through opportunities to teach and guest lecture. Fellows may also be asked to contribute to ASU’s online education through the development of units of content related to their practice, ideas or projects.
• Mentor ASU student and community members from underrepresented backgrounds in the arts (may include teaching a university course or community workshop).
• Participate in conversations with faculty and students at ASU to address challenges around equity and inclusion and to contribute to ASU’s efforts to build a culture of honest and authentic exploration and reflection around culture, identity and social change.

The selection committee will comprise students, faculty, community members and national artists and arts professionals.

Application deadline: The application deadline is Feb. 28 or every two weeks thereafter until the positions are filled. All applications must be submitted electronically via https://apply.interfolio.com/4864 

Additional information about the Projecting All Voices Initiative can be found here.