2016 Creative Community Fellowships

Posted by National Arts Strategies on March 28, 2016

National Arts Strategies Seeks Applications for 2016 Creative Community Fellowships

National Arts Strategies is seeking applications for its 2016 Creative Community Fellowship program, which supports innovators committed to using arts and culture to design solutions for community problems.

Led by experts and leaders in social innovation, design thinking, and creative placemaking, fellows gain the tools, skills, and networks to activate ideas that will transform their communities. In 2016, twenty-five fellows will enter the program with an idea for a cultural project that responds to a problem in their communities.

The program brings entrepreneurs together for a week of learning and fostering connections. Each day, mentors, educators, and the NAS team lead workshops that help fellows think about how to move their projects forward. Participating entrepreneurs benefit from sharing ideas and experiences in a remote, retreat-like setting that encourages openness, collaboration, and connection. Following the networking week, fellows will have access to online tools, lessons, and discussion to help them further their projects. Fellows will come together six months later for a three-day feedback session, where they will have the opportunity to make their pitches to national funders who support creative placemaking initiatives.

All fellows will connect online as a single community, sharing monthly updates on their projects’ progress and providing feedback on others’ updates. They also will use the online space to share project pitches and get peer feedback. Following the feedback sessions, fellows will have the opportunity to create a crowdfunding campaign to support their projects.

Tuition, including room and board, will be completely underwritten for all fellows. Fellows are only responsible for their travel costs to in-person events.

To be eligible, applicants must be a cultural entrepreneur who is curious, open, and collaborative and dedicated to creating healthy neighborhoods in his or her community.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the NAS website.

DEADLINE: APRIL 24, 2016

http://www.artstrategies.org/programs/creative_community_fellows/about.php#box