ARTSLINK INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS: GUIDELINES and APPLICATION

Letter of Inquiry and Artist Biography due January 16

The ArtsLink International Fellowship program prioritizes applicants whose social practices seek to actively engage communities on issues related to the current climate emergency and human rights. We will actively encourage artists and arts leaders whose work is making a vital contribution to furthering people’s awareness, understanding, and active participation in environmental and/or social justice issues. Additionally, we will prioritize artists recently displaced from or still working in Afghanistan and Ukraine. 

Please read these guidelines carefully.

How to apply

The application for the full Fellowship program is a three-part process.

 

Due January 16
Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and Artist Biography
A letter of inquiry is a brief presentation (400 words) of your interest in the Fellowship program, including the impact you see it having on your practice. Consider the question, “Why would you like to participate in the program now?” The LOI is used by CEC ArtsLink and external readers to determine whether to invite a full application. Those invited to submit a full application will be notified by February 4.

Due February 25
Full Application
Submit a full application using our online system. We will send you a link if you are invited to submit a full application.  

March 
Online Interviews

Finalists will be notified by
March 7, followed by online interviews during March with Fellows receiving notification by March 30.

Please note that an invitation for a full proposal does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

CEC ArtsLink welcomes applications from contemporary artists, curators, and arts leaders whose work is shaped by community engagement and social practice strategies, and informed by our most urgent local and global issues. We welcome applications from artists of any generation and invite those with both traditional and non-traditional artistic backgrounds. Applicants must be citizens of one of our network countries. If you are living outside the region, please indicate where you are currently based. Please note that an ability to communicate both verbally and in written English will be essential for success in the program.

Undergraduate students and research scholars are not eligible. Arts leaders/curators must be affiliated with an arts organization in the non-commercial sector or work as individual independent arts professionals. Artists seeking placement in commercial firms are ineligible. ArtsLink International Fellows from prior years are not eligible to reapply.

All ArtsLink International Fellowship applications will be evaluated by an independent review panel comprised of arts professionals based on the following criteria: 

  • Artistic or professional rigor of the applicant’s work 
  • Demonstration of experience and an active commitment to community engagement and dialogue
  • Potential for the applicant to interact with the host communities in the practice or development of their work
  • Benefit to the applicant, at this time in their career, from interaction with US artists, arts institutions, and the US host community
  • Applicant’s plans for sharing the benefits of the exchange with artists and institutions in their home country
  • Applicant’s ability to meet cross-cultural challenges successfully

Preference will be given to those applicants for whom this will be a first-time opportunity for in-depth research/creative work in the US. The program prioritizes applicants whose practices seek to actively engage communities on issues related to the current climate emergency and human rights.

Phase 1: ONLINE Research and networking
Fellows lead a 6-week online research and networking residency facilitated by their US host institution in March-April.

Phase 2:  IN PERSON Immersive residency
Fellows travel in early October to mid-November for six-week residencies with their US host organization to continue in person research or develop a specific project in partnership with local collaborators. In mid-November, all Fellows travel to New York City (or other appropriate US cities) to share their practices, experiences and to network with Fellows, CEC ArtsLink staff and other colleagues.

Phase 3 (Optional):  PROJECT in home country
Fellows expand collaboration with US organization(s) and individual artist(s) with  a follow-up project in their home country, with CEC ArtsLink as a co-producing partner.

Applicants who have been selected by the review panel are matched by CEC ArtsLink curators with arts organizations across the US that can provide a research residency experience appropriate to each candidate’s professional skills and goals. The candidate’s professional interests and contacts are carefully evaluated to ensure the best available opportunity for each ArtsLink International Fellow. While we take geographical and organizational preferences into consideration, Fellows should be prepared to fulfill their Fellowship in any of the fifty US states and US territories. In order to provide each group of Fellows with exposure to the geographic and cultural diversity of the US, we seek as broad a range of host sites as possible.

ArtsLink International Fellowships offer an initial honorarium to Fellows and US hosts to cover the research residency and support for the subsequent immersive residency in the US to cover visa and travel, food and lodging, health insurance, and up to 50% of production costs.

At the conclusion of the Fellowship, each Fellow must submit a feedback form that discusses the experience, research, and project activities and their impact on his or her professional development together with selected images and video documentation as appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must be citizens of one of the following countries and regions: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Palestine, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

Only individuals may apply to the ArtsLink International Fellowships program. Artists, arts leaders or curators working as a team may apply individually, but there is no guarantee that all members in the team will be accepted. 

Yes. Former Fellows are ineligible; however, former alternates are welcome to apply again.

Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of artists, presenters, and arts administrators from the United States and our network countries including people who have experience working in the eligible regions. The composition of the panel changes every year. The selection panel meets 8-10 weeks after the application deadline. Written material is sent to the panelists one month before the meeting. All work samples are reviewed during the two-day meeting. Applications are evaluated according to the review criteria in the guidelines.

You should answer each question fully but concisely. Please include at least a full paragraph for each answer. 

Generally, panelists spend three to five minutes reviewing each set of work samples. Since many applications must be reviewed over a short period of time, it is important to choose your work samples carefully. Video clips should be limited to the most relevant segments, and/or specific time cues should be provided in your work sample descriptions.

Please submit materials that represent your organization and your role within the organization well. Be sure to explain in your work sample sheet how you are connected to the publications or artistic samples you submit (i.e. designer of brochure, producer of event, manager of program).

Please let us know of any established connections you may have with US organizations. We will try to honor your preferences when making host selections. However, there are many factors involved in determining your placement, and we cannot guarantee a particular organization or city.

Fellows should expect to spend their Fellowship mostly in the city where their host organization is located. In some cases, host organizations will allocate funds for travel, but ArtsLink International Fellowship awards are modest and Fellows should not assume that travel to other cities will be covered. If Fellows choose to travel on their own, they will need to cover the cost of their expenses. The time they spend away from their host city should be limited and coordinated with the host organization. Please keep in mind, the US is a very large country and it can be costly and time consuming to travel between regions.

No. The residency is designed as a professional development experience and host organizations are not equipped to accommodate spouses and/or children.

To consult with CEC ArtsLink staff, please make initial contact by email info(at)cecartslink(dot)org

Eligible Countries

Applicants must be citizens of one of the following countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Palestine, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan