BLACK ATLANTIC EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP
The Republic (Nigeria)
DEADLINE: August 3, 2025 at 5:00 pm Lagos Time
INFO: The Republic is pleased to announce the Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship, a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience.
This fellowship will support five early- to mid-career editors, writers, researchers and/or journalists based in the different regions of Africa—West, East, Southern, North and Central. Fellows will receive mentorship, stipend and editorial support to commission original writing, produce original written content and curate local conversations around the most urgent themes shaping the African experience.
Each fellow will propose a theme from one of The Republic’s eight focus areas—including Art x Culture, Science x Technology, and Politics x Security—and will be expected to develop a distinct editorial identity and perspective for their regional division. Over the course of six months, fellows are required to commission two original essays per month, produce one story of their own each month and host one public engagement event in their African city at the end of the fellowship term.
COMPENSATION: Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of $500, as well as editorial guidance, workshop access and structured feedback from The Republic’s editorial team. They will also participate in workshops, skill-building sessions and a final digital symposium to showcase their work and launch a growing pan-African editorial network.
GUIDELINES: This fellowship is open to editors, journalists, curators or other storytelling practitioners who are based in Africa and have at least three years of professional experience. The fellowship is remote, and reliable internet access is required.
Applicants must submit a three-page proposal outlining their editorial focus and plan for the fellowship; a CV; a 500-word statement of interest; two samples of published work; and the contact details for two professional referees.
Selected fellows will be notified by September 2025.
rpublc.com/dispatch/black-atlantic-editorial-fellowship
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call for pitches & submissions: Volume II - Issue III
The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal
DEADLINE: August 4, 2025
INFO: The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal is now accepting pitches and submissions for its third issue, centering Black food sovereignty and liberation. They want to hear from growers, stewards, students, teachers, city folks, country kin, disabled, working-class, formerly incarcerated, trans, cis, and gender-nonconforming storytellers and artists who identify within the Black diaspora.
They welcome essays, poetry, prose, art, visuals, playlists, multimedia pieces, research, case studies, and more.
COMPENSATION: Honorarium rates range from $350 to $750.
PITCH GUIDELINES: First, take note of what the journal has recently published. If your idea is similar, be sure to include how your idea would add to or differentiate from the existing story.
Next, we’ll ask you to complete a form that includes the following:
Tell us who you are: Convey why you are the best person to tell the story you’re pitching and how your personal or professional point of view will shape the piece. Artist statements and professional bios are also welcome.
Propose a few sample headlines: You’ll want to think about the “hook” of your work, something that both summarizes the piece and will compel the audience to engage with your work.
Write a summary of the work: Showcase perspective. What’s your angle? What’s the unique point of view that you’re bringing to this work? Is this an underreported topic that needs more visibility, and if so, why? Is it a fresh take on something we’ve heard about before? Why does it matter now? Be specific! If you have existing work in this area, let us know. If you have relationships to sources or research that will be needed for the piece to be completed, let us know. If the idea was inspired by another organization or work you’re doing elsewhere, share that, too.
Pitch or Submission: Select whether you are pitching an idea for a piece that doesn’t exist yet or are submitting a completed work.
EDITORIAL GUIDELINES: We consider work to publish within the categories of Land, Food, Freedom, and Culture.
I - LAND:
The foundation of our existence, the portal through which we access liberation, and the connective link between past, present, and future. Land is the source, the center, the portal, and the genesis of all we seek and aim to solve. We give deep gratitude and understand land as a vital organ and an essential member of our beloved community. From regenerative solutions that combat climate disasters to addressing food and stress-related health conditions, cooperative economies, seed saving, and plant medicine, pitches for this section should reflect personal, communal, or ancestral relationships with land, highlighting practices of care, cultivation, and restoration.
Examples of LAND pitches and submissions:
Visual art, photography, or installations centered on Black land stewardship, regenerative farming, and placemaking.
Essays, poetry, and prose that explore ancestral land connections, Indigenous African agricultural traditions, and reparations.
Film, music, and multimedia pieces that depict land-based spiritual practices, cooperative land ownership, or land dispossession and reclamation.
Research and case studies highlighting Black land trusts, sustainable farming practices, and agroecology.
II - FOOD:
Sustenance, memory, and resistance. Black food sovereignty asserts our right to define and control our food systems, reclaiming ancestral growing practices, crop selection, and cooking traditions. We seek work that highlights food as a site of cultural preservation, political struggle, and collective healing.
Examples of FOOD pitches and submissions:
Recipes with accompanying stories on Black food traditions, family legacies, or culinary resistance.
Poetry and essays examining food apartheid, the commodification of Black foodways, or radical food distribution models.
Visual art, photography, and design inspired by Black farming, cooking, and shared meals as acts of joy and defiance.
Oral histories from Black farmers, chefs, herbalists, and food workers resisting systemic inequities.
Research and case studies on Black-led food co-ops, community gardens, and self-determined food economies.
III - FREEDOM:
Self-determination. Movement building is essential for achieving self-determination. This section focuses on organizing, political education, futuring, and world-building—critical elements on the path toward Black liberation. From cooperative economics to abolitionist frameworks to decolonial imagination, freedom explores the strategies, lessons, and visionary thinking required to build systems that truly serve and sustain us. We invite work that challenges oppressive systems, envisions self-determined economies, and uplifts the legacies of Black resistance.
Examples of FREEDOM pitches and submissions:
Manifestos and essays exploring abolitionist futures, mutual aid, and cooperative economic models.
Poetry and prose rooted in Black radical thought, Afrofuturism, and speculative fiction.
Documentary photography and short films on social movements, protest art, and community-led organizing.
Music, spoken word, and performance pieces as expressions of resistance and reimagining.
Research and case studies on Black liberation movements, solidarity economies, and transformative justice.
IV - CULTURE:
Land, Food, and Freedom are all mediated through cultural practices and expressions. Culture is the vessel that carries our collective memory, creativity, and ways of being. It shapes how we relate to land, food, and freedom, holding the stories, languages, traditions, and spiritual practices that sustain us. Culture is where resistance, joy, and imagination meet—through music, art, oral traditions, movement, and everyday rituals. It is both a reflection of our past and a blueprint for our future.
Examples of CULTURE pitches and submissions:
Storytelling, poetry, and prose that celebrate Black cultural traditions, diasporic connections, and intergenerational wisdom.
Visual art, film, and music exploring themes of ritual, spirituality, and cultural preservation.
Essays and research on Black language, folklore, and the impact of colonialism on cultural expression.
Oral histories from elders, cultural workers, and artists committed to maintaining and evolving Black traditions.
Multimedia projects that document the intersections of culture, resistance, and futurism.
SUBMISSION SPECS:
For written work, please share via a Google Docs link. Please ensure submissions are no more than 2000 words.
For visual art, submit high-res images in jpeg or png format.
For multimedia, provide links to video, audio, or interactive pieces.
landfoodfreedom.com/contribute
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call for applications: writer in residence program
Wa Na Wari / Variable West
DEADLINE: August 6, 2025
INFO: Wa Na Wari and Variable West have partnered to create their inaugural writer in residence program in Seattle, WA.
Sited in a fifth-generation, Black-owned home, Wa Na Wari is an immersive community art project that reclaims Black cultural space and makes a statement about the importance of Black land ownership in gentrified communities. Their mission is to create space for Black ownership, possibility, and belonging through art, historic preservation, and connection. Referred to as a “container for Black joy,” Wa Na Wari incubates and amplifies Black art and belonging while providing a safe space for organizing and movement building. By renting a house from a vulnerable Black homeowner and giving that space back to the Black community, Wa Na Wari is an active model for how Black art and culture can combat gentrification and displacement.
ABOUT THE RESIDENCY:
True art criticism goes beyond surface-level description or regurgitating press releases. It puts art in context with the world around it and asks Why? How?
Inspired by T.J. Clark’s 2008 book The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing, this art writing residency will place two writers in deep engagement with Wa Na Wari over twelve months and produce twelve pieces of critical writing about the organization’s programming.
WHO: Two writers will be chosen by a panel of local art experts unaffiliated with the Wa Na Wari or Variable West.
WHAT: During six-month residencies, writers will each produce six 600–800-word pieces about Wa Na Wari’s programming to be published on Variable West. The writers may cover an exhibition, a single object, an event, or a contextual theme. The rate for each piece is $600.
WHY: The purpose of the residency is to provide an opportunity for deep looking and thinking about Wa Na Wari’s programming, as well as regular, well-paying assignments for local writers. The resulting writing will open conversations between art at Wa Na Wari and the public while harnessing Variable West’s reputation as a top source for superlative writing on West Coast art.
WHERE: Writers will commit to visiting Wa Na Wari at least twice per month.
HOW: Washington-based writers are encouraged to apply to our open call by end of day Wednesday, August 6, with three writing samples demonstrating their engagement with arts and culture. Final decisions will be made by the end of August. Writers from the African diaspora are strongly encouraged to apply.
variablewest.com/2025/07/18/inaugural-writer-in-residence-program-with-wa-na-wari-in-seattle/
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THE SARABANDE OPEN: FICTION / NONFICTION
Sarabande Books
DEADLINE: Extended to August 10, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $30
INFO: Each year during the month of July, Sarabande offers writers and translators the opportunity to get their manuscripts in front of our editors without the mediating factors of agents or judges. Providing direct access to writers is a core Sarabande value, rooted in our long-held belief that you, writers, know best what kind of work we're going to love.
We can’t wait to read your full-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, hybrid work, literary nonfiction, and literature in translation!
ELIGIBILITY
The Sarabande Open is open to manuscripts in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.
It is highly recommended that those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog. You can find some of our recent titles below.This submission period is open to manuscripts in English. We recommended all those who intend to submit a manuscript familiarize themselves with Sarabande’s catalog.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS — FICTION + NONFICTION
Submission form must include a cover letter with a brief author bio and acknowledgements of past publications.
Manuscript must be anonymous.
Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt.
Prose manuscripts should be between 150 and 250 standard, double-spaced pages.
Manuscript should be paginated consecutively with a table of contents.
sarabandebooks.submittable.com/submit
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Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship
The National Association of Black Storytellers / South Arts
DEADLINE: August 11, 2025 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: The National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) is proud to announce the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship to honor, celebrate, and support Black storytellers representing the Appalachian counties (as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission) of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina. This is a partnership between the National Association of Black Storytellers, Mid Atlantic Arts, and South Arts. The Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is administered by the National Association of Black Storytellers.
The NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is funded in part by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions Program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture initiative.
NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships will provide six (6) $5,000 awards (with limited restrictions) to support experienced practitioners and culture bearers with opportunities to examine, research, develop, perform, and/or document the Black Appalachian storytelling tradition. One fellowship will be awarded to represent each of the six eligible states.
Mid Atlantic Arts and South Arts Fellows will receive an additional $2000 to apply toward travel and lodging to the “In the Tradition…” 43rd Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park 267 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA, November 19-23 in Atlanta, GA.
Fellows will also receive a membership from September 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, to the National Association of Black Storytellers. Membership is non-transferable.
PROGRAM GOALS:
The 2025-2026 Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships follow the mission of the National Association of Black Storytellers to promote and perpetuate the art of Black storytelling—an art form which embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans. Black storytellers educate and entertain through the oral tradition, which depicts and documents the African American experience. A nationally organized body with individual, affiliate, and organizational memberships, NABS preserves and passes on the folklore, legends, myths, fables, and mores of Africans and their descendants and ancestors—"In the Tradition..."
Goals of the initiative are to preserve and advance the understanding of Black Appalachian storytelling that embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans and build bridges through intergenerational opportunities.
In the administration of this Fellowship, NABS will continue and extend the impact of Mid Atlantic Arts' and South Arts’ commitments to folk and traditional arts. Artists/Storytellers will explore the “transmission, understanding, and appreciation of folk and traditional arts currently practiced in Central Appalachia” by African Americans.
GUIDELINES:
Recipients must:
Be a resident, native or culture keeper of at least one of the counties designated within Mid Atlantic Arts' Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT) program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts and Culture Initiative.
Have the commitment and proven ability to sustain the traditions of Black storytelling.
Identify as an oral tradition culture bearer and reflect the story-sharing traditions of family and/or community.
Represent one of the counties designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or North Carolina.
Be engaged in ongoing work that collects, creates, and preserves Black life and lore in Appalachia.
May present an educational program/presentation of their choosing in their home community and/or a Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship state. Programs/presentations may be presented to a school, library, scout group, club, after-school program, community center, theater, senior groups, etc. The program should be presented in-person and completed by June 30, 2026. The program will be documented and archived.
Be able to attend the 43rd “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Atlanta, GA, November 19-23, 2025 at the Embassy Suites at Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA
Be able to attend the Award Ceremony on Thursday, November 20, 2025 at the “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference.
Mid Atlantic Awardees for the states of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, be able to attend the 44th “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Providence, RI in November, 2026. Travel stipend provided by Mid Atlantic Arts.
Must prepare for the possibility of presenting at the 44th “In the Tradition…” National Festival of Black Storytelling and Conference in Providence, RI, 2026. For the NABS presentation, recipients may choose to include in the presentation/performance stories, folklore, legends, songs, and poetry representative of Appalachian Black cultural traditions. They may include community and family artifacts, e.g. family bibles, cookbooks, quilts, scrapbooks, photos, or school yearbooks.
Be available to be interviewed by NABS staff during the award period. September 8, 2025 - June 30, 2026.
Be at least 21 years of age.
Provide a final report on the implementation of the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship Award in written or video format to the National Association of Black Storytellers by June 30, 2026. This report will be archived as a record of the fellowship's use and impact.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Applications can be completed and submitted either by the applicant (traditional artist) or on their behalf by a nominator (family or community member).
The components of the application are as follows:
Application Form
Work Samples
Support Materials (letters of support, news articles, fliers)
Proof of residency, birth or familial connection in eligible county
Professional Photo
Bio
REVIEW PROCESS:
Panelist Review: A panel of experts in the field, consisting of folklorists and traditional Black Appalachian Storytellers will conduct the review, evaluating each application by the following criteria:
Proven ability to sustain the Black Appalachian storytelling tradition: 30%
History of the applicant’s informal training or practice associated with their Appalachian cultural community: 30%
Impact of the applicant’s Appalachian work on their family/community and artistic tradition: 30%
Explanation of future practice: 10%
AWARD NOTIFICATION: Applicants will receive notification of their award status by September 8, 2025. Six artist fellowships will be awarded, one in each of the six eligible states. The 2025 awards of $5,000 per recipient are to be used between September 2025 and June 2026.
Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship recipients should note award money of $5,000 constitutes taxable income and must be filed as such.
TIMELINE:
Application Deadline: August 11, 2025
Panel Review: August 25, 2025
Official Fellow Notifications: September 8 2025 by Co-Founder Linda Goss
Public Announcement: September 9, 2025
Membership to National Association of Black Storytellers: September 2025 to December 31, 2026
Attend Black Appalachian Storytellers Award Ceremony at 42nd Annual National "In the Tradition..." Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Atlanta, November 19-23, 2025
Fellows Final Report Due: June 30, 2026
Possibly present at the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference in Providence, RI in November, 2026
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVV2VaQvfBjDKlviImsL3_cKkdwz3jhwAg1aS8Ny1An3v5_Q/viewform
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call for submissions: ‘Love Your Mother: Environmental Responsibility and Recovery’
Revolutionary Dreaming
DEADLINE: August 12, 2025
INFO: Revolutionary Dreaming is inviting all self-identified Black girl (ages 11-24) literary artists to submit poems, flash-fiction pieces (NOT to exceed 500 words), nonfictional short essays (NOT to exceed 1,000 words), short screenplays, and plays in alignment with the theme Love Your Mother: Environmental Responsibility and Recovery.
We're encouraging submissions to reflect on what Black girls feel the human responsibility to the Earth is, as they consider Mother Earth as a site of reconciliation, recovery, and purpose -- ultimately led to wherever their imagination transports them
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzZ2dkIxsP8g8Ue6H9iFiZjeHW2-eX0-8x26UbCYifUhR6fQ/viewform
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call for applications: Accent Fellowship Fall 2025
Accent Sisters (NYC)
DEADLINE: August 12, 2025
INFO: Accent Sisters is excited to offer a fellowship program for individuals passionate about literature, visual arts, and community engagement. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in both a bookstore and hybrid event space, where exhibitions, book launches, film screenings, educational programs, and other forms of public programming take place.
This work-study fellowship (3 days per week, for 4 months) is ideal for someone looking to build a career in cultural institutions, independent bookstores, or art galleries. Fellows will work closely with both the bookstore and gallery teams, gaining skills in book curation, exhibit planning, marketing, and community outreach, while developing a personal project that merges these two disciplines.
FALL 2025 FELLOWSHIP POSITIONS:
Communications & Publishing
Curation & Administration
Design & Media Asset Management
Digital Marketing & Operations
WHAT YOU WILL GET:
Opportunities to work closely with some of the best writers, artists, and creators;
A chance to pitch projects, events, and develop programs for a thriving and diverse community;
Be part of the most exciting happenings in New York’s art and cultural scene;
Free passes to attend all in-person events and classes held at Accent Sisters;
Fellow discounts to purchase products at Accent Sisters;
Towards the end of the fellowship, we will work with you to develop a special showcase of your personal project and/or your work at Accent Sisters.
One-on-one mentorship with Accent team;
A stipend of $600 dollars.
SCHEDULE:
In-person and hybrid (varies depending on area of focus) at Accent Sisters, New York
3 days/ week; August 25th-December.
accentaccent.com/FellowshipFall2025
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artist Residency
Spruceton Inn (West Kill, NY)
DEADLINE: August 14, 2025 by 11:59pm EST
INFO: Every August, Spruceton Inn accepts applications online from writers and 2D artists, about twenty of whom are awarded a no-cost, 5-night Artist Residency at the Inn in the fall. We don’t require that you produce anything in particular or show us your work when you're here. That said, one of favorite parts of this Residency is chatting with the Artists and learning more about what you all are up to!
We've had 121 artists stay with us over 11 seasons. We can’t wait to host more!
HOW TO APPLY:
Artist Residents will receive a no-cost, 5-night stay in one of our Kitchenette rooms in early November. (Stays are Tuesday to Sunday You will be able to request a preferred week once notified of your acceptance.) Plenty of time and space to get into a creative groove on your own, plenty of time and space to connect with other Artists too!
Please email artistresidency@sprucetoninn.com the following information:
Subject line: Artist Residency 2025
Your FULL NAME.
A less than 200 word answer to the question: WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO WORK ON AS AN ARTIST RESIDENT AT THE INN?
For writers: a less than 500 word WRITING SAMPLE PASTED IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.
For writers, please answer: Would you like to be considered for the Tracy Kennard Emerging Writer’s Award as well? Scroll down for more details on this.
For visual artists, A LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE(S) AND/OR A MAXIMUM OF THREE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THE EMAIL.
Additional requirements/details:
Writers and 2D visual artists only.
We do not accept collaborations.
Must be 21 + yrs old.
Sorry, no spouses or pets as roommates during the Residency.
The Inn does NOT provide meals or transportation and we do NOT have a restaurant on site. We highly recommend access to a car! We will put you in touch with your cohort so carpooling can be discussed if desired/feasible. See more about our remote location/transportation here.
WiFi is not strong at the Inn and can become quite slow depending on how many others are using it, so while you can totally send emails and texts, we don’t recommend having any important Zoom meetings/classes during your time. That said, if you absolutely need to, you can always let the other Artist Residents know (to clear the bandwidth) and give it a go with fingers crossed, or head out to a library/café with a stronger connection.
Residents are announced online here, via Instagram, and our mailing list mid-September.
WHAT’S THE TRACY KENNARD EMERGING WRITER’S AWARD?
In memory of our dear friend and talented writer Tracy Kennard, one Artist Resident will receive two personalized, one-on-one guidance/coaching sessions from Tracy’s writing teacher Joselin Linder. Feedback can be for a current working draft (submitted ahead of the Residency) or a piece of writing produced during the Residency. Sessions will be held remotely and within a 3 month period surrounding the residency. Please specify in your application if you’d like to be considered for this award.
Joselin Linder is the author of the memoir The Family Gene (Ecco/Harper Collins), and co-author of The Gamification Revolution (McGraw Hill), Game-Based Marketing (Wiley and Sons), and The Good Girl’s Guide to Living in Sin (Adams Media), The Stoned Family Robinson (Adams Media) and The Purity Test (St. Martin’s Press). Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, This American Life, NPR’s Morning Edition, StoryCollider, Life of the Law, and the New York Post. She is a faculty member at Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City.
This award is sponsored by Tracy’s husband Jamie Kennard.
sprucetoninn.com/artist-residency
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: 2025/2026 ISSUE
Harriet's House
DEADLINE: August 15, 2025
INFO: Harriet's House invites submissions from horror writers of the African diaspora for its 2025/2026 issue. Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an ode to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.
During Harriet’s lifetime, she hid in the crawl space of her grandmother’s house for seven years to escape a menacing slave owner who threatened to sell her children. For a long time, home was a precarious concept for Harriet. The magazine is an ode to her and the house she built for those who have followed in her literary footsteps. Send us your supernatural, haunting, and terrifying stories.
GUIDELINES: We are looking for short stories between 1,250-2,500 words. We are interested in but not limited to: gothic horror, speculative horror, supernatural horror, body horror, psychological drama and survival horror.
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Illustrated Children's Book Fellowship
Associates of the Boston Public Library
DEADLINE: August 15, 2025 at 11:59pm
INFO: The Associates of the Boston Public Library's Illustrated Children's Book Fellowship is intended to:
Makes a profound impact on the lives of emerging writers.
Provide an emerging writer of an illustrated book for children with the financial support and editorial assistance needed to complete one work for children ages 0 to 10.
Encourage the imagination of young readers, and in so doing draw attention to the importance of authors and the essential role they perform in nurturing developing minds and furthering our culture.
Promote awareness of the Associates of the Boston Public Library, as well as the Library and its resources, through the creation of an inspiring work for children that will live on after the fellowship ends.
FAQ:
What do fellowship recipients get?
$25,000 stipend.
Up to $2,500 of additional funding for coaching / editorial assistance.
Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections.
Opportunity to publicly present your manuscript at a fall reading.
What are the requirements?
A narrative or written work that creatively employs images to uniquely convey an original concept in book form.
Works that qualify can be any in the following categories:
Ages 0–2 (board books)
Ages 3–8 (picture books and early readers)
Ages 8–10 (chapter books/younger middle grade)
Eligible projects include fiction, non-fiction, memoir, or poetry. Graphic novels are not eligible.
Since this program is intended for emerging authors, applicants should not have already published any books for children.The fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens or green card holders living in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) at this time.
There is no requirement to work at the Boston Public Library, though the recipient will have the chance to attend events at the library with other writers.
Submissions will be judged on the merit of their ability to tell a compelling and original story or concept in which image and text have the potential to form an integrated and singular narrative. Particular attention will be given to works that convey memorable or unique characters, distinctive settings, and an emotionally compelling plot. All should be appropriate to the developmental age of the intended readership, and, ideally, will serve to inspire an illustrator’s creative interpretation.
As this is conceived as a fellowship for a writer, illustrations are not a requirement; however, emphasis will be given to how word and image interact. Although not required, writers may electronically submit rough sketches or a book dummy that suggests the flow of words, images, and page breaks. No AI may be used in the creation of these illustrations.
associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/illustrated-childrens-book-fellowship/
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Call for submissions: ‘Earth’ Issue
Oreades Press
DEADLINE: August 15, 2025
INFO: Oreades Press is beginning the first of three linked print publications that offer the reader a doorway connecting scientific thought and community action. Each of the three will focus on a different aspect of the planet. For this first open call we encourage writers to consider themes of earth.
Beyond any other element in this series, we understand that earth is a place of conflict as much as it is a site where we grow our food and medicine and make our home.
Earth encompasses a wide range of themes, from plants to soil profiles, fungal connections, and rock, and we are looking for experienced writers and scientists, farmers, or community leaders working with earth, including indigenous groups. We want to uplift voices from experts in their fields.
Please send us non-fiction essays, thought pieces, submitted articles, and short poems.
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poetry & prose contest
Lucky Jefferson
DEADLINE: August 17, 2025
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
INFO: Lucky Jefferson is excited to announce its second Poetry and Prose Summer contest!
Why are we doing this? We believe writers deserve opportunities like this (and so much more) and one core part of our mission includes being the difference. Many contests charge fees to enter or make writers and artists jump through hoops with no real return. We want to change that.
You'll have 2 months to submit any original and unpublished poetry and prose you want.
20 finalists will receive publication in Lucky Jefferson's digital 365 Collection.
Two finalists from that group (one poetry and one prose) will each receive $100, publication, and a swag box.
JUDGE: Ahmad Almallah is the judge for this contest. Learn more about him and our contest here.
GUIDELINES:
Send no more than 5 poems or prose pieces in a submission.
Keep it short and sweet. Share your name, email address, mailing address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max).
No work that has been previously published in print or online. Please no ai-generated work.
*We will not tolerate any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and perspectives including: racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, ableism.
luckyjefferson.com/poetry-prose-contest/
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Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize
Charleston Literary Festival
DEADLINE: August 25, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $25
INFO: The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize supports and nurtures emerging voices. From November 7 - 16, 2025, two selected writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry will have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of books, ideas, and conversation, hearing from over 50 nationally and internationally renowned authors and interlocutors.
Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize winners will receive full access to Charleston Literary Festival’s sessions and receptions, free accommodations in Downtown Charleston, networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the Festival, and a stipendiary of $7,500 to allow them to further their writing career as they see fit.
The Prize offers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with distinguished authors and leaders in their respective fields and learn about both the business of writing and the inner workings of an international literary festival.
Wayland H. Cato Jr. had a lifelong passion for reading and learning. At the age of 100, he continued his daily discipline of devouring books (and newspapers) stacked high by his chair. Even in his last days, Mr. Cato discussed what he was reading: physics, politics, agriculture, history, philosophy, and more. He enriched his and Mrs. Cato’s life with wider views and deeper understanding. The Catos came to believe that the world would be a better place if exceptional young writers were nurtured and encouraged.
Charleston Literary Festival is on a mission to bring diverse, national, and international authors and audiences together to experience the transformative power of great literature, ideas, and creativity. The CLF Cato Fellowship Prize reflects the importance of literature and the urgency to support it and foster the next generation of writers. The Prize exists to nurture and encourage exceptional emerging writers so that they may positively impact and transform the world around them.
PRIZE:
The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize will be awarded to two writers of fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry who demonstrate a commitment to bettering their craft and exhibit a love of writing and reading.
The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize will provide:
immersive access to all 35+ events and private receptions during Charleston Literary Festival, running November 7 - 16, 2025
accommodations in Downtown Charleston to stay and write for the 10-day duration of the Festival
a $7,500 stipendiary
a dedicated workspace in Dock Street Theatre
featured bio on the Charleston Literary Festival website and social media
a featured reading during Charleston Literary Festival
publication of the final piece in response to Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship experience on the Charleston Literary Festival website
networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the duration of the Festival
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
The Fellowship Prize is open to any fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry writer who is a current resident of North Carolina or South Carolina. Students enrolled in a college or university program in North Carolina or South Carolina are also eligible to apply. Applicants are required to be a U.S. citizen or resident with an active visa and at least 21 years old on November 7, 2025.
Applicants should be in the early stages of their writing careers, i.e. have not published more than one book-length work with a major or independent publisher. However, previous publication is not a requirement if they have demonstrated a commitment to developing their writing, whether fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, by providing evidence of, for example:
work published in a magazine, online or print
work published in an anthology
attendance at a creative writing course
an early stage of a manuscript
a draft book proposal
To apply, please visit https://charlestonliteraryfestival.slideroom.com/. The application asks for responses to three short answer questions and a work sample.
charlestonliteraryfestival.com/cato
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call for pitches: The black ordinary
The Black Ordinary
DEADLINE: August 30, 2025 by 11:59pm PT
INFO: The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches from artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to pitch ideas for writing topics relevant to the preservation of Black-American* histories and culture.
*How we define "Black-American": While the histories of the entire African diaspora are closely intertwined, The Black Ordinary's work is centered on the histories and cultures of direct descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade. Please be mindful about whether this experience mirrors your own.
For more information about The Black Ordinary's mission, vision, and pillars, click here.
The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches that fall within the following categories:
Poems (or a collection of poems)
Short Stories (750 word limit)
Archive and collection highlights, curated selection of digitized archive materials, archivists writing about Black-American archives (from organizations or projects that are not connected to large institutions, public libraries, or museums).
Interviews (transcribed, email exchange, audio, or video)
Essays and reviews of art exhibitions, performances, talks, screenings, conferences, public art, current ideas, artist books, or catalogs (750 word limit) - artwork discussed should reflect the thematic intentions of the zine (i.e. the artist's work should include or reference archival materials or familial archives and lineage).
Photo essays that 1) showcase a selection of your photography, 2) documents a specific segment of Black-American communities, or 3) document an event
We will also publish hybrids and experimental writing in any of the fields above.
All pitches should be by, for, and about Black-American communal history, Black-American cultural experiences, Black-American artists, the Black-American LGBTQIA+ community, and/or Black-Americans with disabilities. We recognize that many identities are intersectional/multi-racial. Please be thoughtful in deciding whether or not your lived experience aligns with the lived experience of the descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade.
***All contributors must be based in the U.S. and at least 18 years old***
PAYMENT:
The Black Ordinary is a grassroots platform. We are committed to upfront transparency and want to ensure that all contributors are paid fairly for their work. For this reason, only a select (to be determined) number of pitches will be accepted based on a pre-determined budget.
All contributors whose pitches are accepted will be granted a $250 stipend, to be paid at the time of publishing. All published contributions must adhere to a strict 750 word limit in order to stay within W.A.G.E.'s suggested stipend amount ($0.30 per word) for freelance writers.
Pitches are accepted based on the following criteria:
Relevance to The Black Ordinary's mission, vision and three pillars: art. archives. autonomy. — Does this contribution platform Black American (oral) histories, embodied cultural traditions, and multidisciplinary archival practices within Black-American spaces?
Creativity — Is the pitch unique in its approach to the topic and subject matter?
Editorial Theming and Curating — Does this pitch offer a perspective or thematic response to other pitches that may be selected?
At this time, The Black Ordinary is accepting original works only. Please do not submit pitches for contributions that have already been published elsewhere. (Self-publishing on sites like a personal blog or website is okay.)
To submit your pitch, please complete this form in its entirety.
If you have any additional questions, please email Kaitlyn B. Jones at conduitarts.llc@gmail.com.
theblackordinary.com/opportunities
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ESSENCE + STOREHOUSE VOICES BOOK CONTEST
Storehouse Voices / ESSENCE
DEADLINE: August 30, 2025 by 11:59pm EST
INFO: Storehouse Voices - the groundbreaking imprint from Crown Publishing Group and Penguin Random House - and ESSENCE invite you to share your story with the world.
THE PRIZE:
One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive:
A publishing contract up to $100,000
Support from the Storehouse editorial team
National visibility through ESSENCE + Storehouse Voices
JUDGING CRITERIA:
Your submission will be reviewed based on:
Editorial and Brand Fit
Originality and writing quality
Platform and audience alignment
Market potential
Voice, tone, and narrative structure
Winner Announced By: October 31, 2025
APPLICATION:
To streamline your application process, gather the following items before you begin. The application takes approximately 15 minutes to complete if all materials are ready.
Contact Information
Agent Representation (if applicable)
Social Media Information
Publishing and Platform Details
List of Speaking Engagements
Book Proposal Details
Information About You
Target Audience
Comparable Titles
Marketing Plan
Manuscript Materials Uploads (Required):
Chapter Overview (Word or PDF)
Sample Chapters (25-50 pages, Word or PDF)
Author Headshot (High-resolution JPEG or PNG)
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2025-2026 WRITER-IN-ResidencE Program
Collections of Transience
DEADLINE: August 31, 2025 at 11:59pm PST
INFO: When western countries have largely demanded that artists and creators of color continually commodify their identity to exist in creative spaces, we ask the question: what does it mean to not lay aside our identity, but to go beyond it, firmly rooted in who we are, to define a new creative space, voice, and art. Collections of Transience is a collective of creatives of color exploring what it means when identity is not seen as a limitation, but the root for a much more expansive vision of creation.
The COT Writers Residency Program is a year-long, fully online residency offered to writers aged 18-30, starting September 2025 and ending May 2026. As part of Collections of Transience, Writers in Residence are given resources to develop their creative skills and community.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The residency program will be a single, multi-genre cohort. The winter session will be devoted to poetry workshops, and the spring session will be devoted to fiction workshops.
MENTORS: This year's residency mentors are Chris Fong Chew (Poetry) and Grace Zhu (Fiction).
Writers in Residence will be receiving all of the following from COT:
A 1-year Writers Residency Program
A regular publishing platform for writers & artists which to publish to
Community of artists in which to engage in regular events with
A team invested in your growth and development
Access to all writing/creative workshops
Writers in Residence will be responsible for the following in COT:
Committing to the year-long Writers Residency Program
Attending bi-monthly workshops with your Residency Mentor*
Participate in resident features
Lead or participate in community workshops
Contributing to a program-wide Chapbook Project
Lead your own final capstone work to be presented to the whole cohort
QUALITIES WE LOOK FOR: A passion for creative exploration, an interest in uplifting and connecting to fellow creatives, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
COST: Free! This is the third year of our program, and we still plan to continue to offer it for no cost to our residents.
NOTIFICATION: You will be notified of application decisions by mid-September.
collectionsoftransience.org/residency-program
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call for submissions: POETRY + nonfiction
Yellow Arrow Publishing
DEADLINE: August 31, 2025
INFO: Yellow Arrow Publishing is excited to announce that submissions for our next issue of Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. X, No. 2 (fall 2025) are open August 1-31, exploring the aftermath and aftereffects of catalytic moments, forged from either small flash fires or conflagration. And in her introductory blog, guest editor Darah Schillinger (she/her) explained how moments of her life, even those painful, helped to shape the person she is today.
“Over the two and half decades of my life so far, I have become and unbecome, unveiled and recovered, so many parts of my identity that when I look at a picture of myself young (“straight, neurotypical, healthy”) I instead see a child that I haven’t spoken to in 20 years and wish well. As a writer, I have spent much of my adult life considering the aftermath of these catalysts, looking for meaning in them and the varied ways these moments have shaped my present and future. And while finding some kind of meaning, every now and then, I know, and am okay with the fact, that I will continue to discover new things about myself through these events.”
By working through the aftermaths of each moment, each event, Darah was able to discover more about who she is and who she wants to be. Darah is a writer based in Lexington Park, Maryland. Her poems have appeared in AVATAR Literary Magazine, Yellow Arrow Journal, Maryland Bards Poetry Review, Empyrean Magazine, Grub Street Magazine, and The Eunoia Review and on the Spillwords Press website. In October 2024, her poem, An elegy for the Pompeii woman the Internet wants to fuck, was named a finalist for the Montreal International Poetry Prize. Her first poetry chapbook, when the daffodils die, was released in July 2022 by Yellow Arrow Publishing. Her second collection, Still Warm, is a work in progress.
The second issue of volume X will reflect on this idea, our (collective/individual) experiences with the blazes, trials, and/or life events that shape both our present and imagined futures as we search for our path(s) forward. This issue’s theme is KAIROS
: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action
: an opportune and decisive moment
: in modern Greek, also ‘weather’ or ‘time’
: in ancient Greek, ‘the right or critical moment’
Here are some guiding questions about the topic and theme:
Consider the long-term effects of an event, feeling, or experience. How has it shaped you, your speaker, or your writing as a whole?
Has this impactful experience uncovered something positive?
What is the timeliness of your writing? What is it about now that makes you want to reflect?
When you write, what is it you are looking for? If you’re unsure, search for something.
Yellow Arrow Journal is looking for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art submissions by writers/artists who identify as women, on the theme of KAIROS. Submissions can be in any language as long as an English translation accompanies it. For more information regarding journal submission guidelines, please visit yellowarrowpublishing.com/submissions. Please read our guidelines carefully before submitting. To learn more about our editorial views and how important your voice is in your story, read about the journal. This issue will be released in November 2025.
The journal is just one of many ways that Yellow Arrow Publishing works to support and inspire women-identifying creatives through publication and access to the literary arts. Since its founding in 2016, Yellow Arrow has worked tirelessly to make an impact on the local and global community by advocating for writers who identify as women. Yellow Arrow proudly represents the voices of women from around the globe. Creating diversity in the literary world and providing a safe space is deeply important. Every writer has a story to tell, every story is worth telling.
yellowarrowpublishing.com/news/yaj-x-02-submissions-open-kairos
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2025 Yellow Arrow Writers-in-Residence Program
Yellow Arrow Publishing
DEADLINE: August 31, 2025
INFO: Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling. Since 2019, Yellow Arrow Publishing has been proud to offer a residency program that enables us to support, uplift, and amplify the voices of women-identifying writers residing in the Baltimore area.
The residency will take place for three months this fall, giving writers the opportunity to write in local Baltimore creative hubs, a gift card to use, a $200 stipend, and a one-year membership to the Yellow Arrow Collective.
All women-identifying writers in the Baltimore area are welcome to apply.
yellowarrowpublishing.com/writerinresidence-program
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storyknife writers retreat
Storyknife
DEADLINE: August 31, 2025
INFO: Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, screenplays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife provides female-identified writers with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.
Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks based on preference of the applicant. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. There are some travel scholarships available. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.
Residencies are available April through October.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must:
Be woman-identified
Be 21 years of age or older
Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team
You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).
How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)
What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)
What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)
Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?
Work Sample Requirements:
Work samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All work samples must be uploaded through Submittable.
Applicants can submit published or unpublished work samples.
All work samples must be combined into one PDF file.
A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit.
Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified. This is an anonymous process. Identifying material is your full name, last name, address, or publication credits. Do no include your last name, address, or publication credits in either the writing sample, the file name, or in headers/footers. This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions.
Diversity
Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating the voices of historically excluded communities. We value all aspects of diversity and seek to make each resident’s time at Storyknife as productive and pleasant as possible.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
It is prohibited to use any AI tools in any fashion to create/check/modify the answers to your application questions or your writing sample.
storyknifewritersretreat.submittable.com/submit
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FALL 2025 mentorship program: Girls Write Now Collaboratory Journeys
Girls Write Now
DEADLINE: August 31, 2025
INFO: Calling all storytellers! Applications are officially open for Fall 2025 Journeys in the Girls Write Now Collaboratory!
Are you 14-24 and ready to write your truth with support from a mentor?
Are you 25+ and passionate about guiding the next generation of creatives?
Join a powerful community where women and gender expansive writers come together to learn, create, and grow.
Each Journey in the Girls Write Now Collaboratory is a package of Writing Course Content, Mentorship, and Community Experiences. Our team of teachers, artists, and content experts has thoughtfully curated each Journey to be a dynamic, multifaceted experience. Journeys can be light touch or intensive, short or long-term, asynchronous or in real time.
JOURNEY CYCLES:
A Cycle is a three-month time period. You can sign up for one, two, or threeCycles to meet your schedule and goals.
Fall: November 1-January 31
Spring: March 1-May 31
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call for submissions: ‘Life with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses’
IHRAM Press
DEADLINE: September 1, 2025
INFO: Shining a light on life with disabilities and invisible illnesses, this edition raises awareness of the societal attitudes and injustices faced by the disabled community. It explores the impact on identity, memory, and sexuality while advocating for understanding and inclusivity.
We are eager to publish firsthand experiences by those living with a disability, reflections of the author’s personal experiences with societal justices towards illnesses, and the after-effects of discrimination on an author’s identity and sexuality. We encourage submissions from all over the world, regardless of gender or identity.
MAGAZINE THEMES: Disability awareness, invisible illnesses, societal attitudes, identity, memory, and sexuality, and the intersection of societal attitudes with an author’s lived experiences.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Before submitting, please review the following guidelines, including (1) IHRAM’s accepted media, required supplemental information, and quarterly magazine themes.
We are interested in reviewing and publishing the following for the 2025 quarterly magazine:
Poetry
Short stories (2500 words or less)
Essay (2500 words or less), or
Artwork*
*Accepted Visual Art includes: mixed media, acrylics, oil paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, sculptures, or any forms that fit our magazine themes.
Submission for artwork is unlimited. Please note, your published artwork might be presented in black-and-white and therefore should be suitable for “print”. We WILL NOT accept any AI-Generated art. Ensure your artwork is submitted as .JPG, .PDFs, or .PNGs.
Please submit your poetry, short story, essay, or artwork to submit@humanrightsartmovement.org along with the following required information:
Your full name and/or pen name.
Your country of residence.
A brief third-person bio (roughly 100 words). If your bio includes references of your past work, feel free to provide links!
A brief foreword to your piece (between 300-500 words), explaining your inspiration for creating it, background information, explanation of key characters, and any other key insight for the reader.
*If your piece is accepted, we will request a high-resolution author photograph. However, authors are not required to provide photographs of themselves and are always welcome to decline, should they wish to remain anonymous.
COMPENSATION:
IHRAM Press pays $50 per accepted written piece.
IHRAM Press pays $25 per accepted artist.
humanrightsartmovement.org/ihraf-publishes
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Call for Workshop Proposals: ‘QUEERING OUR SILOS: GESTURES OF EUPHORIA PROJECT 2025–2026’
Maurice Moore
DEADLINE: September 1, 2025 by midnight
INFO: LGBTQIA2S+ artist(s) & allies in the Appalachian regions are invited to submit proposals to teach in person or online creative arts workshops for the Queering Our Silos: Gestures of Euphoria Project 2025-2026.
These creative arts workshops will help various arts communities get out of our silos and build stronger, more collaborative relationships between LGBTQIA2S+ communities & allies throughout the Appalachian region: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Each selected facilitator will receive a $1,000 grant to support their work. Workshops can be in any creative medium, and may take place in person or online.
Budget - $1000
Artist Labor or Compensation $500
•Funds will be used to pay an artist a $500.00 honorarium to teach their workshop. If there are multiple artists teaching a workshop the $500.00 honorarium will be divided between the artists.
Materials $200
•The artist(s) leading a workshop will receive $200.00 for materials.
Location/Space $200
•$200.00 of the funds will be used for the artist(s) to rent a space to teach their workshops.
*Funds will be reallocated to support additional workshops if the location/space is provided at no cost or if the course is delivered online.
Food $100
•$100.00 of the funds will be used by the artist(s) teaching their workshops to buy healthy food and refreshments for the workshop taught.
*30 days before artist the Artist(s) purposed workshop, the artist(s) will receive funds for materials $200.00, renting Location/Space $200.00, and food $100.00. Total $500.00.
**Upon completion of the workshop, the artist(s) will send the project organizer at QOSGEProject@outlook.com photos and/or video documentation from the workshop, along with receipts/invoices for (materials/food/rented location/space, then the Artist(s) will receive the honorarium. All workshops need to be completed between Oct 1, 2025 - May 15, 2026.
***Artist(s) will have two weeks after the completion of their workshop to send documentation & receipts/invoices to the project organizer at QOSGEProject@outlook.com to receive the honorarium.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Sep 1, 2025: Proposal deadline
Sep 3, 2025: Proposals Reviewed
Sep 30, 2025: Artist Notified of Approved Proposals
*Due our small staff only selected artist/artist team's approved proposals will be notified. We thank you for understanding.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrJbTK2yjxNBTRYVNrWLGedF7VbmYX9mmQ5R3p2p3qC8_H1w/viewform