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Magnum Foundation’s Photography and Social Justice Program expands diversity and creativity in the field of documentary photography through capacity-building and critical explorations of photography and social change.
Each year, the program supports a diverse, international group of Photography and Social Justice Fellows who are passionate about challenging injustice, pursuing social equality, and advancing human rights through photography. With New York City as a cultural resource, the program provides space for interdisciplinary experimentation, mentored project development, and cross-cultural, critical discourse at the intersection of photography and social justice. During the program, Fellows work on projects in their home communities with support from Magnum Foundation’s mentors.
Magnum Foundation covers the cost of travel and room and board for the sessions in New York City. Fellows also receive a modest stipend to support the production of their projects. The program is produced in partnership with the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.
Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellows are early-career photographers or individuals trained in aligned disciplines who are motivated to deepen their engagement with photography and visual storytelling. Photography and Social Justice Fellows are part of social, political, or cultural groups who are currently or historically oppressed or excluded, and come from communities around the world where freedom of expression is limited. This program especially aims to support people of color, women, gender non-conforming individuals, LGBTQ individuals, individuals who are part of racial, ethnic, or religious minority groups, and others whose authorship is unevenly represented within the field of documentary photography. Refugees are welcome to apply.
The Photography and Social Justice Program is designed to prepare our fellows to be effective and creative leaders in their home communities. Our hope is that our fellows become models and resources for other practitioners, and that they cultivate strength and support through their international colleagues. Through this program, Magnum Foundation trains photographers to use their creative skills to inspire social movements, to witness, to resist oppression, to pose the difficult questions, and to stimulate debate and awareness about critical social issues.
Photography and Social Justice Fellows are selected through an open, international call for applications. Those not eligible for the program can recommend someone else by sharing the open call, or contacting us, as we welcome recommendations.
Eligible candidates include:
- Early-career documentary photographers, artists, and photojournalists
- Activists who use photography in their change-making practice
- Journalists who would like to deepen their engagement with photography
- Scholars who incorporate images and image-making in their research and scholarship
Preference is given to those who have not had previous opportunity to do a formal course of study in photography at the university level. Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English. All instruction will be in English and there will be no simultaneous translation for instruction or discussion during the course sessions. We are especially seeking applications from people of color, women, individuals who are part of social, political, or cultural groups who are currently or historically oppressed or excluded, and queer, trans, and, gender non-conforming people. Refugees are welcome to apply.
Fellows will be chosen by the Magnum Foundation’s internal selection committee and notified Mid-February 2018. All finalists for the fellowship will be interviewed to ensure verbal proficiency in English. (Please note that this language requirement exists because Fellows’ discussions, workshops, readings, and mentorship sessions in New York are conducted in English.)
Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis until November 30, 2017.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
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