Restorative Narrative Fellowship open [Worldwide]

Images & Voices of Hope is now accepting applications for the second iteration of its Restorative Narrative Fellowship.

ivoh’s fellowship is an extension of the organization’s work around Restorative Narrative — a genre of stories that show how people and communities are making a meaningful progression from a place of despair to a place of resilience. (You can read more about Restorative Narratives, and find related examples, here.)

The fellowship will provide four fellows with a stipend to spend six months telling Restorative Narratives in various communities. The fellowship is open to media practitioners of all kinds — photographers, journalists, gamers, documentary filmmakers, and marketers. Both freelancers and employed media practitioners can apply. Freelancers will be required to find a home for their projects, while those employed at media organizations can work on their fellowship project with the intent of publishing it on their organization’s website.

Each fellow will receive a $2,500 stipend for financial support and to cover costs associated with their work for the fellowship. These costs may include travel, data analysis, research expenses, and more. Fellows, who will work with a story coach during the fellowship, will maintain autonomy throughout the storytelling process and will not be beholden to their story coach or funders.

Fellows can choose to pursue one big project or a series of smaller projects. They can work independently or in collaboration with other media practitioners, with the understanding that only the fellow will receive a stipend.

What’s covered

The fellowship provides:

• A $2,500 stipend. Half will be paid at the beginning of the fellowship and half will be paid upon completion of the project.
• Coaching from Jacqui Banaszynski, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, longtime editor, and a professor at the University of Missouri. Jacqui will be available to offer story coaching and support throughout the six months.
• All-expenses paid trips to two fellows dialogues, one of which will include a day-long training workshop with Jacqui Banaszynski.
• Involvement as a speaker at ivoh’s annual media summit, which attracts media practitioners from around the world.
• Ongoing recognition and support from ivoh staff.

Fellowship timeline

• Nov. 16, 2015: Application deadline
• Dec. 1, 2015: Winning fellows notified
• Jan. 1, 2016: Fellowship begins
• Jan. 10-11, 2016: First fellows dialogue and training workshop, to be held at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, FL
• Late May/June 2016: Tentative time for second fellows dialogue (exact date and location to be determined by early 2016).
• July 1, 2016: Fellowship ends

Expectations

Fellows will be expected to:

• Complete their project within the six-month deadline, barring any extenuating circumstances
• Attend and actively participate in the two fellows dialogues and ivoh’s annual media summit (all expenses will be paid; exact summit date will be determined by Nov. 1.)
• Interact on a monthly basis (or more, if needed) with story coach Jacqui Banaszynski to seek feedback and share updates on how the fellowship project is progressing.
• Sign a letter of agreement, and have their editor/boss sign it, as a show of support for the fellowship and as an indicator that the fellowship guidelines/expectations are clear.