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Applications are open for the UAL Storytelling Fellowship 2024-2025. This year they are offering up to eight fellows a free training programme in impact production. Fellows will learn the skills of impact production, routes to impact and develop impact plans and campaigns for their projects.
Opportunity Details
Impact Production is a profession and set of skills that has developed over the last 18 years, out of the work of DocSociety and their Impact Field Guide. Originally developed for documentary producers this practice is being used in other genres such as XR, theatre and writing. This programme takes the training of impact production into a wider range of disciplines including TV, fiction film, novels, non-fiction writing, journalism, theatre, XR/immersive/interactive, games and audio/podcasts, animation, comic books and creative documentaries and docufiction.
The programme combines lectures, group work, case studies, and hands-on activities across various media ensuring participants learn the theoretical aspects of impact production and apply them in real-world scenarios with their creative projects while gaining a holistic understanding of impact production work. Daily reflection time is included. The Fellows are expected to participate in discussions, and interviews and surveys for evaluation. The programme begins with a 5-day intensive week and is followed by a six-month mentoring programme.
All applicants must:
Who Can Apply?
The programme offers free places to 6-8 interdisciplinary storytelling professionals and practitioners from:
Fellows must prioritise “impact first”, aiming to create positive change in the world. Supporting creatives in making real world change is the Institute’s mission.
While an understanding of how change happens, of impact strategy, narrative change or impact production is not a prerequisite for applying, a commitment to using your art or media to change the world, is essential.
Fellows can be at any career stage but must have had at least one project launched or broadcast.
Fellows will bring a project that is already developed and ready for production or in production, but not launched publicly yet. It needs to have a clear social impact potential and a clear timescale for launch, broadcast or release.
Please refer to the Further information at the bottom of this page before applying.
Submit the following documents as a single PDF by Thursday 05 September 2024, at 17:00 (BST):
A Cover letter of not more than 2 A4 pages (font size should be 11 or 12) outlining:
1) About you
2) Your project
An updated CV.
A video recording 3 - 5 minutes introducing yourself and your project.
How to submit your application
The cover letter and CV should be submitted in a single PDF file via email with the subject: Fellowship application – (your name)
The video recording can be attached as a file (if the size of the file allows this) or shared as a private link or sent via a file transfer service.
Please email your application materials to [email protected]
To view the selection criteria please download the Call for Applications to the Storytelling Fellowship 2024-2025.
The number of Fellows they will select for this Programme:
They plan to select up to 8 Fellows for the Storytelling Fellowship 24/25.
What qualifies as a Storytelling Fellowship project?
For the purposes of our fellowship programme, a project could be a piece of artistic output that aims to engage audiences and aims to influence real-world change, in the following disciplines or practices:
Non-eligible projects
They discourage applications involving:
What they expect of you as a Fellow
Your commitment to the Fellowship
You will be required to attend:
As part of the workshop sessions, they will set aside time each day for reflections on what you learned. You should also be prepared to participate in group meetings to discuss learnings and to be interviewed by the Institute team and/or to complete surveys as part of our evaluation process.
Your other professional commitments
You can have other professional commitments while being a Fellow but thry need your full commitment for the in-person Lab week, mentorship programme and online activities (like the pre-Fellowship meeting). It will not be possible for you to do any other work during the week of the lab.
Your project might be part of your work or a sideline or a core part of your work for the year.
Eligibility Criteria
You can apply if you are:
Right to work in the UK
You do not need to be a British citizen but you must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the Fellowship.
The AKO Storytelling Institute will not financially support visa applications for entry to the UK.
Group applications
They welcome group applications of not more than 2-3 creatives. They are unable to accommodate larger groups.
In the case of group applications, they can only cover travel and accommodation for one person from the group.
The theme of your project
Your project can be about anything as long as it has a strong impact aim.
Location
You do not need to live or work in London but you will need to be in London for the in-person sessions.
UAL staff and students
UAL staff and students are welcome to apply. If applying as a student, fellows must show a professional artistic career as well. Post grad, PhD candidates, Post docs, lecturers and researchers are all also welcome to apply.
Renumeration
This is not paid work for which we will cover your time. This is a free training programme.
The participation fee
The is no participation fee and participation is free for the successful applicants.
Your level of experience
We welcome different levels of experience of artistic practice. There is no upper age limit for applications.
Applications from organisations
An individual from an organisation is welcome to apply but not the organisation itself.
The support we will give you
We offer a workshop-based programme of applied learning and a bespoke mentorship programme. The mentors will support the development of your impact plan.
They cover the travel and accommodation expenses of the Fellows who come from outside London for your stay in London.
The Fellows are participants to the Fellowship programme of the AKO Storytelling Institute and not staff or students of UAL. This means that you will not receive legal support, HR support, Library access, access to UAL buildings, UAL short courses and any other benefits.
The AKO Storytelling Institute is unable to offer dedicated studio space, production costs or additional expenses associated with childcare, legal support, materials or general living costs or financial support with visa costs.
Apply for UAL Storytelling Fellowship