2017 Fellowship: Film/Photography and Human Rights (apply by 2 Dec)

The Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, United States, offers the Oak Fellowship placement every year to further the study of human rights at the post-secondary institution’s prestigious institute. Applications for the 2017 Fellowship are currently being accepted. Read on for full details about this exciting opportunity.

What Is the Oak Fellowship?

The Oak Fellowship is a placement at Colby College that provides a human rights activist with an opportunity to spend time out of the field while still continuing to further the fight for human rights. Fellows are encouraged to spend the time developing new work and revisiting previous work and to interact with the entire university community. As a part of the fellowship, the recipient teaches one seminar related to their area of expertise or their body of work. After the one-semester fellowship, the recipient then returns to the field. The 2017 Fellowship will begin with the start of the 2017-2018 school year during the fall.

What is the 2017 Theme?

Every year the Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights adopts a different theme for the Oak Fellowship. For 2017, the theme is film and photography’s effects on human rights. An artist-activist or journalist-activist will have the chance to share their work with the Colby community through the placement.

Who Can Apply for the Oak Fellowship?

To qualify for the Oak Fellowship, applicants must be filmmakers, photojournalists or artistic photographers who focus on exposing human rights abuses or who have been censored or subject to abuse due to their work. The individual chosen for the fellowship will be someone whose work is well known and who the Institute feels can provide a meaningful look at either a crucial human rights issue uncovered in their work or how freedom of expression or freedom of the press is limited by government entities.

What Is the Application Process?

The application for the 2017 Oak Fellowship is available online. The application asks for personal contact information and information about any professional arts or media affiliations that you may have. You will also be asked to summarize the following with answers of 500 words or less:

  • Your background in human rights as it relates to photography or film
  • Your previous experience with human rights fellowships, residencies and awards
  • Why you are pursuing the Oak Fellowship
  • Why you are ready for time away from the field
  • Whether or not your work puts you at risk for physical harm
  • How you can contribute to human rights study and discourse at Colby
  • What speakers or topics of speeches would you recommend for Colby
  • What would the syllabus of your seminar be

In addition to the application, you must submit a CV or biography, two letters of recommendation and printed information about your experience in film or photography.

When Is the Application Due?

All applications for the 2017 Oak Fellowship must be received by December 2, 2016. Any application that is incomplete will not be considered.

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