The second year of the Tony-honored Broadway Advocacy Coalition's Artivism Fellowship will be themed on re-imagining justice through abolition. The four-month-long program looks to center BIPOC artists that blend narrative storytelling and artistry with law, policy, and community engagement, culminating in a digital presentation of the fellows' work.
Eight fellows will be chosen by a nomination committee that includes Ariana Afsar (Hamilton), Tony nominee Chalia LaTour (Slave Play), Bianca Laverne Jones (Ocean’s Eight), Rad Pereira (High Maintenance), Tony-winning costume and scenic designer Clint Ramos (Slave Play, Eclipsed), and Black Lives Matter founder and activist DeRay Mckesson. Applications are being accepted through November 25, and can be submitted via this Google form.
Created last year, the fellowship supports artist-activists who use their tools to have an impact on the world around them. Participants receive financial support, mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational workshops while working on individual projects. The inaugural class, focused on Black, female-identifying artist activists creating work on issues related to systemic racism and criminal justice reform, included Faylita Hicks, ChelseaDee Harrison, Kayla Stokes, Andrea Ambam, Nicole Davis, Jasmine Eileen Coles, Dejajoelle, Daniella Carter, and Courtney Jamison. Their culminating work can be viewed at BwayAdvocacyCoalition.org.
"By centering the work of artists of color, we are able to look through a mirror and see how limited our freedom is," says Artistic Director Chesray Dolpha. "The work of the artivist is to bring art and activism into the same space where we can hold our pain and struggle, but also envision the healing and restoration that is possible when our stories and art are held with love. This fellowship welcomes this community of artivists because we at BAC understand that this work allows us all to re-imagine what justice looks, sounds and feels like."
"As a former artivism fellow, I’m a witness to the transformative dreaming space this fellowship creates and I’m beyond excited to help grow artists who are committed to making the revolution irresistible," adds inaugural cohort member and Artivism Fellowship Mentor Andrea Ambam.
Broadway's Wicked returns as a lead sponsor for the fellowships's sophomore year.
Founded in 2016, Broadway Advocacy Coalition is an arts-based advocacy nonprofit dedicated to building the capacity of individuals and organizations to dismantle the systems that perpetuate racism through the power of storytelling and the leadership of people directly affected. The organization received a Special Tony Award for their work last month. For more information, visit BwayAdvocacyCoalition.org.
