The Black Utopian Fellowship is an incubator Fellowship created by #DayonesArt in collaboration with Culture Push. The BUF is a year-long Fellowship for Black artists, researchers, scientists and inventors, with career development and mentorship through a connection with Black-run institutions. The intent of the Black Utopian Fellowship is to share resources and support social engagement, educational programming, and revitalization of communal hubs.
We will be accepting proposals for projects that are direct instances of Research, Health, Design, and Social interest in regards to Black Futures. (Please look at the links above to get a sense of the types of projects that could be included in “Black Utopian Fellowship: Rituals Re-Imagined.”) As with our other Fellowships, the Black Utopian Fellow is supported with all the resources of the Fellowship for Utopian Practice for one full year.
The Fellowship for Utopian Practice is a testing ground for untested and new ideas that aim to create positive social change through civic engagement and horizontal learning opportunities. Through the Fellowship for Utopian Practice, Culture Push serves artists by providing creative, analytical, and logistical tools in the creation of truly transformative projects. Pre-existing performances, established projects, and fully funded works are not eligible to apply. Learn more about our Guidelines, and how to apply here.
The Fellowship program is open to Black artists and other professionals working in any discipline who wish to expand the boundaries of their practice. Applicants are encouraged to review our organization’s mission before submitting materials as well as the specific nature of this Open Call. We will award The Black Utopian Fellowship to one applicant.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!
2024
Shaping Reality Innovators
To launch and promote The Black Utopian Fellowship's open call, we are engaging potential applicants, community members, and stakeholders in the arts and innovation sectors, we are launching Black Utopian Fellowship: Shaping Reality Innovators, gaming event in mid september to launch the BUF Fellowship
This year’s BUF call challenges innovators to envision and create the world we aspire to see — more accessible, inclusive, and engaging. We aim to highlight the transformative potential of technology, focusing on the intersection of design, applied sciences, and storytelling In the burgeoning digital age. We explore the foundations of analog play as a launch pad for pioneering ideas. We are interested in projects that encompass instances of civic engagement and unprecedented leadership. As long as you have an open mind - you can create your body.
We encourage artists and visionary thinkers to seize this opportunity to pioneer transformative projects at the forefront of gaming, design, and storytelling. Together, let’s carve out paths toward a more inclusive and accessible world through The Black Utopian Fellowship.
We are considering these and more:
Coding Games: (Programming Languages/or Logic for Tasks)
Organizing Games: for operating systems (Implementing Systems )
Digital Humanities: (Archival / Adventure/ Survival / Role-Play / Fantasy / Strategy/ Puzzle)
Clean Water + Food Systems + Environmental Design: (Agriculture-Simulation / Irrigation Infrastructure)
New Tech with a focus on Accessibility: (Adaptive Sports / Sensory Games/ Educational Games/ Visually Impaired/ Mixed Disability Resource)
Any questions should be addressed to buf@culturepush.org with the subject line “Black Utopian Fellowship Question”
The Black Utopian Fellowship is supported in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
