SAADA Archival Creators Fellowship Program (2022-23)
We are now inviting applications for the fourth cohort of SAADA's Archival Creators Fellowship Program. This year the fellowship is focusing on place as a theme. Three fellows will be selected in the 2022-23 cohort, with projects highlighting how South Asian Americans have made space for our communities in the geography of the American landscape.
This year's fellowship is made possible with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
At a glance:
Applications due: September 9, 2022 by 11:59pm (in your local timezone)
Fellowship period: Oct. 1, 2022 to Jun. 30, 2023
Fellows' workshop: Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 (virtual) & Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 (NYC)
Fellows receive: $5,000 stipend; $1,500 project budget; $1,000 advisory group budget
Download a PDF of the guidelines and application form.
Meet our past fellows
• 2021-22 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
• 2020-21 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
• 2019-20 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
Please note: The health and safety of our fellows and SAADA staff and advisors remains our primary concern and we encourage COVID-19 safety in the undertaking of all fellowship activities.
For the last fourteen years, SAADA has enabled academics, artists, filmmakers, journalists, students, and community members to write books, create new content, and shape public understanding about the South Asian American community. SAADA is at the forefront of advancing a distributed, post-custodial community-driven approach to archival collecting, where archival work is done by and with the community, and not just for the community. Through the Archival Creators Fellowship Program, fellows partner with SAADA to create archival collections that reflect the histories and perspectives of marginalized groups within the South Asian American community. These include, but are not limited to, communities that are working class, undocumented, LGBTQ+, Dalit, Muslim, Indo-Caribbean, or otherwise excluded or overlooked in mainstream South Asian American narratives.
In the 2022-23 fellowship cohort, we are inviting projects that explore the ways South Asian Americans have made space for our communities in the geography of the American landscape. This could include hidden stories from well-known community centers like Jackson Heights, Edison, or Devon Avenue, or stories from lesser-known locales (places like Spartanburg, South Carolina), both historical and contemporary. The priority of this fellowship is on highlighting groups within the South Asian American community that have been excluded from dominant narratives, so please be sure to address how your project speaks to that priority in your application. Questions can be directed to fellowships@saada.org.
This fellowship program is open to all U.S.-based individuals with valid work authorization who are themselves members of the community they will be archiving, or in which they otherwise have deep existing relationships. No formal archival training is necessary, but applicants should have a strong demonstrable interest and commitment to community memory and storytelling. Fellows are expected to dedicate approximately 5 hours/week to their project over the duration of the fellowship period from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (40 weeks).
Application Timeline
August 11, 2022: Call for fellowship applications is made available online
September 9, 2022: Fellowship application deadline
Mid-September 2022: Phone interviews with fellowship finalists
Late-September 2022: Fellows are announced to the public
Fellowship Timeline
October 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023: Fellowship period; includes bi-weekly video calls with fellowship cohort and SAADA staff
October 2, 2022: Online introductory workshop on digital archival practices and community relationship.
October 8, 2022: In-person fellowship convening in NYC with past Archival Creator Fellows (the costs for your travel and lodging will be covered by SAADA)
During the fellowship period, fellows will be responsible for:
• Participating in an online workshop and an in-person convening in NYC.
• Participating in bi-weekly video calls with fellowship cohort and SAADA staff.
• Convening a community-based advisory group to support your project.
• Conducting 7-10 oral history interviews and collecting related archival materials.
• Writing one essay for Tides, SAADA’s online magazine.
• Developing an online exhibit for the SAADA website.
Archival Creators Fellows will receive:
• Training on oral history methodology and digital archival practices from SAADA staff and advisors.
• Support and guidance from SAADA staff and advisors throughout the duration of your project.
• A stipend of $5,000 (paid in installments over the fellowship period).
• A budget of $1,500 to cover equipment costs, artists collaborators, and other project expenses.
• A $1,000 budget to provide honoraria for community-based advisory group members.
Please direct all questions and inquiries to fellowship@saada.org.
We are now inviting applications for the fourth cohort of SAADA's Archival Creators Fellowship Program. This year the fellowship is focusing on place as a theme. Three fellows will be selected in the 2022-23 cohort, with projects highlighting how South Asian Americans have made space for our communities in the geography of the American landscape.
This year's fellowship is made possible with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
At a glance:
Applications due: September 9, 2022 by 11:59pm (in your local timezone)
Fellowship period: Oct. 1, 2022 to Jun. 30, 2023
Fellows' workshop: Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 (virtual) & Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 (NYC)
Fellows receive: $5,000 stipend; $1,500 project budget; $1,000 advisory group budget
Download a PDF of the guidelines and application form.
Meet our past fellows
• 2021-22 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
• 2020-21 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
• 2019-20 SAADA Archival Creators Fellows
Please note: The health and safety of our fellows and SAADA staff and advisors remains our primary concern and we encourage COVID-19 safety in the undertaking of all fellowship activities.
For the last fourteen years, SAADA has enabled academics, artists, filmmakers, journalists, students, and community members to write books, create new content, and shape public understanding about the South Asian American community. SAADA is at the forefront of advancing a distributed, post-custodial community-driven approach to archival collecting, where archival work is done by and with the community, and not just for the community. Through the Archival Creators Fellowship Program, fellows partner with SAADA to create archival collections that reflect the histories and perspectives of marginalized groups within the South Asian American community. These include, but are not limited to, communities that are working class, undocumented, LGBTQ+, Dalit, Muslim, Indo-Caribbean, or otherwise excluded or overlooked in mainstream South Asian American narratives.
In the 2022-23 fellowship cohort, we are inviting projects that explore the ways South Asian Americans have made space for our communities in the geography of the American landscape. This could include hidden stories from well-known community centers like Jackson Heights, Edison, or Devon Avenue, or stories from lesser-known locales (places like Spartanburg, South Carolina), both historical and contemporary. The priority of this fellowship is on highlighting groups within the South Asian American community that have been excluded from dominant narratives, so please be sure to address how your project speaks to that priority in your application. Questions can be directed to fellowships@saada.org.
This fellowship program is open to all U.S.-based individuals with valid work authorization who are themselves members of the community they will be archiving, or in which they otherwise have deep existing relationships. No formal archival training is necessary, but applicants should have a strong demonstrable interest and commitment to community memory and storytelling. Fellows are expected to dedicate approximately 5 hours/week to their project over the duration of the fellowship period from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (40 weeks).
Application Timeline
August 11, 2022: Call for fellowship applications is made available online
September 9, 2022: Fellowship application deadline
Mid-September 2022: Phone interviews with fellowship finalists
Late-September 2022: Fellows are announced to the public
Fellowship Timeline
October 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023: Fellowship period; includes bi-weekly video calls with fellowship cohort and SAADA staff
October 2, 2022: Online introductory workshop on digital archival practices and community relationship.
October 8, 2022: In-person fellowship convening in NYC with past Archival Creator Fellows (the costs for your travel and lodging will be covered by SAADA)
During the fellowship period, fellows will be responsible for:
• Participating in an online workshop and an in-person convening in NYC.
• Participating in bi-weekly video calls with fellowship cohort and SAADA staff.
• Convening a community-based advisory group to support your project.
• Conducting 7-10 oral history interviews and collecting related archival materials.
• Writing one essay for Tides, SAADA’s online magazine.
• Developing an online exhibit for the SAADA website.
Archival Creators Fellows will receive:
• Training on oral history methodology and digital archival practices from SAADA staff and advisors.
• Support and guidance from SAADA staff and advisors throughout the duration of your project.
• A stipend of $5,000 (paid in installments over the fellowship period).
• A budget of $1,500 to cover equipment costs, artists collaborators, and other project expenses.
• A $1,000 budget to provide honoraria for community-based advisory group members.
Please direct all questions and inquiries to fellowship@saada.org.
