Call for Applications: Rhode Island Arts and Culture Research Fellowship

The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities seeks applicants for a fellowship to research and document key figures in the formation of Rhode Island’s creative culture. The Rhode Island Arts and Culture Research Fellow will research, write, gather and connect profiles of significant artists, performers, writers, and cultural leaders with strong connections to the state. The fellowship will include helping to design the project, working with an advisory committee, and engaging the community in a variety of ways. The fellow should have strong research and writing skills, an interest in the roots of creative culture, and a background in digital humanities. The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities is facilitating this initiative in coordination with an advisory committee and funding from a private donor. This fellowship is an outstanding opportunity for a writer with a strong interest in research, digital platforms, and community engagement and/or a publicly-oriented humanities/arts scholar.

WHY THIS OPPORTUNITY

The breadth and depth of Rhode Island’s creative landscape is considered one of the state’s greatest assets and one of the most vibrant in the United States. Collected and networked stories of significant visual artists, performers, and writers who have lived in Rhode Island will enhance Rhode Island’s reach as a creative destination, create a vital bridge between the past and present, connect arts and cultural communities, represent diverse backgrounds, and catalyze cultural engagement and education. The RI Arts and Culture Research Fellowship will utilize the Wikipedia platform because it is the top web-based knowledge database and destination for a wide range of users seeking information. The historical period we are considering is post World War II to the present, but the project could include some thematic entries connected to earlier periods, tracing the roots of the state’s literary culture, for example, or the strong historical connections between women and design.

GOALS

The goals of the project are to:

• deepen public appreciation for the contributions of artists, writers, performers, and cultural leaders connected to Rhode Island;
• include diverse identities and experiences;
• open history to the next generation of artists, writers, performers, and cultural leaders;
• make learning about the RI cultural landscape easy and accessible;
• generate new documentation of artists, movements, and significant events that are not currently known or available;
• strengthen understanding of the contributions that people make to the state’s cultural richness;
• enable practitioners and champions of the state’s creative culture to tell meaningful stories in a variety of contexts and audiences;
• make the case for resources and investment in the cultural community of the state;
• provide a backdrop or foundation for initiatives and goals for arts and culture in the state.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants for the fellowship should be knowledgeable about best practices in research and documentation, and have strong skills in writing and conducting interviews. The Fellow will undertake research from primary and secondary source documents and through interviews with living artists, writers, and thinkers. The Fellow will be responsible for producing, expanding, and connecting a significant number of profiles on Wikipedia. Connections to cultural communities in RI as well as experience with public engagement would be helpful. A bachelor’s degree is required, and the successful applicant will have demonstrated experience in undertaking substantial independent research and writing projects.

DELIVERABLES

The RI Arts and Culture Research Fellow will be responsible for:

• at least 250 new Wikipedia entries with primary source documentation;
• expansion of at least 100 current entries;
• at least 400 connections to “master” pages of RI artists, writers, musicians, and arts and culture organizations, etc.;
• events and public engagement as the project develops.

COMPENSATION

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $40,000 over one year and will have access to funds for travel and community events. The Fellow may also be able to work with a project intern.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications should include:

• cover letter detailing your interest, experience, and qualifications;
• two-page resume or CV;
• Sample no longer than 450 words of crisp, informative, accessible writing.

Please send applications via email with the subject line “Rhode Island Arts and Culture Research Fellowship Submission” to Scott Raker, Operations Officer, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities scott@rihumanities.org. Applications due December 7, 2018, 5:00 pm.