AIR Serenbe joins Capita to Launch New Initiative to Support Journalists
Capita and AIR Serenbe are launching a series of fellowships for journalists engaged in complex and long-form reporting around the pressing issues facing families with young children, and the way these issues affect children's health and development.
UPDATE: Due to the disruptions associated with the global coronavirus epidemic, we have decided to the postpone the application deadline for this fellowship to July 15, 2020.
The decline in print media circulation and the rise in news-as-entertainment has made it increasingly difficult for journalists to support themselves while preparing stories that can take months, and sometimes years, to produce.
“We are thrilled to grow our partnership with Capita. I’m in awe of the work Capita does around young children and families, and am grateful for the chance to be part of their mission. Sussing out the heart of a complex investigative story takes a lot of time to focus and concentrate. It takes creativity and deep understanding. We see a residency at Serenbe as a unique gift of time and space to allow that kind of work to be done. It is where the phone and emails can go away, and work can be done. ”
At the same time, the systems that serve children and families are poorly equipped to meet the needs of the children and families of the future. New insights are required to foster systems-level responsibility for the future and drive the innovations required to meet the demands of the years ahead. It is necessary to cultivate diverse voices capable of producing new work, ideas, and reporting on and for children and their families, to help us imagine alternative futures of flourishing and well-being.
Capita and AIR Serenbe, an artist residency in Georgia, are launching a series of fellowships for journalists engaged in complex and long-form reporting around the pressing issues facing families with young children, and the way these issues affect children's health and development. By giving journalists uninterrupted time in an environment that promotes creativity and focus, and financial support, the partnership seeks to help tell stories that have the power to change lives and ensure a future in which all children flourish.
The competitive application process will be reviewed and selected by a blue-ribbon panel of journalists and experts in child health, education, and well-being and will be awarded to two journalists each year reporting on children’s issues.
What the Residency Provides
The residencies will provide time, space, and support for research, reflection, and work.
What Capita and AIR Serenbe Provide
Up to two weeks of residency.
Housing and work space in a Rural Studio cottage at AIR Serenbe.
Opportunities for coaching and expert consultation with leading journalists.
A $500 stipend per week.
Application and Nomination Process
Interested journalists should submit a professional profile, three work samples, a short project proposal (no more than 500 words), and a list of three references. Applicants should submit a cover letter summarizing how this fellowship will accelerate their work.
Applications should be submitted via email to Capita by July 15, 2020.
Nominations will be accepted as well. Please send the name and contact information for the nominated journalist along with a short summary explaining the reason for the nomination to Joe Waters by February 24, 2020.
“AIR Serenbe nurtures critical moments of imagination for some of the most exciting artists in the country. We are thrilled to partner with them to make their nurturing environment available to the journalists who are writing the complex stories that must urgently be told about children’s lives and well-being.”
About AIR Serenbe
AIR Serenbe, the artist residency program of the Serenbe Institute, nurtures critical moments of imagination by providing time and space for the development of creative work. Artists in the AIR Serenbe program stay in our artist cottages designed by Rural Studio, the award-winning program of Auburn University's School of Architecture, and are welcomed into the Serenbe community. Over the past decade, AIR Serenbe has hosted hundreds of artists in its cottages, including noteworthy souls such as Eve Ewing, Jason Reynolds, Sarah Kay, and Bo Bartlett.