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Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort are now open!

A photo of a group discussion

How to apply

Learn more below about the Fellowship year, and application process and timeline.

Deadline: 21 November, 2024, 11:59pm GMT.

Live information sessions!

Wednesday, 6 November 5-6 GMT (9-10am PT / 12-1 ET)

Wednesday, 13 November, 5-6 GMT (9-10am PT / 12-1 ET)

What is RSC IF?

RSC IF is an annual, year-long fellowship centred on historically underrepresented voices for artists, researchers and cultural workers responding to the cultural change needs of the creative and cultural sectors, the performing arts and beyond. For more context about the larger thought-stewardship and institute feasibility study funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), see our About page.

The Fellows’ cohort will come together in Stratford-upon-Avon in July 2025 for the previous year’s Fellows‘ cohort’s Festival of Ideas, and to have their own fellowship kickoff convening. More about the Festival of Ideas in our About page.

Practice/research themes

Hosted in collaboration with 8 research and cultural organisations, each Fellow will focus on an area related to their own practice that responds to the biggest challenges faced by the creative industries and wider society today. From a lens of individual creative, academic, and cultural practice, areas of inquiry explore the changes needed for the creative and cultural sectors’ development, sustainability, and survival. Areas of priority for 2024-2025 include but are not limited to:

  • Sustainable planet and climate futures
  • Sustainable creative sector work, for example:   
    • creative industries and economy and monetisation
    • legal and rights frameworks in collaboration
    • radical practice in institutions 
    • design of spaces for immersive work 
    • new ideas in connecting with audiences and distribution
  • Innovation in creative practice, for example 
    • artist and archive as an agent of change 
    • technical innovation (e.g., photogrammetry, volumetric capture, and 3D scanning tools for performance, design, and archive)  
    • innovation in creative process (e.g., R&D processes, rehearsal, etc) 
    • innovation in performance, and performance studies  
    • embodiment and technology 
    • creative AI 
    • new approaches to classics 
    • innovative composition and musical performance 
  • Intersectional possibilities including:  
    • othering and belonging 
    • social/cultural/political change through creative practice 
    • disability and access, including in performance and emerging media 
    • queer/trans possibilities 
    • race and resistance  
  • Art and health including:
    • social/creative prescribing 
    • medical humanities 
    • arts and wellbeing 
Collaborating institutions with Fellows in residence

Geared towards sustainable field-building, and historically underrepresented voices, the fellowship forges a consortium of cultural and research leaders committed to the community in order to support one another, develop common questions, and share best practices and new data. These organisations also host Fellows in residency for about 18 days in the year. Current collaborators include:

What happens during the fellowship year?

Funded by a £7500 bursary, each Fellow will focus on a research theme in a method based in their own practice, responding to the biggest challenges faced by the creative industries and wider society, and the change needed for the development and survival of the sector and future economic growth.

The year begins with an expenses-paid kickoff convening in RSC’s home, Stratford-upon-Avon in England, UK in July. Previous Fellows will share their learnings and meet new Fellows before they meet with their own cohort. At the end of the Fellowship year in July, Fellows return for an expenses-paid closing Festival of Ideas to share their learnings and welcome the next cohort.

In addition to a rich and generous community of Fellows and organisations, residence time at collaborating institutions, and bespoke practice/research support (including modest travel and finishing funds), the Fellows will have access to state-of-the-art equipment through a further AHRC grant to upgrade facilities for creative and cultural research (CResCa).

Who might be a Fellow candidate?

You should be:

  • A mid- or lifelong-career artist/maker/craftsperson, researcher, or cultural worker who identifies with or belongs to a historically underrepresented population in your field. This is a bit subjective due to the range of practices, but you should have at least 5 years post-educational experience or 2 major creative projects completed. Other mid-career candidates will be considered with a meaningful innovation or social impact practice and a dedication to fostering spaces of belonging for historically excluded or underrepresented voices.
  • Located anywhere in the world
  • With a current practice and curiosity to explore something in your mode of making related to the IF research themes (detailed below)
  • Available to commit about 30 funded days in the Fellowship year to your practice, including around 12 days in-person convening, time in residence based on your and organisational schedules, and 90-minute monthly meetings online (generally morning US PST / late afternoon GMT-based on selected participants). Access and care support is available based on need.
  • Not a current employee, student, or faculty of your hosting organisation
  • Someone who could benefit from and enrich a community of people exploring the potential of cultural, social, and creative practice
What does the application process entail and what are the key dates?

Click the dates below to find out more.

18 October 2024: Application opens

An online, written application collects: contact information and biography, samples/links to past work, samples/links to current work as applicable, a personal statement about your influences and catalysts, and a statement of purpose about your goals for the year. You will be able to create an account and until your final submission before the deadline, save your progress and return to complete the application at another time. If you have specific access needs around format and delivery, please reach out to if@rsc.org.uk.

21 November 2024: Application closes for review

Several rounds of external, internal, and collaborator reviews begin to assess applications and most importantly, build a well-rounded cohort community centred on historically underrepresented voices.

Week of 16 December: round 2 notifications and scheduling January interviews

Applicants will be notified if they will move on to the second round of review. Those candidates continuing on the next round will have an opportunity to schedule interview slots the weeks of 6 and 13 January, 2025, and given an opportunity to answer any clarifying questions or give any updates.

Weeks of 6 and 13 January: round 2 online interviews

Applicants will meet with collaborators for 25 minute online interviews to get an opportunity to meet you more directly, ask any remaining clarifying questions from your application, allow you to get a better sense if the Fellowship might still serve your needs, and get a sense of how we could best support you over the Fellowship year. Interviews will be scheduled business hours GMT, 9am-6pm (e.g., morning around 9am US PST, from 9am-1pm US EST, etc). Any access needs, concerns, or questions, please reach out to if@rsc.org.uk .

Weeks of 27 January and 3 February 2025: final cohort selected and notified

Candidates will be notified of final cohort decisions. Those selected will receive a fellows’ agreement and information on booking travel for the convening in July 2025.

29th May 2025 or thereabouts: online kickoff with new Fellows!

Selected 2025-2026 fellows will have an online kickoff (generally morning US Pacific time, end of day UK time) to meet one another and prepare for the convening.

July 2025: Festival of Ideas and 25-26 cohort convening

The 2025-2026 cohort will come together in Stratford-upon-Avon in July 2025 for the 2024-2025 cohort’s Festival of Ideas, and to have their own fellowship convening inaugurating their fellowship year. Final dates TBA autumn 2024.

Questions?

If you have specific accessibility needs or other questions and concerns, please email us at: if@rsc.org.uk .