Hear Us Awards
The HEAR US (Helping Elevate and Recapitalize Underrepresented Stories) awards are designed to celebrate and advance student projects that center BIPOC voices and stories. HEAR US will expand on the commitments Tisch has made against racial inequality by funding students who are committed to combating systematic marginalization in the creation and leadership of artistic and scholarly works.
Because the HEAR US awards are designed to catalyze a long-term cultural shift, we want to support projects at all phases of completion with tiered levels of funding ($1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 grants), and provide one-on-one mentorship for any proposal advancing through the first of two rounds of review. Mentors will help project leads navigate the presentation process, explore issues of representation, and amplify their voices through counsel and community.
Eligibility
All current Tisch graduate and undergraduate students who are making creative and/or scholarly works centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voices and narratives are encouraged to apply.
Successful proposals will:
- Foreground BIPOC voices and/or BIPOC narratives through creative and/or scholarly works that center BIPOC voices, work, or stories. For example: scripts, scores, songs, chapters, films, dances, photography, games, research, scholarship, installations, performances are all eligible.
- Demonstrate capacity to complete the proposed activity within the grant period.
Google Form will require:
- A description of how funding will be used.
- A short work sample suitable for a 2-3 minute panelist review (ex: 1-2 pages of written work, 3-5 slides of still imagery, or up to 2 minutes of video, audio or other digital material, etc.). For Mid-phase and Completion Grants, work samples should be from proposed project.
- Questions based on funding request:
- Seed Grants (Up to $1,000)
- A description of the completed project as envisioned by the project lead.
- Mid-Phase Grants (Up to $5,000)
- A description of the process leading to the proposal and the completed project as envisioned by the project lead/creative team.
- Short bios of the project lead/creative team.
- Completion Grants (Up to $10,000)
- A description of the process leading to the proposal and the completed project as envisioned by the project lead/creative team.
- Short bios of the project lead/creative team.
- Seed Grants (Up to $1,000)
Please Note: HEAR US awards consists of a multi-step review process.
- First-round proposals will be reviewed by a panel of working artists and scholars whose works demonstrate inclusionary practices on or around February 4th. The second-round review will consist of a virtual presentation to the panel on or around February 17th.
- Advancing project leads will be assigned a mentor prior to presenting their proposal and are expected to meet virtually with their assigned mentor prior to the presentation date.
- Pitches/presentations should be no more than ten minutes.
- Presentations may be followed by up to ten minutes of panelist questions.
- For more information