Assembling Voices Fellowship

Launched in 2020 by the Incite Institute at Columbia University, the Assembling Voices Fellowship is a year-long program designed to support U.S.-based individuals and collectives working on public initiatives that bring communities together to address pressing, community-identified issues in creative and novel ways. The program has supported 12 fellows since its inception, disbursing a total of $330,000 in seed funding and providing over 900 hours of support. The fellowship offers a robust support package totaling $25,000 per participant, broken down into $15,000 in income support, $5,000 in initiative support, and $5,000 for travel to and from New York City. Additionally, fellows gain access to intellectual, administrative, and professional development support provided by the Incite staff and its broader network. Fellows also benefit from access to event and workspace, as well as workshops and networking opportunities tailored to each year's cohort. Throughout the fellowship year, selected participants are brought together in New York City for training, collaboration, and networking. These gatherings are designed to meet the specific needs and desires of each cohort. Past fellows have launched initiatives that engage communities through light art, public performance, documentation, mutual aid, and cultural programming that challenge social stigmas and address social inequities. The selection committee seeks projects that are innovative in design, respond to community-specific needs, and demonstrate potential for sustainability beyond the fellowship period. There are no specific educational or professional experience requirements, making the fellowship accessible to a broad range of applicants including artists, scholars, activists, organizers, and others engaged in public work. Individuals or collectives may apply. Applications for the 2025 cohort open on May 22, 2025, and close at 11:59 PM ET on August 15, 2025. Two virtual information sessions will be held on June 11, 2025, and July 21, 2025, providing prospective applicants the opportunity to learn more. Interviews will be conducted between August 25 and September 3, 2025, with decisions released on September 5, 2025. Applications must be submitted via Google Forms; a PDF version is available for reference only. The fellowship is administered by Madeline Alexander at the Incite Institute, located at 61 Claremont Avenue, Suite 1300, New York, NY 10115. No phone number or email address is provided in the source materials for direct inquiries, but applicants are encouraged to attend the information sessions or reach out through Incite’s website for more information.