Applications are now open for the Climate Crisis + Media Arts Fund to support the production of films and media art that address the climate crisis through innovative approaches.

These one-off prizes of up to $10,000 can be applied to new projects or works in progress in film, video, sound art, installation, or interactive media. The selection committee will evaluate proposals on artistic merit and formal novelty, with a preference for new approaches to the climate emergency that aid in the cultural transformation(s) necessary for planetary health and sustainability.

The Climate Crisis + Media Arts Fund welcomes proposals that are collaborative in authorship, especially if these collaborations are interdisciplinary (e.g. climate science and artistic practice, community activism and artistic practice, social science and artistic practice, etc.). Its aim is to support projects that engage with this urgent problem in a critical and creative way, so as to go beyond statistics and instead reveal human and non-human experiences of the climate crisis, be they local or transnational, direct or oblique, sensory or discursive.

Financing information

• Each award grants up to $10,000 in funding for a new project or work in progress in film, video, sound art, installation, game design, or interactive media. The award is intended to cover costs related to the creation of the proposed project, which include equipment hire and supplies; travel and transport costs; stipends for artists, academics and community partners; archiving and community engagement costs; post-production expenses; costs associated with health and safety (e.g. COVID protocols), etc.
• Funds may not be used for expenses unrelated to the proposed project, such as political fundraising, tuition fees, or other projects not included in the prize application. Award winners will be notified by May 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

• They welcome applications from artists and/or scholars from all backgrounds who work in film and media art. There are no citizenship or residency requirements to apply. They encourage applications from people who identify as BIPOC, women, queer and/or trans, people with disabilities, and people with limited access to other sources of funding and technical support, and especially encourage applications from people living and working on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

Requirements

• Awardees will commit to an event showcasing their completed work or a portion of their work in progress in May 2024 on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. A short final report will also be required and award-winning projects should acknowledge funding with the following line in the project credits: "Produced with the support of the Climate Crisis + Media Arts Working Group of the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs".

For more information, visit Climate Crisis + Media Arts Fund.