SINCERELY

STORYTELLER FELLOWSHIP

All applicants are asked to:

  1. Complete the Sincerely Storyteller Fellowship application form (by clicking on the button below);

  2. Submit a pdf consisting of a 1-page written summary of their project as well as between 5 and 15 images, including short captions from their project to info@sincerely-foundation.org.

About The Fellowship

What is the Sincerely Storyteller Fellowship

The Sincerely Storyteller Fellowship program is the foundation’s pilot program. As part of the program, we select a small number of visual storytellers and support the completion and circulation of their storytelling project by means of financial and mentoring support over a long-term period, focused very much also on the personal development of the visual storytellers 

The fellowship is targeted at visual storytellers that are at the early stages of their career and so apart from supporting the project, the fellowship is aimed at developing you as a photographer.

The program selects storytellers with a clear project in mind within the communities they work with. These projects can be at various stages in terms of their development.

Who will be selected?

The applications to the program will be judged by an independent jury and will be assessed based on the criteria of (1) community impact and (2) quality of photography.

The selected storytellers will be talented both in their photography approach as well as in their ability to work and support local communities.

For the first year, the application will be open to Moroccan photographers and its diaspora with projects based in Morocco.

What does the Fellowship involve?

(1) A financial grant to support the project, up to $3,000 per grant. As part of the application, we ask all applicants to share a rough breakdown of how they envision using the grant. Part of the grant can also go towards personal development goals.

(2) A designated photography mentor to provide guidance throughout the program duration.

(3) A designated mentor to support on the execution of the community project.

(4) Opportunity to present the project and exhibit the photographs at various intervals at a designated venue in Casablanca (funded outside of grant).

(5) Support in sale of photography online.

In Partnership with Carmencita Film Lab.

Additional Information.

Eligibility

  • For the first year, we will only consider photographers with projects in Morocco 

  • The fellowship is targeted at “upcoming” photographers, i.e. at the early stage of their career. Early stage is roughly defined as someone who has not had any major solo exhibitions or any photo book published yet.

  • We ask for evidence of existing engagement with the community you are working with for the project.               If there are no media items yet, please tell us in the application documents what progress has been made so far

  • The deadline to submit your 2024 Sincerely Storyteller Fellowship application is 31st May 2024. Note that only complete applications (completed application form and submitted portfolio) will be considered

What do we support? 

  • The progress and circulation of meaningful storytelling projects. As part of the application, we ask you to give us a concrete project milestone that you want to reach over the duration of the fellowship, which we will work towards together.

  • We want to help you develop your career in the way you want to. Whether it is English lessons to improve your pitches, attending networking events, helping to put on a first exhibition, or getting into your first international exhibition. Tell us about areas that you want to grow in and we will adapt the fellowship to your needs

Additional information

  • All selected fellows who are shortlisted will be contacted for an interview

  • If you are selected, a member of our team will notify you by email and you will be given further instructions from there

  • We view the Sincerely Storyteller Fellowship as a circular program, meaning selected storytellers have the opportunity to contribute to future selected storytellers. We achieve this by offering a small number of images from the photo series of selected photographers for sale as prints, with a share of the proceeds used to fund future Sincerely Storyteller Fellowships.

  • Application results will be announced in June 2024.