Deadline- March 5, 2013
The Open Society Foundation is offering Grant opportunity for Documentary Photography Project to support visual documentation of important human rights and social issues in the region and provide training and mentorship to local photographers. This competition is open for applicants Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The focus of the grant and training program is to encourage long-form documentary storytelling that explores issues in-depth and over time, rather than spot news photography. The program promotes personal and professional growth through guided and personalized feedback, project assistance, and professional education. We also recognize the lack of affordable, advanced training programs for photographers in the region. This grant program aims to help locally-based photographers compete in international markets.
Ten photographers will receive US$3,500 each to produce a photo essay on a critical human rights or social issue in the region. Along with the stipend, fellows will participate in two master-level workshops on visual storytelling through photography and multimedia.
Please note that applicants are welcome to submit a proposal on a topic not included on this list-
- Conflict & Aftermath–
- War crimes and crimes against humanity
- Civilian casualties
- Truth and reconciliation
- Discrimination & Rights
- Disability rights/equality
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) rights
- Regional and ethnic integration
- Religious freedom
- Restrictions on freedom of information, press, association, and assembly
- Statelessness and citizenship
- Discrimination against migrants
- Resource development and exploitation
- Environmental degradation/pollution
- Drug policy and narcotics
- Palliative care
- Tuberculosis, HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C
- Access to essential medicines
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Justice
- Criminal justice system
- Pre-trial detention, including ill-treatment in custody
- Corruption of state institutions
- Migration
- Conflict-related displacement/refugees
- Labor migrants, migrant detention, returned migrants, border controls, migrant children and children left behind, labor migration from Central Asian republics to Russia
- Repatriation
- Urban Renewal
- Urban renewal and transformation
- Women’s participation in activism, politics, and decision making
- Violence against women, including harmful traditional practices
- Women’s human rights
- Youth activism
Eligibility
- The competition is open to photographers from the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
- Applicants must currently reside in their home country. Exceptions will be made for applicants from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan living outside their home country.
- Applicants from other countries may also be eligible if they can demonstrate a long-term commitment to one of the designated countries (for example, by having lived and worked in one of the countries for many years).
- Professional and emerging photographers are eligible to apply. Photographers who have not specialized in documentary photography will be considered as long as the proposed work is documentary in nature.
- Technical familiarity with photography is required. Journalists or activists who have not had experience with photography are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants must speak fluent English and/or Russian.
- Participants must be able to attend both workshops (in December 2013 and June 2014) and commit themselves to working and communicating consistently over the six months of the grant term.
- Collaborative projects will be considered and applicants from different countries may apply together (in which case each photographer will receive a $3,500 grant).
For more information, visit this link
