SOZO Fellowship PILOT
SOZO FELLOWSHIP Pilot
SOZO Fellowship Pilot is a 6-month coaching program designed to equip full time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training to reach new heights in their livelihood and creative endeavors.
Our goal is to empower you with the guidance, tools, and community to cultivate self-efficacy, develop new work, and propel your career forward.
SOZO Fellowship Pilot embraces a holistic approach through our unique framework, Artists and Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC). By addressing systemic gaps in artist support, we aim to unleash your fullest potential, enabling you to lead with your expansive vision.
This is a paid Fellowship opportunity. Each selected Fellow will receive a $2,000 honorarium for their participation.
Application Opens:
March 18, 2024
Noon PST
Application Closes:
April 18, 2024
11:59pm PST
Notification:
May 10, 2024
Pilot Run:
FROM June thru
DecEMBER 2024
“We must expand the definition of ‘artistic excellence’ to include equitable and sustainable practices and leadership capacity of artists”
— Rika Iino, SOZO Founder & Fellowship Pilot Lead Designer
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HIGHLIGHTS
SOZO Fellowship Pilot guides artists through a holistic framework of collective and individual learning, reflections and synthesis that includes:✔️ Visioning & Artist Identity: Clarifying purpose, values, and artistic horizon.
✔️ Sustainability & Wellbeing: Cultivating physical/mental/emotional vibrancy, and managing time and personal finances.
✔️ Entrepreneurial Mindset: Building business acumen, revenue models and strategies.
✔️ Creative Production: Scaffolding new work development and collaborations.
✔️ Community Support: Accessing peer mentorship and expanding your network.
✔️ Future Opportunity: Pitch a project to a panel of leading arts producers and presenters upon completion of Fellowship.
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STRUCTURE
SOZO Fellowship Pilot will run virtually for six months from June to Dec 2024 and includes:✔️ Up to 2 group sessions and interactive workshops per month via Zoom led by experts in wellness, finance and startups.
✔️ Up to 4 hours of active programming plus approximately 2 hours of individual learning per month.
✔️ 1:1 Coaching: Personalized guidance and support.
✔️ Asynchronous Learning: Online materials and resources; Access to recordings when you miss a session.
✔️ An intimate cohort of up to ten (10) SOZO Fellows for 2024.
✔️ A $2,000 honorarium paid to each Fellow for participation and completion of the program.
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ELIGIBILITY
US-based independent artists who are…✔️ Creating original work, with preferences given to multi-disciplinary performing arts, new media or mixed media.
✔️ Mid-career, defined as having a minimum of 6-10 years of professional paid work experiences in the business of arts, such as touring and developing commissioned works.
✔️ Able to commit focused time for learning and synthesis.
✔️ US citizens, green card and work visa holders.
✔️ BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and others from historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Artists whose primary income is from full time employment outside the non-profit cultural sector or teaching are not eligible.
If you are a highly motivated mid-career independent artist focused on threading together the layers of our world in a way which centers collaboration and a culture of care, we encourage you to apply!
TO APPLY
Please submit your application by April 18, 2024 at 11:59pm PST.
Estimated time to complete the application is 60-90 minutes.
Application questions can be accessed here prior to submitting the form to assist with your preparation.
Application Closes:
April 18, 2024
11:59pm PST
Notification:
May 10, 2024
Pilot Run:
June to Dec 2024
📤 If you have questions, please email office@sozomedia.com
team
SOZO Fellowship is a groundbreaking multi-year initiative designed and led by SOZO in collaboration with a group of experts from Wellness, Finance and Startup communities serving as coaches and program advisors. We are honored to work with partners who believe passionately in the cultural currency propelled by artists and are actively engaged in addressing systemic gaps in support systems.
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RIKA IINO
LEAD DESIGNER & SOZO FOUNDER
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DR. ONNA LO, MD
CO-DESIGNER & COACH
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TAMARA BATES
CO-DESIGNER & COACH
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BRYAN LATTIMORE
ADVISOR
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NINA ROBINSON
ADVISOR
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KAITLYN BOYER
PROGRAM ASSOCIATE
Funding Partners
FAQ
Q: I want to know more about the framework used in this program, “Artists & Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC).”
APEC is a framework designed by SOZO in response to the nonprofit industrial complex in the US, which has perpetuated funding inequities, power imbalances between institutions and artists, and prioritization of established art forms. Artists and creative producing entities running as small businesses from traditionally marginalized communities have been disproportionally impacted, making them particularly vulnerable and the process of developing and distributing new work often unsustainable, and their impact and wellbeing undermined. APEC centers diverse artists and creative producers working side by side to break down the cultural hegemony, build business resiliency and innovate a new economic paradigm for independent artists. APEC learning is anchored in a methodology called the Artist In(ter)dependence Matrix, developed by SOZO, to help artists map their journey towards self efficacy and resilience.
Q. How are the Fellows selected?
After we confirm the completion and eligibility of all applications, we will select up to 10 Fellows with input from a panel comprising coaches, advisors and creative producers. The panel will use a score system based primarily on the following criteria: a) Artistic integrity; b) Growth potential; c) Learning capacity; and d) Social relevance.
Q: I am not sure how I will make the time for this. What’s expected of me during the program?
Fellows are not required to present or create specific artistic projects during the Fellowship. However, Fellows are asked to invest their time and focused energy towards mindful participation and engagement during the live sessions. We believe the more you are able to intentionally participate, the more benefit you will receive in your personal, artistic and business development! For Fellows who are ambitious in their learning goals, we highly suggest you take advantage of asynchronous learning material.
Q: What does the honorarium cover?
We recognize that artists require resources in order to take the time needed to develop new skills and build their creative enterprises, just as they would when creating new artistic works. SOZO Fellowship Pilot awards each participating Fellow a $2,000 honorarium for their focused time and effort.
Q: What are my potential takeaways from the Pilot?
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to designing a fulfilling artistic career, we hope that through the SOZO Fellowship Pilot, the Fellows will be better equipped to develop: a) self-efficacy to be a more optimized version of themselves; b) a pathway towards improved personal and financial sustainability; c) an entrepreneurial & leadership mindset; and d) access to new support systems.
Q: Why is it called the Pilot?
2024 is our Pilot year, leaving ample space to evaluate our content, structure and processes, with an intention to formally launch the SOZO Fellowship program in 2025. We are designing the Pilot to allow for time and space for feedback and discussions with our Fellows as well as coaches and advisors.
Q: Does the Pilot address accessibility needs?
We are constantly improving our ability to accommodate accessibility needs, with a keen eye on the Zoom platform. We are still learning and welcome any accessibility recommendations! Feel free to connect with us via email at office@sozomedia.com.