Edinburgh | Global Cultural Fellows programme call

The Institute for International Cultural Relations at the University of Edinburgh invites applications for the Global Cultural Fellows programme for 2017-18. The Global Cultural Fellows will explore cultural interests and values during academic year 2017-18 including a week of intensive activities during the world-famous Edinburgh festivals from 12-18 August 2017.

Each year the Global Cultural Fellows will explore a different theme. For 2017-18, the theme would be “Exploring Cultural Interests and Values”. Cultural interests and values are collectively held beliefs, ideas, and learning experiences. The 70th anniversary of the birth of the festival city of Edinburgh offers an important opportunity to explore the cultural values that created one of the biggest annual cultural interactions in human history. The global values that informed the creation of the festival resulted from the vision of a few individuals and were fostered through a network of global and national institutions. Broadly, they reflected the Enlightenment Project with an optimistic view of learning from human interactions.

In exploring cultural interests and values at the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Festivals, the Institute for International Cultural Relations (IICR) will appoint 30 Global Cultural Fellows from around the world to take part in a series of curated conversations. 2016 was a tumultuous political and cultural year. It provides the motivation for IICR to examine the cultural origins of our interests and values.

The Cultural Conversations -- rooted in participatory research techniques -- will explore the creation, contestation, and choices for cultural interests and values, including universal values. The conversations will take place during 7 days of the festival, with a day devoted at the end of the week to bring together the themes. After the conversations, the Global Cultural Fellows will stay involved in IICRs activities for the 2017-18 academic year from their home organisation.

Format & Activities

During the week of the Exploring Cultural Interests and Values initiative, Fellows will attend pre-selected events at the festivals, as well as structured deliberations at the University of Edinburgh. The deliberations at the University will engage the Fellows in presentations and workshops during the mornings followed by pre-identified festival events during the afternoon and evenings. IICR will produce our own Fellows Events Programme working with festival directors and each day explore one theme related to cultural interests and values.

The selected Global Cultural Fellows will submit a short essay of about 1000 words for the catalogue for the urated Conversations. After the festival, the Fellows will also contribute a story about their experience, in a textual or multimedia format, recounting their experiences in Edinburgh, and subsequent engagements with their communities or organizations.

Qualifications Required

We seek individuals concerned about our cultural interests and values with respect to globalization. We are looking for innovative professionals intensely engaged with their organizations and communities. They should be interested in cultural politics and the relationship of the arts to our communities.

We would like a diverse mix of fellows who could be skeptic or celebratory of globalization processes. The fellows can come from any sphere of activity. Prior or current employment in arts and cultural activities is useful but not a necessary qualification.

Application Requirements & Deadline

There are four application requirements:

A cover letter which explains (a) your motivation to apply for the Global Cultural Fellows programme, (b) how you think your appointment as a Global Cultural Fellow will be useful for your professional or personal growth, and (c) the ways you would contribute to further cultural conversations after the Edinburgh programme to your community or organization.

A resume or curriculum vitae

Names and contact information for two professional references

Please include a note confirming that you are willing to serve as a Global Cultural Fellow for 2017-18 including in-person attendance at Edinburgh’s Festivals from 12-18 August 2017.

Applications should be sent to cultural.relations@ed.ac.uk before 15 March 2017 with the following subject: “Application for Global Cultural Fellows Programme”.

The fellows will be announced by 15 April 2017.

Financial Support

If selected, the costs of the Fellows Events Programme in Edinburgh (not including travel and hotel) will be borne by the Institute for International Cultural Relations. This includes the cost of tickets to the festival, subsidized accommodation, provision of the catalogue, and breakfast and lunch.

If you require financial support beyond what is being already provided, please include a statement of financial need in your application. However, we cannot pay for passport or visa fees. We can only provide financial support on a needs basis.