Applications Open for DocX Residency–Another World is Possible

“Another world is not only possible; she is on her way. Maybe many of us won't be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing.” ―Arundhati Roy, War Talk

DocX Residency–Another World is Possible is intended to be that space — a space to breathe and imagine what Robin D. G. Kelley refers to as “the world not yet born.”  

We are inspired by Ruha Benjamin’s reminder to “image and craft the worlds you cannot live without, just as you dismantle the ones you cannot live within.” What are you dismantling? What are you imagining?

The Invitation

The DocX Residency–Another World is Possible is an opportunity for documentary artists, independent scholars and knowledge-keepers whose work and practice centers counter knowledges, counter imagination and otherwise possibilities to be supported in their imagining. Three to five fellows will be selected for this DocX residency program and awarded $20,000 each to support projects (installation, film, photography exhibit, XR project, audio work, etc.) in a pivotal stage of late development or production. Fellows will be asked to reside in Durham, North Carolina, for a month, be offered a workspace at Duke University, and have access to campus resources to further their projects.

The residency is an invitation for documentary artists working across disciplines — filmmakers, photographers, multimedia artists, audio artists and independent researchers — to take space to breathe and create. In the first week, fellows will participate in community-building sessions with residency co-creator and facilitator Nyssa Chow, DocX Director Stephanie Owens and guest artists, before diving into their independent projects. In the following weeks, fellows will focus on their projects and are expected to engage with students at least once during their residency. They will also receive passes to the 2025 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival to take advantage of screenings, panels and networking events. At the end of the residency, fellows will participate in a public roundtable discussion about their questions and discoveries and contribute a short written piece about their practice for publication on the Center for Documentary Studies website.

Applications open on September 10, 2024, and close on October 14, 2024.

Who Should Apply?

Artists with an active documentary art practice who, through their practice or proposed project, are investigating or posing questions, thinking deeply/meaningfully/intentionally about imagining new worlds or dismantling oppressive frameworks. We invite artists who are eager for a space to pose questions and think deeply alongside a like-minded community. Projects that are in early development or ready for distribution are not eligible.

Independent scholars and knowledge keepers who have begun to turn their research into a documentary arts project are also welcome to apply. Perhaps you have been quietly preserving the archive of a community, an under-recognized lived history of a movement or even an intimate family archive and have a vision that you have begun to realize as a documentary arts project (installation, film, photography exhibit, XR project, audio work).

Who Are We?

DocX is invested in the potential of documentary practice to forward counter-knowledge, imagine speculative futures, interrogate what it means to listen and hear community and ourselves, articulate decolonial imaginations, weigh our embodied and situated knowledge, trouble matters of address and agency, and be in communion with these questions and with each other.

DocX Residency–Another World is Possible is co-created by Stephanie Owens and Nyssa Chow. It is the third iteration of the DocX initiative that began with the community of artists, dreamers and thinkers that convened in 2021 for the DocX Archive Lab–How Are We Known? Reimagining, Repurposing, and Rewriting the Archive, and continued with last spring’s DocX Development Lab–Otherwise Histories, Otherwise Futures week-long intensive.

We believe that joy, fellowship and reciprocal care for each other’s processes and intentions are essential for creating a truly generative space for imagination. To foster this, fellows and guests will share meals and engage in candid discussions during the orientation week. Impromptu conversations generate questions, revelations, laughter and points of interconnection that shape art practices and enrich our dialogues. The relationships established during orientation will serve as a nourishing support system throughout the rest of the residency.

How to Apply

Applicants should apply via our submission portal. Applications are open beginning September 10, 2024. The deadline to apply is October 14, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Final decisions by the selection committee will be announced by January 6, 2025. See the link to the application below. You can preview questions by clicking “preview application.” If you work on answers outside of the portal system, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies between the word count of your word-processing platform and that of SlideRoom.  

https://dukearts.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/80759/my20wHYxNE

For technical support related to uploading files, please contact SlideRoom. A technical guide for how to register and upload your files is also available. Any additional questions about the application and intensive can be submitted to docxlab@duke.edu.

FAQ

Who is eligible?

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and be at least 25 years old. Applicants can be from any demographic background, but we highly encourage Black, brown, queer, trans and disabled artists and researchers to apply. Applicants must not be currently enrolled in a full-time degree-granting program. Duke University students, faculty and staff, and previous DocX fellows, are not eligible to apply. Duke alumni must have graduated at least two years ago.

Who should apply?

The residency is designed for documentary artists, independent scholars and knowledge-keepers who need focused time to make a breakthrough in their work. Fellows will work independently but also be part of a supportive interdisciplinary cohort. The purpose of the residency is to support documentary artists, independent scholars and knowledge-keepers as they navigate making headway on their projects. The goal is for fellows to make significant breakthroughs and achieve meaningful advancements during the residency.

When will applicants be notified?

Applicants will be notified by January 6, 2025.

Can artist collectives apply?

Artist or researcher/artist teams of two are eligible to apply but must share the stipend and workspace provided. A collaborative team should apply with one application and include samples of work created together or by each, as well as bios for each person.

What is the housing situation?

Fellows are responsible for securing their own housing and travel to Durham, North Carolina. Housing recommendations will be offered.

What kinds of workspaces will be provided?

Workspaces will be assigned based on the needs of the fellows. There are no traditional art studios available (with wet sinks and largely open space). However, there are different size spaces that we’ll match with needs.

During your residency, you will also have access to the Nasher Museum of Art, Duke Libraries, rehearsal rooms, black-and-white photography wet darkrooms, and large-format printing machines. DocX is available to facilitate introductions and conversations with Duke University scholars, departments and our various institutes.

How is the stipend disbursed?

$5,000 is disbursed prior to the start of the residency to support housing and travel costs, and the remainder is disbursed at the end of the residency.

What is the time commitment?

Selected applicants must be available to be in Durham from March 18–April 18, to work full-time on their projects, as well as attend three virtual meetings prior to the residency. The inability to be in Durham for the month-long residency or attend virtual sessions forfeits participation and the stipend.