Createquity Writing Fellowship | Spring 2011

Overview

Createquity.com, a blog and unique virtual think tank promoting next-generation ideas about the role of the arts in a creative society, is seeking talented arts policy writers and researchers for the inaugural Createquity Writing Fellowship. Createquity was founded by Fractured Atlas Research Director Ian David Moss when he was a first-year business school student in October 2007, and now reaches more than 1000 regular readers via email, RSS, and web around the world. Createquity has received significant acclaim for its “lively” and “must-read” commentary on topics including arts policy, arts philanthropy, urban planning, economics, leadership, and research, and is consistently ranked among the top arts blogs by third-party websites.

Createquity Writing Fellows will hold the position for one semester (spring 2011), at the successful conclusion of which they will be welcome to continue writing for the site on an ad hoc basis. Fellows are expected to write two to three larger pieces and approximately two to five smaller pieces* during the course of their term. One of the larger pieces must be a write-up for the Arts Policy Library, a project that synthesizes important arts publications (research studies, books, etc.) for a lay audience.

Article topics may be proposed by the Fellow or assigned. Each Fellow is encouraged to specify one or more areas of interest that he or she would like to pursue during the semester. Some of the many possible “beats” Fellows might choose to take on include:

• Cultural policy outside of the United States
• State and local arts policy and advocacy
• Arts education research or policy
• Technology and arts policy (e.g., cultural mapping, mobile apps, etc.)
• Measurement and metrics in the arts
• Intersection of the arts with another, specific discipline (e.g., cognitive science, community organizing, economics)

If Fellows have an existing blog, cross-posting content generated for Createquity is allowed and encouraged. Fellows will receive significant exposure to the Createquity readership community, which includes officials at most major national arts foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, and locally-focused arts councils and organizations all across the country, as well as many of the field’s top researchers and consultants. Furthermore, Fellows may interact directly with top leaders in the field in the course of specific writing assignments. Opportunities will be sought out to promote the Fellows and their work as appropriate during the Fellowship term.

* “Larger” pieces are defined here as 1500+ words in length; “smaller” pieces are up to 800 words. Word counts are approximate and should be treated as guidelines rather than strict maximums or minimums.

Things to Know About This Opportunity

• While the Fellowship is open to all, emerging leaders (including students) are particularly encouraged to apply. This opportunity will be especially attractive to anyone who is currently or will soon be looking for a job/contract work in arts policy, philanthropy, research, or consulting.
• As Createquity currently generates no revenue, there is no financial compensation offered with the Fellowship. School credit (for internships) is available on request.
• As a Fellow, you will work closely with me (Ian) and can expect to receive significant editorial guidance on the content, structure, and prose of your pieces. I will not ask you to change your opinions, but I will challenge you to articulate your arguments clearly and expect you to offer robust justifications for them. In addition, I will work with you to eliminate any typos, imprecise language, and other common writing pitfalls from your prose, hopefully for good. It is not uncommon for articles to go through several drafts before they finally appear on Createquity.

Application Process and Criteria for Selection

Createquity Writing Fellows must possess outstanding writing and keen critical thinking capabilities, and be comfortable working remotely in a collaborative environment. A basic background in statistics and social science research methods is helpful, but not required.

To apply, please submit the following materials to fellowship@createquity.com by 12pm EST on January 18, 2011:

1. A bio or resume describing who you are and what you do (please include contact information)
2. A brief (approx. 250-word) statement of why you are interested in this opportunity and in what areas (if any) you’d like to specialize
3. Two writing samples. The first sample should demonstrate your ability to write clear, engaging, accessible prose, the kind that would be appropriate for a blog post. The second sample should show you critically engaging with a text in order to assess the strength of its arguments and put them in broader context (this can be a school paper if you like). If you can provide a single writing sample that shows both of these qualities, so much the better. The samples can be of any length, but they must be entirely your own work.

Applicants will be notified of their status by January 24, 2011. Fellowships begin February 1 and will last until June 30. Feedback on unsuccessful applications will be provided upon request.

About Ian David Moss

Ian David Moss is Research Director for Fractured Atlas, where he is lead designer for Archipelago, a new suite of software tools for cultural asset mapping, and provides impact assessment and program evaluation consulting to both internal and external clients. A composer and choral singer, he founded two first-of-their-kind performing ensembles in New York City: a hybrid electric chamber ensemble/experimental rock band that commissioned works by classical composers for rock instruments (Capital M), and a choral collective dedicated to the music of living composers (C4). Ian is a member of the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Council and was recently named one of the nonprofit arts sector’s top 25 “most powerful and influential leaders” by arts consultant and blogger Barry Hessenius. He holds a BA and an MBA from Yale University.