Creative Fellowship

By applying to our 2024 Haitian Heritage Creative Fellowship, you are taking your first step to helping eradicate illiteracy by 2030 with NABU.

Welcome to NABU. We are so glad you are considering applying to become an Author or Illustrator Fellow at NABU. Our vision is a world where every child will have inclusive and equitable access to the resources they need to become literate, and we invite you to learn and create these resources alongside us.

For our 2024 Spring Creative Fellowship, we are calling on passionate and talented writers of Haitian heritage and illustrators of Caribbean heritage to help us meet the need for bilingual Haitian Creole children’s books. The Fellowship will teach the basics of children’s publishing through a 3-week Fellowship program.

This Fellowship program is based out of our NABU HP Creative Lab in Miami, with a virtual program option available for creatives of Haitian and Caribbean heritage around the globe. As a Fellow, you will be exposed to our global creative team that has trained over 150 artists around the world. We will support you to take your artistic skills to a whole new level. We can’t wait to get started working with you!

Who should apply? 

We have Fellowships available for 20 illustrators of Caribbean heritage, with digital drawing experience. You will be required to provide your portfolio as part of your application, and we are looking for early career artists who want to develop their creative skills and expression. There is no language requirement for the Illustrator Fellowship.

We also have Fellowships available for 10 writers of Haitian heritage, who are, preferably, Haitian Creole speakers and/or writers. We welcome aspiring storytellers with some writing experience, from all backgrounds. Students, teachers, parents, authors - anyone with a story to tell is welcome to apply.

What are the benefits of the program?

• A 3-week Fellowship experience to learn and develop your skills
• A $500 stipend (minimum attendance requirements apply) and additional travel stipend given to those attending in-person
• A creative space and state-of-the-art devices provided by HP within the NABU HP Creative Lab at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Centre in Miami, Florida
• Curriculum and mentorship provided by Michael Ross, NABU Creative Director, as well as other members of NABU’s senior creative team
• The opportunity to be part of a mission to create authentic books for children and families in underserved mother tongue languages, increasing literacy by preserving and sharing culture
• The experience of joining a global community of creators powering NABU’s mission

What is the commitment required?

Dates: The Fellowship runs for 3 weeks beginning Monday, January 15th, with a Graduation date of Thursday, February 8th.

Location: This is both an in-person and virtual program, with a strong preference for in-person attendance. Candidates who are based in Miami are encouraged to participate in the Fellowship in person, knowing hands-on training is highly beneficial. For Fellows participating in person, the Fellowship will take place at the NABU HP Creative Lab located inside the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Miami. For Fellows participating virtually, Zoom links for sessions will be provided.

Time: There is a time commitment of 5 hours per week (two sessions per week running 2.5 hours each). This time commitment consists of two mandatory classes on Monday and Thursday mornings at 9am EST. Fellows are required to be present at every class. Missed classes without reasonable explanation will result in forfeiting your stipend and losing your Fellowship spot. *The Lab will be open from 9 am - 5 pm during the Fellowship for those who wish to come for Office Hours and use our HP devices for practice or receive additional support from NABU's Program Manager.

What are the outcomes?

By the end of the Fellowship, you will have found your artistic voice and gained the skills required to publish world-class, high-quality children’s books.

We aim to support your artistic development and authentic discovery, as well as helping you reach beyond the limits of what you thought possible!

In addition, NABU unlocks other opportunities. We grant a number of community events and offer exposure for our Fellows to grow as they learn. And, our Post Fellow Plan will allow Fellows who join our Fellow Alumni to scope more opportunities. Your options don’t end with the cohort!

Please follow the steps to complete the application. If you have any questions, please contact rachelle@nabu.org, and we will make sure to get back to you within 24 hours to help with any inquiries.

Applications are due by Thursday, December 7th, 2023, at 11.59pm EST.

Author Application

Illustrator Application