APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
DEADLINE JUNE 7
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN DEADLINE JUNE 7
The Disruptors Fellowship is an annual program for emerging television writers of color who identify as trans, nonbinary, disabled or undocumented/formerly undocumented immigrants.
POWERED BY
THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL POWER
About
The Disruptors Fellowship is an unprecedented fellowship supporting emerging television writers of color who identify as transgender, non-binary, disabled, or undocumented/formerly undocumented. During this 3-month program, fellows are provided with mentorship, professional development, master classes and an opportunity to build community with other writers of color, both emergent and leaders in their field. Each fellow will receive a $10,000 stipend!
NOTE: Applications for Disruptors 2024 will be available in May! If you have any questions, reach out to Julio Salgado at julio@culturalpower.org
Artist Cohorts
Our fellowship focuses on emerging TV writers from these communities:
TRANS & NON-BINARY
DISABLED
UNDOCUMENTED & FORMALLY UNDOCUMENTED
See the full eligibility criteria here.
WORKSHOP A TV PILOT
MASTERCLASSES IN TV WRITING
INSIGHTS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
MENTORING FROM A TV WRITER
$10,000 STIPEND
COMMUNITY OF CREATIVES
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WORKSHOP A TV PILOT
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MASTERCLASSES IN TV WRITING
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INSIGHTS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
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MENTORING FROM A TV WRITER
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$10,000 STIPEND
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COMMUNITY OF CREATIVES
Fellowship Schedule
APPLICATION WINDOW
May 1 - June 7, 2024
APPLICATION DEADLINE
June 7, 2024
2024 FELLOWS NOTIFIED
Late July 2024
TUESDAY & THURSDAY SESSIONS*
August 8 - October 17
In-person Sessions: 6PM-7:30PM
Online Sessions 7PM-8:30PM
FELLOWSHIP KICK-OFF PARTY
August TBD • 6PM-9PM PST (In-Person)
Los Angeles, Location TBD
DISRUPTORS SHOWCASE
November TBD (In-Person)
CLOSING CELEBRATION
November TBD (In-Person)
*As COVID-19 conditions continue to evolve over time, The Center for Cultural Power will continue to err on the side of caution and safety for our staff and community. We encourage folks to stay home if you feel unwell and encourage all participants to wear masks at in-door functions. Please contact julio@culturalpower.org for questions, concerns and additional accommodations.
If you’re someone working in the TV industry and would like an invite to our in-person showcase, email julio@culturalpower.org.
A Fellowship for a New World
Culture is power–it shapes us, sets the terms of the world we live in, and informs how we perceive issues, stories, and each other. Yet, white supremacy holds so much power as culture makers, reinforcing and perpetuating systems of oppression and preventing racial and gender equity from becoming the norm. The Disruptors Fellowship aims to change that.
The Disruptors Fellowship builds new pathways for Artist Disruptors, enabling them to generate more narratives that inspire and define their experiences on their own terms. As artist disruptors increase their power and impact, they accelerate narrative change and shift culture.
#OscarsSoWhite, #MeToo, and #TimesUp disrupted cultural norms around racial and gender justice, taking aim at the structures that normalize abuse and oppression, and catalyzed an effort to bring more diverse narratives to the forefront. The Disruptors Fellowship continues to build on this momentum and energy and chart new ways forward.
Dismantling the status quo in Hollywood demands investment in artists who are directly impacted by systems of oppression and who are working toward solutions.
Artists Disruptors are dedicated to their craft and committed to creating a more just and harmonious world.
THE INDUSTRY IS DOMINATED BY WHITE MEN*
96%
OF HOLLYWOOD FILM
EXECUTIVES ARE WHITE
94%
OF FILM DIRECTORS
ARE MEN
81%
OF HOLLYWOOD BOARD
MEMBERS ARE MEN
91%
OF TV SHOW
CREATORS ARE WHITE
78%
OF TV SHOW
CREATORS ARE MEN
*Statistics from Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC, the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA and the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Tell Your Story
WELCOME TO DISRUPTORS
WELCOME TO DISRUPTORS
“I liked this program because I didn’t run into the same Hollywood types! The other fellows feel like real people, like they’ve lived a life. I feel very alone trying to tell undocumented stories for TV. So it was nice to find people through this program that are trying to write about this and have this sensibility.”
Rubén Mendive
2023 DISRUPTORS ALUMNI
“This is a very unique program that centers and cultivates the growth of marginalized artists. This program feels like home. I’m amongst people–not just the fellows but the administration too–of likeminds. And it’s very rare in this industry. This is a very radical experience and you’re not going to get this anywhere else.”
Morgan B. Powell
2023 DISRUPTORS ALUMNI
