Pyragraph’s Supercharge Your Vote campaign seeks to engage and encourage artists and creatives to get registered and vote in the 2020 Presidential election. The campaign also promotes participation in other civic engagement activities such as the 2020 Census. As part of this campaign we have published a Voter Guide, a Supercharge Your Vote infographic, a Supercharge Your Vote video and other content. In addition, supported by the New Mexico Humanities Council, we have started a monthly videocast featuring guests and entertainment, including historians, scholars, artists and culture producers. 

We want to add more voices from the arts and culture community to the discussion about voting and civic engagement, so we are soliciting video submissions from New Mexico artists and cultural producers on the theme of “Freedom and Justice.” Through a generous sponsorship from the New Mexico Humanities Council, we can offer a stipend of up to $200 for each submission. We aim to air submissions during our videocasts, on websites and social media channels for both Pyragraph and the New Mexico Humanities Council, and on airings related to the NMHC’s ongoing Democracy and the Informed Citizen series. More details below.

Video Format and Narrative Statement Guidelines

Videos should be between 5 and 10 minutes long, and can feature a wide variety of work including performances of original songs, spoken word, monologues, conversations, dance, theater, stop-motion, computer art, experimental film, or any other content type that can be shared with a video, and that the contributor owns in its entirety. The only requirements are that 1) the content speak to issues of freedom and justice, and 2) no other entity owns any copyright to the work, or to any parts of the work (i.e. background music) you present in the video.

In addition, the contributor will be asked to submit a short narrative statement to accompany the work. As with the video, the narrative statement should speak to the contributor’s perspective on the topic of freedom and justice. Word count should be between 250 and 800 words. We will publish the narrative statement along with the video at Pyragraph.com.

We are open to a wide variety of angles on the topic of freedom and justice, including artistic freedom, personal freedom, racial equity/justice, etc. Consider the following as a jumping off point for ideas:

Freedoms often compete with one another, and constitutionally guaranteed rights can come into conflict. My right to reopen my business and earn a living. Your right to a safe and healthy environment. Your right to own firearms; mine to safe schools. Your land rights and drilling rights; mine to combat climate change. A professor’s right to teach controversy; a student’s right to be notified about triggering content. Freedom to gather and protest; freedom from harm and destruction. Due process. Free speech. Responsible speech. What freedoms are of highest value to us? What freedoms are denied? How do some liberties come into conflict with others?

Similarly, many different angles on justice can be explored: What is the relationship between equality and justice? How do privileges and biases affect justice for individuals and communities? How can identity shape our perception of justice? How can historical injustices be addressed, and how do concepts of justice change over time and generations?  

Eligibility, Application Process, Invitation to Submit

Artists based in New Mexico are eligible for this opportunity. Contributors from communities of color are encouraged to apply.

We are asking interested artists to apply for an invitation to submit their video, by describing the video they intend to submit. The application appears below. Note that the application does not ask you to submit a completed video. Applications will be reviewed by the NM Humanities Council and Pyragraph and evaluated for whether they meet our goal of sharing artists’ voices about the relevant topic/theme. If we approve your application, we will invite you to submit your video.

Approval and Stipend

Once we accept your application and invite you to submit your video, it is our intention to approve videos as submitted and pay the stipend promptly. Pyragraph and the NM Humanities Council reserve the right to reject submissions if we find them counter to the values of access, equity, and justice. Racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, or any other type of hateful speech will be rejected, at our discretion.

A stipend of $200 will be paid for each accepted submission. We will consider videos shorter than 5 minutes long; the stipend would be reduced to $100. When you submit your video, please also submit an invoice including your name and mailing address so we can process your stipend. Stipends will be paid within 15 days of submission and acceptance of video.

Deadlines

We will be accepting applications through October, 2020 and possibly longer depending on the volume of applications we receive. We will include videos during our livestreams if they are submitted and accepted at least one week prior to the scheduled date of that livestream. We will share videos on other platforms and channels as we receive and accept them.

Ownership/License

As the contributor, you retain all copyright in your work and give Pyragraph and the NM Humanities Council permission to: 1) include the work in any editions of the Supercharge Your Vote videostream 2) include the work and/or excerpts of the work in shorter videos edited from the full livestream 3) post the work at Pyragraph.com, and 4) distribute the work and/or excerpts of the work on social media channels associated with Pyragraph and the New Mexico Humanities Council as part of the Supercharge Your Vote campaign. Credit will be given in all cases.

Application