Asian Cultural Council: New York Fellowship Grant

Asian Cultural Council: New York Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Asian Cultural Council Inc
Last Updated: October 28, 2025

Summary

The Asian Cultural Council's New York Fellowship offers a transformative six-month program for artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia. Participants engage deeply with New York City's vibrant cultural landscape, attending performances, exhibitions, and workshops while building networks with local communities. This unique opportunity fosters peer-learning and individual artistic development, encouraging fellows to incorporate their experiences into their practices and contribute to their home cultures. The fellowship emphasizes exploration, exchange, and support, culminating in a rich cultural immersion.

Overview

NOTE: Letters of Recommendation Due: November 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM U.S. EST New York Fellowship The New York Fellowship is a six-month program that offers artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich and varied cultural life of New York City and the United States, and to develop their artistic practices and perspectives from this cultural immersion experience. What does the New York Fellowship offer? Freedom to ExploreA New York Fellowship is a valuable and rare pause in the day-to-day activities of an artist, scholar, or arts professional, giving them a chance to dive into a new, rich cultural landscape–it is not a residency or a public relations or performance tour. New York Fellows, motivated by their own research and cultural exchange objectives, will spend six months visiting arts and cultural institutions in New York City and around the U.S., attending performances, exhibitions, meeting with other arts professionals, scholars, and members of the local community, participating in workshops and discussions, conducting archival research, and more. ACC hopes that New York Fellows will use the learnings and insights from this cultural exchange experience to shape their own practice and later contribute to larger artistic and cultural communities back home. Peer-Learning and ExchangeNew York Fellows will join a cohort of fellow artists, scholars, and arts professionals. Cohort members come from different countries, territories, and regions in Asia, have diverse artistic backgrounds and experiences, and have varying research and cultural exchange objectives.  Through group activities and exploration of New York’s arts and cultural communities, New York Fellows have a unique experience learning from each other and developing bonds that can last a lifetime. Activities and EventsNew York Fellows have the opportunity to participate in diverse activities during their six-month program. Informed by fellows’ interests and areas of practice, ACC will organize group activities that may include visits to arts and cultural institutions, performances, exhibitions, discussions with local artists and arts professionals from diverse disciplines, and gatherings with local ACC alumni.  New York Fellowship cohorts also often co-organize their own group activities, visits, trips, and meals around the city.  In addition to the scheduled group activities, ACC staff will share a curated, bi-monthly (every other month) events bulletin with recommended exhibitions, performances, festivals, and other cultural events in New York City. Individualized SupportACC offers New York Fellows “office hour” appointments during which they can meet with our staff to brainstorm and receive feedback on their fellowship research and activities. ACC is committed to making connections between current New York Fellows and ACC alumni who have shared interests and relevant expertise and can offer advice. Staff can connect New York Fellows with resources, potential contacts, and information to advance their research. Fellows can contact ACC Program Staff to schedule office hours as desired throughout their six-month stay. International HouseNew York Fellows are also given the opportunity to reside at the International House (I-House) during their fellowship. I-House is a residential learning community located in New York City's vibrant Morningside Heights neighborhood.  New York Fellows who choose and are admitted to I-House (subject to availability) will be provided a studio apartment and access to a variety of amenities, including a fitness center, laundry facilities, a dining hall, health and wellness services, study and practice spaces, as well as event programming organized by I-House.  I-House residents will have their housing fee deducted directly from their ACC grant in advance of their arrival, meaning New York Fellows who are I-House residents will not need to process their housing payment on their own. Independent Housing Option New York Fellows are not required to reside at I-House and may secure their own housing arrangements. However, please note that ACC is unable to provide assistance with independent housing searches, negotiate rental agreements, or serve as a guarantor. ACC is not liable for New York Fellows’ independent housing decisions. Fellowship Period Fellows must commit to pursuing the New York Fellowship for the full duration of one of the two cohort periods below. While applicants are asked to indicate their preferred cohort period, ACC reserves the right to make cohort assignments. January 1, 2027 – June 30, 2027 July 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027 Fellows must arrive in the U.S. no later than the first week of the program start date and depart no earlier than the last week of the program period. Fellowship Travel While New York Fellows may visit other cities and regions of the U.S., ACC strongly discourages international travel during the New York Fellowship, with the exception of medical and family emergencies and fundamental, time-limited (less than ten days) career engagements that are approved by ACC at least 60 days before the fellowship start date (see also the visa requirements below).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. In addition to the general eligibility requirements (see here), applicants to the New York Fellowship program must carefully review and meet the following eligibility requirements:Applicants must be citizens or legal permanent residents of one of ACC’s eligible countries, territories, and regions. Note: New York Fellowship applicants cannot be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents.Applicants must be able to demonstrate at least five years of experience in one of ACC’s eligible disciplines at the time of their application. Applicants, if awarded, must be over the age of 21 by the New York Fellowship start date. Applicants, if awarded, cannot actively pursue university coursework or teaching (in-person or online) for their degree program during their fellowship. New York Fellows enrolled in a university degree program should take a temporary leave of absence from these activities during their fellowship. Applicants must feel confident in their ability to speak English in order to participate in conversations and form relationships without special language assistance. While applicants may have different degrees of English proficiency, we expect Fellows to be able to conduct daily tasks, write basic emails, and have the confidence to ask for help. The U.S. government requires all J-1 visa-holders to speak English at a sufficient level. Applicants cannot be previous recipients of a New York Fellowship.