National Leaders of Color Fellowship (LoCF)

Program Overview

The National Leaders of Color Fellowships (LoCF) is a transformative leadership development experience curated by Creative West (formerly WESTAF) in order to establish multicultural leadership in the creative and cultural sector.

During this no-cost eight-month fellowship, selected fellows receive access to specialists in the field, strategic learning objectives determined to deepen thought on anti-racist and culturally-oriented leadership practices, and national-level network and cohort building. Upon completion of this program, participants are granted alumni status and have opportunities to collaborate with the USRAO in their region as advisors, funding panelists, and/or other professional capacities.

The fellowship is online and typically takes place from the late fall through early summer of the subsequent year. Approximately 10 hours of work should be budgeted outside of the program dates listed below. As such, fellows are encouraged to receive pay from their employers for hours spent engaging in this fellowship opportunity. The USRAOs are available to provide a letter of support as a resource by request.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Candidates will meet the following criteria:
  • Self-identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a person of color;
  • Self-identify as an early or mid-career leader in the field of arts and culture;
  • Is an arts administrator or a significantly arts-interested member such as a volunteer or a public official;
  • Current resident of the United States, including U.S. Jurisdictions (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands); and
  • Have not participated in or have participated in limited amounts of high-quality professional leadership development opportunities.
• Additional considerations will ensure a cross-section of diversity in race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, community (urban/suburban/rural), artistic discipline, years of experience and/or affiliation with a culturally-specific organization.