Open Call: Resurrection Archive Fellowship

Deadline: April 11th

Freedom to Grow is excited to announce an open call for a five-month Archivist fellowship, welcoming applicants who are able to work in person in New Orleans at least two days a week. Applications from individuals who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system are particularly encouraged.

This residency offers a unique opportunity to preserve, document, and uplift the histories of movement leaders who began their organizing journeys while incarcerated. The archivist will conduct research, collect oral histories, and work closely with the Freedom to Grow team to build the foundation for the John Thompson Legacy Center’s permanent archival collection. Their work will also be shared with an Artist in Residence to create a piece for the collection of the John Thompson Legacy Center in New Orleans. 

About Freedom to Grow

Freedom to Grow is an abolitionist-driven initiative that merges art, land-based healing justice, community power, and archival practices. Over the next three years, we are developing the John Thompson Legacy Center for Abolition and Beyond in New Orleans— a space that uplifts the stories and contributions of those who began organizing while incarcerated. The Legacy Center will serve as a site for radical history, cultural preservation, and community engagement. The work of the archivist will enter into the permanent collection of the John Thompson Legacy Center’s Resurrection Archive. 

Residency Details

• Who Can Apply: Archivists and journalists, with special encouragement for those directly impacted by the criminal justice system. Applicants should be able to work in person in New Orleans at least two days a week.

• Residency Duration: Five months, starting in late April. Public Exhibition will be held in September. 

• Support Provided: Stipend, access to research materials, workspace, and opportunities for public engagement.

• Outcomes: The resident archivist will research and document the legacy of movement leaders who organized while incarcerated, present their findings in a written piece and a public installation at the end of the fellowship, and will share their research with the Freedom to Grow Artist in Residence. 

• Time Commitment: Deliverables are outcome-based, but time commitment is estimated at 20-25 hours a week

• Research Stipend: $16,000

• Materials: $4,000

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit in one PDF:

• A brief statement (500 words max) that answers these questions: 

• What does the word archive mean to you?

• How do you see the role of archives in disrupting systems of mass incarceration?

• Examples of previous written archive and research work.

• A CV or bio outlining relevant experience.

We strongly encourage applications from system-impacted individuals, particularly those whose work challenges dominant narratives and preserves histories of resistance. We are open to applications from candidates with non-traditional archive backgrounds, and at all stages of their careers. 

Deadline: April 11th
Send Application to: alexis@freedomtogrow.org

For questions or more information, contact alexis@freedomtogrow.org