The New York Fellowship is a 6-month program that provides support to artists and arts and culture professionals working across disciplines, empowering them to take risks, develop their artistic practices, and take time to immerse themselves in the rich and varied cultural life of New York City and the United States.
The New York Fellowship aims to foster Fellows’ understanding of the many diverse cultures and communities in New York City and the U.S. We posit that cultural understanding is uniquely imparted through first-hand experience, regardless of form or method, and that the impact of cultural exchange manifests in diverse ways. We ask applicants to clearly articulate the impact they wish to gain for themselves and others, and what interests them in spending time abroad and exposing themselves to new cultures.
This 6-month grant is not a residency or an individual’s personal public relations tour. Rather, a New York Fellowship is a valuable and rare pause in an artist or art professional’s everyday activities to take a deep dive into a new, rich cultural landscape. ACC hopes that New York Fellows will take the learnings and insights from this cultural exchange experience to influence their own practice, and later contribute to the artistic and cultural communities back home.
New York Fellows are not required to remain in New York City throughout their fellowship. While most New York Fellows will reside in New York City over the course of their fellowship, ACC welcomes applications that propose short visits to other locations in the U.S. ACC encourages New York Fellows to start their fellowship in New York City, to attend orientation and meet co-Fellows and ACC staff.
About Asian Cultural Council
The Asian Cultural Council is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for international cultural exchange to artists, scholars, and arts professionals between Asia and the United States. ACC advances international dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.
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Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship
Aim and Benefits of Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship
Budget for New York Fellowship
- ACC will award New York Fellowship grants of $35,000 USD for six (6) months.
- New York Fellows are expected to manage their own awarded and personal finances according to their research project and the high cost of living of New York City.
- Please note that the expenses below are deducted from the total grant amount. This means that the amount issued to New York Fellows after their arrival in New York may be $15,580 - $16,630 USD (roughly $2,596 - $2,772 USD/month over six (6) months), if they choose to reside at the International House.
- $220 USD for the DS-2019 J-1 visa fees
- $150-$200 USD for mandatory travel health insurance
- Roughly $18,000-19,000 USD for a 6-month stay at International House (NOTE: Residence at International House is optional and the above amount is an approximate estimate of a 6-month stay in 2025. Learn more below.)
- While ACC will manage payments for the above expenses, New York Fellows must pay $185 separately for their visa processing application (DS-160) as well as their airfare and other related costs.
- New York Fellows may choose to receive a $3,000 USD advance payment before their arrival in the U.S., to pay for travel-related expenses in advance.
Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship Courses
Requirements for Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship Qualification
The general eligibility requirements (see above), please note the following:
- Must be over the age of 21 by the New York Fellowship start date.
- Must be able to demonstrate at least five (5) years of experience in one of ACC’s eligible fields (see under General Eligibility).
- Applicants cannot be enrolled in university studies during the time of the fellowship.
- Applicants cannot be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Previous New York Fellows are not eligible to apply to the New York Fellowship again.
- If you were a project participant in an organization that received ACC funding, please contact [email protected] to confirm if you are eligible for a New York Fellowship.
Strong applications :
- An explanation of the applicant’s interest in ACC's mission and how spending time abroad and exposure to new cultures will enable them to contribute to this mission.
- A thoughtful overview of the activities and ideas related to your research and cultural immersion. While ACC does not expect a day-to-day schedule, we are interested in how you intend to spend your time during a New York Fellowship, what you hope to gain from this experience, and the impact that you hope these activities will have on you and on others.
- Possible contacts and connections that will help you with your research and cultural immersion.
Requirements
New York Fellows are expected to choose from one (1) of the following cohort options and are required to commit to the full, uninterrupted 6-month program term:
- January – June 2026
- July – December 2026
If you cannot commit to one of these cohorts in its entirety, please consider applying for an Individual Fellowship, which allows for shorter Fellowship durations. The dates and duration of a New York Fellowship are non-negotiable.
- ACC discourages New York Fellows from traveling outside the U.S. during the 6-month program, except for urgent family or medical purposes and with some exceptions for necessary professional travel approved by ACC. The J-1 visa program requires that New York Fellows inform and seek written approval from ACC in advance of any travel outside the U.S. ACC is not responsible for providing New York Fellows assistance when they experience medical, legal, or other incidents or emergencies while traveling outside the U.S. during their fellowship.
- The New York Fellowship is not designed or intended to support the creation of new work or to fund exhibitions, performances, presentations, or other public activities. ACC funds are not to be used for such activities.
- Further, New York Fellows are not allowed to conduct paid work activities while in the U.S. on their J-1 visa, such as, for example, teaching courses virtually, writing articles for payment, or producing works for hire. This includes work for an employer based outside the U.S. or work performed during the fellowship but paid afterwards. J-1 visa holders sponsored by ACC are only authorized to receive grant funding (payment) for the activities described in their proposal. ACC will only authorize activities described in an applicant’s fellowship proposal. ACC will not authorize or support other paid work activities. Title 22 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations prohibits J-1 visa holders from engaging in unauthorized paid work activities while in the U.S. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the revocation of your J-1 visa and/or eventually being denied visas and other immigration-related privileges in the U.S. in the future.
- Speak confident English for participating in conversation and forming relationships, without special language assistance.
- While each New York Fellow has a different degree of proficiency in English, we expect each Fellow to be able to conduct daily tasks, write basic emails, and have the confidence to ask for help. This sufficient level of English is a requirement of J-1 visa holders.
- ACC does not provide additional funds for an interpreter during a New York Fellowship.
Application Deadline
November 18, 2024How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
Asian Cultural Council on goapply2.akoyago.com to apply
To apply for the New York Fellowship, click the link above to register and/or log in to the GoApply application portal.
For instructions on how to register in the GoApply portal, click HERE.
For more details visit: ACC website.
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