2027 COMMUNITY FOLKLIFE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION

2027 COMMUNITY FOLKLIFE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the Texas Folklife Community Folklife Fellowship! This program supports individuals who want to document and share the living folk and traditional arts, cultural practices, histories, and stories of Texas communities. Fellows participate in training workshops, conduct a community-based documentation project, and develop public-facing materials—including a podcast segment for The Folklorist Next Door.

Required Review Materials:

Before beginning your application, please review the following resources:
- Fellowship Program Guidelines, Eligibility & FAQ: Community Folklife Fellowship
- Fellowship Glossary: Texas Folklife Glossary
- Application Preview: Fillable PDF Application Form
The glossary explains key terms used throughout this application, including culture bearer, folk and traditional arts, folklife, folklore, and folklorist.

Timeline & Support:

Application deadline: November 15, 11:59 PM

Estimated time to complete: 4 hours
You may save your progress and return before submitting.
We recommend drafting longer responses in a separate document first.

Questions or Accommodations: Requests may be directed to the Fellowship Program Director, Dr. Jeannelle Ramirez at Jramirez@texasfolklife.org
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Legal Full Name
Preferred Name (If different):
Primary Email Address:
Primary Phone Number:
Format: (000) 000-0000.
GEOGRAPHIC & RESIDENCY DATA
Street Address:

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Region of Texas
(Based on the regional map linked above)
Preferred form of Communication

Other
This program is conducted primarily in English. Some program communication or materials may be made available in Spanish, upon request. Program participants may conduct research and interviews in any language.
Preferred Language for Program Communication

Other
ELIGIBILITY

The following questions determine whether you meet the basic eligibility requirements. Please refer to the Fellowship Program Eligibility and Program Guidelines for more information.
Have you reviewed the Fellowship Program Guidelines and eligibility requirements?
Have you reviewed the Fellowship Glossary?
Do you currently live in Texas, and will you continue to live in Texas throughout the entire fellowship period?
Does your proposed project document a living tradition that is currently practiced, shared, or passed on within a community?
Do you have regular access to a computer and reliable internet capable of participating in virtual workshops and completing digital project work?
If accepted, can you commit to attending all required fellowship workshops/meetings and project activities?
Do you hold an advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in folklore, cultural, anthropology, ethnomusicology or a closely related field?
Acknowledgment:
PROGRAM INTEREST & COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Formal training is not required! We welcome experience gained through family, community, volunteer, educational, professional, or independent work.
Why are you interested in participating in the Community Folklife Fellowship?

0/300
Describe your personal connection to the community, cultural practice or tradition you propose to document.

Tell us about your personal, family, geographic, or cultural relationship to this tradition.0/300
How have you built—or how will you build—trust and accountability with the tradition bearers and community members involved in your project?

0/250
What do you hope to accomplish or gain from participating in this program and completing this project?

0/250
How will participating in the program contribute to your long-term goals in documenting community folklife, traditions, or stories?

0/250
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

This section helps us understand your experience with documenting folklife, folk and traditional arts, cultural practices, histories, and traditions. Formal training is not required! We welcome experience gained through family, community, volunteer, educational, professional, or independent work.
Please describe your experience with community research or documentation

You may include, but are not limited to, classwork, community organizing, volunteer or internship work, independent projects, collaborative work, family archives, or genealogy projects.0/250
Please describe your digital storytelling experience:

(e.g., audio recording, podcasts, photography, video, social media creation, website building, or other creative media)0/250
What skills would you most like to develop through this fellowship? (Select all that apply)

Other
PROPOSED PROJECT

Tell us about the community-based project you would like to complete during the fellowship. Your proposed project must focus on a living folk or traditional art, cultural practice, history, or story that is currently practiced, shared, or passed on within a Texas community. We understand that some details may change as your project develops. At this stage, we want to understand your project's focus, your relationship with the participating community, why the work is important, and whether the project can be completed within the fellowship period.
Project Title
A working title is acceptable
Where will your proposed project take place?
(List the city, county, region, or communities where the primary project activities will occur)
Project Description: Describe the living folk or traditional art, cultural practice, history, or story you plan to document

Clearly identify the living folk art or cultural practice, the community involved, and what your project will focus on.0/300
Who will participate in or contribute to the project?

Identify the culture bearers, traditional artists, or community members you want to interview. Please mention if you have already talked to them about this project0/250
Why is it important to document or preserve this living tradition at this time?

0/300
What challenges or practical limits could affect your project?

Think about things like travel, technology, scheduling around a full-time job, or language needs, and how we can help you handle them.0/250
PRELIMINARY WORK PLAN

Please provide a preliminary plan for completing your project. We understand that your activities and schedule may change as the program develops. At this stage, we want to understand whether your proposed work is thoughtful, realistic, and possible within the fellowship period. We understand
Project Preparation & Relationship Building: What will you do to prepare for the project and coordinate with participating community members?

0/250
Documentation & Fieldwork: What interviews, site visits, recordings, research, or other documentation activities do you plan to complete?

0/250
Community Workshop: What are some ways that you might present or share aspects of your project through a community workshop?

This program requires a presentation of a community workshop. This may take the shape of a public presentation/performance, a hands-on workshop taught by yourself or the culture bearers you are working with, or another format entirely. 0/300
WORK SAMPLES
Please provide two to three (2-3) work samples demonstrating your experience and interest.
You can include any of the following examples or other relevant documentation types not mentioned here, such as:
- Photo series
- Blog posts or Articles
- Dedicated social media accounts
- Performances
- Audio stories
- Archives
- Mapping projects
- Digital storytelling
Samples do not need to be from formal work or class settings. We encourage you to submit samples from
independent and informal projects.

You do not need to submit every type of sample.
Submit only the materials that best represent your experience.

Maximum submission amounts, choose up to three (3) from this list:
- Website
- Social media account
- Up to five minutes of audio or video
- Up to ten photographs
- Up to three articles or written samples
For Google Drive or Dropbox links, confirm that the sharing setting is "Anyone with the link can view."
Review every link in a private or incognito browser before submitting it.

Do not submit passwords. Clearly describe your role in any collaborative sample.
Work Sample 1 Type:
Work Sample 1 Title:
Work Sample 1 Description:
Explain what the sample is, when it was made, your role in it, and the specific minutes the panel should focus on. If you don't specify the start and stop time of the media sample, the review panel will only watch the first 3 minutes.
Work Sample 2 Link:
Streaming links like YouTube, SoundCloud, or Google Drive. Reviewers will listen/watch a maximum of 3 minutes.
Work Sample 2 Type:
Work Sample 2 Title:
Work Sample 2 Description:
Explain what the sample is, when it was made, your role in it, and the specific minutes the panel should focus on. If you don't specify the start and stop time of the media sample, the review panel will only watch the first 3 minutes.
Work Sample 3 Link:
Streaming links like YouTube, SoundCloud, or Google Drive. Reviewers will listen/watch a maximum of 3 minutes.
Work Sample 3 Type:
Work Sample 3 Title:
Work Sample 3 Description:
Explain what the sample is, when it was made, your role in it, and the specific minutes the panel should focus on. If you don't specify the start and stop time of the media sample, the review panel will only watch the first 3 minutes.
Work Sample 3 Link:
Streaming links like YouTube, SoundCloud, or Google Drive. Reviewers will listen/watch a maximum of 3 minutes.
File Uploads: Upload up to 10 photos and no more than 3 written samples/articles (Photos or PDFs Only)

(Combined limit: 20MB. Allowed extensions: .pdf, .jpg, .png)
Cancelof
Uploaded File Description:
Explain what the sample is, when it was made, your role in it, and the specific minutes the panel should focus on. If you don't specify the start and stop time of the media sample, the review panel will only watch the first 3 minutes.
Is there anything else reviewers should know when looking at your samples?
ACCESSIBILITY & ACCOMODATIONS

Texas Folklife is committed to making this fellowship accessible to all community members in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and federal civil rights regulations. Your answers in this section are confidential and will only be used to arrange support; they will not impact how your application is scored by the review panel.
What type of support or accommodations would help you participate fully in the fellowship? (Select all that apply)
Please share any specific details about your accommodation needs below:
Optional
REFERENCES
To complete your application, you must provide the contact details for at least one person (and up to two) who can act as your reference. These should be people who can speak to your work, your character, your reliability, and/or your care for your community's traditions.

Important Notes for Applicants:

No formal letters needed: Please tell your references not to write a traditional letter. The moment you submit this application, Jotform will automatically email them a link to a quick, friendly 5-minute survey instead.

Deadlines: Your application cannot be reviewed until at least one reference fills out their online survey. Please check in with them early to make sure they received our email!
Primary Reference:

First NameLast Name
Reference Email:
example@example.com
Relationship to Applicant:
(e.g., Community leader, church elder, past volunteer collaborator, neighbor, mentor)
Has this person agreed to recommend you for this program?
Secondary Reference:

First NameLast Name
Reference Email:
example@example.com
Relationship to Applicant:
(e.g., Community leader, church elder, past volunteer collaborator, neighbor, mentor)
Has this person agreed to recommend you for this program?

2027 COMMUNITY FOLKLIFE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION

Welcome!

APPLICANT INFORMATION

GEOGRAPHIC & RESIDENCY DATA

ELIGIBILITY

PROGRAM INTEREST & COMMUNITY CONNECTION

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

PROPOSED PROJECT

PRELIMINARY WORK PLAN

WORK SAMPLES

ACCESSIBILITY & ACCOMODATIONS

REFERENCES

FINAL REVIEW & SUBMISSION CHECK