To apply, please submit the above application form.

It’s only a few questions long and could take you less than 30 minutes.

We know you have a lot of other things on your plate today.

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Applications for 2025 FORGE Fellowships are accepted between December 4th, 2024 and January 17th, 2025.

To be eligible for a 2025 FORGE Fellowship, please complete your application by January 17th at Midnight.

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To preview the application questions for offline drafting, click here.

 

FORGE Fellowship applications are reviewed by a panel of artistic and entrepreneurial professionals.

Interviews with Chie + Greg will be conducted with semi-finalists before final selections are made.

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To learn more about the panelist review criteria, click here.

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Questions about the FORGE Fellowship or the application process?

Start with the Frequently Asked Questions and watch our Q+A video,

then email contact@forgenyc.org, greg@forgenyc.org and/or chie@forgenyc.org.

To speak to Chie + Greg in real time, join us at a Fast Fuel or book a FREE 30-min consultation. 

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FAQ

 

I’m not based in New York. Can I still apply? 

Absolutely! And we hope you will! The FORGE Fellowship is entirely online and open to engagement from anywhere in the world. Our 15 points of contact are mandatory, but we will work with you to ensure that you have access in consideration of your schedule, time zone, and lifestyle. 

 

Can you tell me more about the application process and timeline? 

Sure thing! After checking out our website, FAQ, and Q+A video, you will fill out our streamlined application (only a few questions!) by the application deadline. It goes to a panel of professional makers and entrepreneurs that will choose semi-finalists for FORGE by mid-February. Greg, Chie, and the panelists will host interviews with semi-finalists during the first weeks of March, and send out invitations to join us in Fellowship in March! The Fellowship will begin on May 1st and run until October 31st.

 

And if I’m selected, what happens during those six months?

In May, your FORGE Fellowship programming will officially begin!

You’ll have officially programmed touchpoints with FORGE twice per month, which will rotate between:

- consulting sessions with Chie + Greg

- monthly seven-hour Fast Fuel Co-Working spaces 

- and three-hour online events like Masterclasses, Curated Conversations, Intensives, and more  

And for the full six months, you’ll have access to Chie + Greg as your personal coaches and cheerleaders, and all of FORGE’s resources ready to support you as you chart your course and build your dreams. We will also pair you with a Buddy for extra accountability and conversation. We’ll expect you to show up for all our programmed touchpoints, and stay actively engaged with FORGE and your Fellowship cohort in between. Once your Fellowship wraps, FORGE encourages you to stay in touch and will work to keep you connected with the FORGE community.

 

I thought the Fellowship was a year long. What changed? 

You are correct! The first two cohorts ('21 + '22) each lasted for a full year. But as time went on, we found some Fellows struggled with a year-long commitment amid other opportunities and changes, and honestly, we did too! By halving the time commitment, we think we can create a more intensive experience that is easier to plan for, commit to, and thrive in. Not to mention a more sustainable program for us to run. After trying out the 6-month model in 2023, we think it's a tremendously more effective program. All that being said, we don’t vanish after the Fellowship! Many Fellows have returned to us for further consultation, continued to attend Fast Fuel, and stayed a major part of our community, and we love that. 

 

I’m not making Theater… can I still apply? 

Please do! The FORGE Fellowship is for anyone with a creative spark looking for support. We’re into it if your vision is a book, a business, a burrito, or a better world. We want you to be engaging in your process and interested in developing your craft and process.

 

I don’t know exactly what I’m making next year … can I still apply? 

Of course! This Fellowship exists to support your growth in craft, career, art, and life. This opportunity is focused on you as a maker, not on a specific project. We’re much more interested in how you make anything than what you’re currently creating. You don't need a project to apply; you and your process are the creations we are most interested in!

 

Can I submit as a group, or just as myself? 

This Fellowship is intended for individual makers and small teams (of no more than three). Please note that we do not provide additional resources for additional participants (i.e. the same consultation is available to an individual or a team of three, though your whole team is invited to attend). 

 

How many Fellows do you accept in a year? 

The FORGE Fellowship is designed to support eight Fellows (makers or teams). 

 

How do you select your Fellows each year? 

The FORGE Fellowship Selection Panel is made up of professional makers and entrepreneurs with different backgrounds and skills. One panelist will always be a past panelist, so we can hold ourselves accountable to our own process. And one panelist will always be a past Fellow, so we can all benefit from an insider’s perspective. The panel reviews every application received before the deadline, paying special attention to the application’s cohesiveness and fit, as well as the applicant’s perspective and need. Semi-Finalists will be contacted for an interview with Greg, Chie, and a panel member before Final selections are made. 

 

And who is FORGE again?

FORGE is a boutique consultancy and arts service organization founded by Chie Morita + Greg Taubman with the mission of helping makers of all kinds forge paths toward success. Since 2015 we’ve been helping companies and individuals assess their missions, build their budgets, get organized, and plan for the future, as well as hosting retreats and events to support career growth. You can learn more about FORGE, Chie, and Greg at www.forgenyc.org/about.

 

Here’s my concern: this field is rife with ‘developmental’ opportunities that exploit and undervalue creative workers, especially those from historically marginalized groups. What can you tell me about your Fellowship to set it apart from other programs that perpetuate systems of oppression?

We hear you, and we agree. Here’s what we have to say about it: the animating impulse for this Fellowship comes from a desire to dismantle those systems and provide individuals with the tools and training not only to make their work, but remake the way we collectively work. The only real source of the institutional and systemic changes that are so urgently needed comes not from statements of desire or belief, but substantive action. FORGE has--and will continue to--put its values into action, specifically for the Fellowship in the following ways:

• We see the injustice inherent in the unpaid labor of filling out applications. We have made our application free and prioritized brevity in order to minimize the upfront investment of unpaid time. 

• We know that we carry internalized biases and preconceptions. We are assembling a diverse, representative, and independent panel to review these applications, compensating the panelists for their time, and building a firewall between us and their decision-making process to guard against our own internalized narratives. 

• We value representation in the Fellowship cohort. We are prioritizing the inclusion of different life experiences and perspectives within the cohort; different from each other and different from our own.

• We recognize that the full complexity of being a person means navigating the overlapping demands of health, safety, family, community, and creativity, and we hold space for challenges and achievements Fellows face from within and beyond our program with kindness and care.   

• We understand that making an opportunity available is not enough; we must care for the safety and well-being of our participants. We aim to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive Fellowship by relying on our own training as space-makers and on curating the appropriate outside experts and workshop leaders for the cohort.

• We reject scarcity and the exploitation of artists and makers. We are offering our entire suite of online resources and 30+ hours of personal real-time attention from Greg + Chie (at market rate) at no additional cost to the Fellows. Experts and workshop leaders who contribute to Fellowship programming are fully compensated for their services and time. Though we cannot at this time subsidize the technology or connectivity to take advantage of our resources, we intend the Fellowship to place no additional financial burdens on the part of the Fellows. We pledged to make a financial award available to FORGE Fellows by 2024, and this year each Fellow will receive $500 to use on their individual or collective creative process.

• We are here to serve the Fellows through our tools and expertise; we do not view their identities, activities, and experiences as existing for our benefit. Other than the initial announcement of the accepted Fellows, we will not feature any Fellow or their work on our public platforms without prior informed consent from that Fellow. 

• We know we do not have all the answers and that we will always be learning. We empower and expect the Fellows and the community to hold us accountable to our values and standards, both through established systems of complaint and redress, as well as other public or informal forums. We will meet feedback with respect, humility, and curiosity, understanding that the person naming a harm bears no responsibility for further explaining that harm.

 

Ok, let’s say that, as a Fellow, I have super specific questions like “Can you look over my pitch deck?”...

That’s precisely what our work is dedicated to. We’d be happy to give you real-time feedback on a project at a Fast Fuel or during one of our consulting sessions, or asynchronously online. Your suite of resources will also include templates and ideation exercises to help you get a fresh perspective on your work. 

 

Ok, let’s say that, as a Fellow, I have super huge questions like “Does my art even matter anymore?!”...

That’s also precisely what our work is dedicated to. We know our Fellows are whole people, and we are always happy to dive into conversations no matter how dark, dreamy, or existential. 

 

I’m craving accountability, but I’m also afraid I might feel like I’m “failing” by missing deadlines or something like that. Can you speak to this? 

We hear you, friend. As much as we might want to, we won’t be able to conquer all our mean voices in six months. But, we can offer some tips and tricks to help. We will do our best to suggest actionable goals to conquer, ask about strategy when a list looks a bit too long, or help build measurable metrics for success. We will also encourage you to nap and be kind to yourself. Together, let’s make goals to “research and apply to one residency a month” instead of “apply to all the residencies so I can get some”. And let’s remember that while we encourage proactive work over reactive work, we know sometimes we will need to react. By building a more proactive process, let’s make more space for choice and grace. 

 

I actually couldn’t find my question here. Can we talk? 

We’d be happy to talk more with you about the FORGE Fellowship, your projects, or your goals! If you would like to connect through words, you can email contact@forgenyc.org, greg@forgenyc.org and/or chie@forgenyc.org or DM us on Instagram @forge_nyc. You can also watch our Q+A video which might offer some answers! And if you want to connect face-to-face, join us at a Fast Fuel or book a FREE 30-min consultation to ask us anything that’s on your mind. 

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Still have questions? Click below to watch our 13-minute Q+A Video!

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APPLICATION QUESTIONS

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* denotes required questions

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First order of business: 

• Today's date* 

• How did you hear about our Fellowship?* 

• Are you applying as a:

  • Small Team​

  • Individual Maker

 

Now, tell us a little about yourself. 

• What’s your full name?*

• What are your pronouns?* 

• What is the best phone number for us to contact you?* 

• What is your email address?*

• Where are you in the world? (City, State, Country)*

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[For Small Teams:]

• Who else is on your team? (Name, Pronouns)

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Now let’s go a little deeper. 

Please respond as the prospective Fellowship recipient, whether that’s you, your team, or your organization. A consistent voice on this page will help us process your application. 

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• What's your (or your team's) mission statement?* (Limit 200 words) 

  • Your mission is the heart and soul articulation of who you are as a maker. FORGE loves mission statements that offer a tiny experience of what it’s like to work with you. Tell us WHY you make here. Save WHAT you make for the next question.

• What do you make?* (Limit 200 words)​

• What does a successful Fellowship look like to you?* (Limit 200 words) 

  • The easiest way to succeed is to define success. How would you determine the success of your FORGE Fellowship?

• How do you hope a FORGE Fellowship will impact your work, life, and process? (Limit 200 words) 

  • ​When you think beyond the Fellowship, how will you be changed?

• Of the following topics, which would you be most excited to learn about? (Please select 2) 

  • Mindfulness and Making Money  

  • Finance as Narrative: Budgeting Your Values 

  • Pitching from your Power 

  • Spacemaking for Collaboration and Growth 

  • Marshaling a Mission-Driven Team

  • Who’s in Your Crowd: Community Outreach and Market Development

  • Cash Flow Plumbing: Identifying and Building Funding Streams

  • Branding for the Arts 

  • Being an Artreprenuer: Tools for Starting and Managing a Small Business 

  • Practice What You Preach: Art as Social Justice 

  • Deciding/Preparing to Become A 501c3 

  • Anti-Racist Arts: Where To Begin and How To Stay Hopefull  

  • Boundaries for Abundance: How To Thrive By Saying “No.”

 

And finally, three last confirmations and a little bonus ​

• Having reviewed the Fellowship page on the FORGE website + Fellowship FAQ + Q+A video, I feel confident I understand the details of a FORGE Fellowship, and am ready to make the commitment from May 1st through October 31st if I am selected! 

• If you need to take another look, open here in another tab.

• I understand that the FORGE Fellowship is a six-month-long engagement bookmarked by 14 points of contact and that my attendance at all of them and active participation in between are mandatory requirements to receive this Fellowship.

• I am ready to assert my value as a maker in new ways, arrive open to creative collision, and scout my expansiveness. 

• Anything else you want to tell us? 

  • Do you think we are missing a crucial detail? Tell us about it here! It might be an incredible story, a family recipe, or a special skill you bring to the table. Lay it on us!

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Panelist Criteria + Process

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Our selection panel will consist of three (3) to five (5) professional makers and entrepreneurs –chosen for their expertise, diversity in practice and medium, and accomplishments in their field– who will review all applications, as well as help with the interview process and final selections. One panelist will always be a past panelist, so we can hold ourselves accountable to our own process. And one panelist will always be a past Fellow, so we can all benefit from an insider’s perspective.  Chie + Greg will not serve as panelists but will help coordinate and conduct interviews, as well as make the final selections.

 

In reviewing applications, panelists will consider the following criteria: 

 

1. Compelling Application: 

   • Does the applicant present a powerful mission or approach to their work that interests and excites the panel? Does the applicant define a clear “why” and show investment in their creative work? Do you get a little taste of what it would be like to work with them?

2. Cohesive Application: 

   • Does the applicant’s medium, process, and curiocity fit their mission? Do you feel a strong investment from the applicant towards their stated measures of success? Does it all make sense as one package?

3. Program Fit: 

   • Will a FORGE Fellowship contribute to the maker's professional growth and career advancement? Is FORGE offering what this maker needs at this time?

4. Unique Perspective:

   • FORGE is seeking Fellows with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and modes of expression. How will the applicant’s perspective contribute to the wider cohort? 

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All applications receive equal consideration through a three-round review process (Screening, Panel review, and Interview): 

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1. Round One: Initial Screening

   • Chie + Greg will review all applications for completeness. In the event an application seems incomplete, FORGE may reach out to the applicant before sending the application to the panelists. 

2. Round Two: Panel Review

   • Panelists will be asked to consider the application text only. They will not be asked to visit additional websites or social media channels, or consider materials beyond those submitted by the applicant. However, they may bring their personal experience to the table if they have experienced any work by the maker, after disclosing this experience with the panel. Panelists will select up to thirty (30) applicants to advance to Round Three, the interview. All applicants will be notified if they will be receiving an interview by March 4th, 2024.​​

3. Round Three: Interview

   • Up to thirty (30) applicants will be asked to schedule an interview over Zoom between March 4th and March 15th, 2024. An interview is mandatory to receive a FORGE Fellowship. Interviews will be scheduled for 45 minutes each, which includes time for finalists to ask FORGE any questions they may have. The panelists and FORGE will then select up to eight (8) Fellowship recipients. Once the selections have been made, Chie + Greg will make Fellowship offers the week of March 20th, 2024.

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After selections have been made, all applicants not selected will receive written feedback from the panelists, via an email from FORGE. If you wish to discuss your application, interview, or feedback, please book a free 30-minute feedback session with FORGE before May 1st, 2023, or visit us at Fast Fuel anytime! 

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FORGE pledged to add a cash award to the FORGE Fellowship by 2024. We are proud to announce that 2024 Fellows will each be given $500 to use on their creative process as they see fit. Finalists who do not receive a Fellowship will not receive an honorarium at this time.

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The FORGE Fellowship is offered through the generous support of The Richenthal Foundation.​​

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2025 SELECTION Panel 

 

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