The Center For Cultural Power is accepting applications for its second Disruptors Fellowship which aims to create a space for queer, trans, non-binary people of color in Hollywood.
The fellowship, which was co-created by the Center for Cultural Power and 50/50by2020, launched in 2020, is a paid opportunity for creatives interested in TV to work with mentors and gain experience in producing a script.
The fellowship offers a $6,000 stipend which is meant to provide fellows the opportunity to focus on their craft while taking master classes with working professionals in the industry, said fellowship co-creator and program manager Julio Salgado.
The deadline to apply for the fellowship is March 26.
According to Salgado, because most of the writers in Hollywood are white the fellowships aims to bring queer and trans people of color into the fold.
“Let’s be real, in the industry most of the writers are white, so this fellowship is specifically for our communities,” said Salgado. “And more than anything it is an investment in our communities.”
Salgado, who is undocumented, said that as a fan of TV he often saw stories that were not always told by the right people—people of color. “When there are storylines on TV [about queer and trans people of color] they don’t necessarily come from us,” said Salgado. He added that this fellowship is for “people of color, who are creative, who specifically want to write for TV.”
The fellowship runs for three months and gives fellows the opportunity to work with creatives such as Tanya Saracho who created the Boyle Heights-based dramedy “Vida.”
