Calling all advocates and organizers! (designers, click here!)
CUP is looking for community and advocacy organizations working to address policy issues that would benefit from a visual explanation, and where the lack of understanding of the issue is leading to social injustice. Together, we’ll collaborate with art and design professionals to take on complex problems and break them down into an accessible, culturally appropriate visual tool that you can distribute to your constituents.
There are two ways to work with CUP through this open call:
Public Access Design projects are short collaborations that result in a visual tool that meets an NYC-based advocate’s organizing needs as they arise. Public Access Design projects are narrow in scope, cover more concise topics, and take around 4–6 months to create. Click here to see past examples and learn more!
Making Policy Public is CUP’s series of fold-out posters that explain larger, more complex systems. These projects are wider in scope and are open to out-of-state issues (although we look for partners that can attend meetings in NYC). These projects take around 8–10 months to finish. Click here to see past examples and to learn more!
For both programs, we’re looking for groups who work directly with the constituency impacted by the issue and who can distribute the completed tool to that audience. Applicants should be interested in engaging in a collaborative design process and, most of all, interested in explaining an aspect of public policy! We define public policy broadly. Topics can address policies (like rent stabilization laws), systems (how the juvenile justice system works, for example), or processes (like how to apply for asylum). Advocates will receive 1000 free copies of the completed tool.
While a proposal about rights for undocumented immigrants in New York would make a better fit for Making Policy Public, a guide to applying for a Family-Based Immigrant Petition would work best as a Public Access Design project.
Not sure which program is right for you? We hosted a webinar on June 26th at that covered all you need to know about collaborating with CUP. If you missed our webinar, no need to fret. You can watch it here!
Public Access Design applications are due by July 29, 2019 at noon EDT — click here to apply!
Making Policy Public applications are due by August 12, 2019 at noon EDT —click here to apply!