Climate Studio 2025 Residency - Call for Applicants Clarifications
(posted 3.12.2025; updated 4.2.2015)
Context
The Climate Studio Residency is suited to artists, educators, and community organizers with a demonstrated interest in climate literacy or climate justice, and scientists working in areas related to the climate who seek to bring their ideas and passion for their work to a wider audience. While the exact forms of your public-facing works will be determined by you, the residents, we anticipate they will include the perspectives of grassroots organizations at the frontline of the climate movement; foster community around current NYC climate justice issues; and interactively employ elements of theatre, fashion, visual art, design, placemaking, architecture, and fabrication rooted in the tenets of community engagement. We, at the Climate Studio Initiative, believe that when we talk about the climate, our statements should be rooted in science and facts. Our aesthetics and ethos of public engagement draws heavily from the historic work of Beam Center and is inspired by Guerilla Science.
Preliminary Climate Studio 2025 themes (to be further developed) include:
Health: Healthy Mind + Bodies; Healthy Planet:
* Community health impacts from climate change (Increased risks of pandemics, neighborhood pollution linked to carbon-emitting activities, heating of ocean ecosystems)
* Mental health, wellbeing, and resilience
* Climate Impact on other forms of non-human life.
Infrastructure: Green Jobs, Healthy Buildings, Just Energy Transitions:
* Transportation (Impacts of public transportation linked to increasingly severe weather, relationship between public transportation and emissions reductions)
* Schooling (How climate is taught in schools, greening school infrastructure)
* Equitable Energy Transitions (Electric Buildings, Public Power & Affordable Energy)
Culture and Community: Climate Justice
* Familial connections to countries with deeper climate impacts
* Food + Agricultural systems and cultural practices
* Consumer culture (Fashion, technology, etc.) and intersections with production
Who should apply?
The ideal candidate will have at least two years of demonstrated experience working on issues related to climate science, climate literacy, or climate justice. They will be interested in engaging in interdisciplinary, intergenerational collaboration, and bringing their work to a wider public audience. You will be collaborating with other disciplinary professionals and Climate Studio Youth Fellows from Beam Center, NYC, in one of three cohorts connected to our 2025 themes.
Residents will be provided with an honorarium of $4,000. In addition, we can provide needs-based travel support. Housing will not be provided. Space to collaborate and fabrication tools at the Pratt Institute, along with access to the project’s network of mentors and partners, will be available throughout the residency period.
Applicants must be available to attend a Co-Design workshops in New York from July 14-18, 2025 and present their work during installations / activations (either as part of the Beam Center’s summer festival on Governors Island August 15-17 or during two alternate event dates to be confirmed between August - October). A hybrid work schedule during the production phase is anticipated. Fellows will self-select their fabrication / production roles during the co-design process and will be asked to document their involvement in public-facing events to certify successful completion of the fellowship.
Criteria for applying
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Two or more years of professional experience in your discipline.
- Have the right to work in the United States. We cannot support visa applications.
- Be available in person to attend the Co-Design workshops in New York from July 14-18, 2025.
- Be available to present either as part of the Beam Center’s summer festival on Governors Island in New York, August 15-17, or during activation dates to be confirmed between Aug -Sept in New York.
- Have a strong interest in working with young people as part of a collaborative design process.
Feel free to ask for feedback before submitting! Let us know if you have questions or ideas by emailing jwhitbur@Pratt.edu with the subject line “Climate Studio 2025”. More information about the larger Climate Studio Initiative is available here.
Instructions For Applying
Applications should be submitted by end of day April 15, 2025 using the google form here.
Please include the following in your application (include supporting images with text or links for visual references):
Statement of purpose (max. 300 words). One to three paragraphs explaining why you are interested in public engagement with [climate] science, and what you hope to get out of this experience.
Candidate biography (max. 150 words)
A short paragraph describing your background, interests, and professional goals. Include a description of previous experience you’ve had with science education, intergenerational collaboration around science learning, creating interactive experiences, or working on physical installations.
Introduce your discipline (max. 150 words). Include any examples of prior relevant work related to the climate themes of health, infrastructure and culture/community (e.g. share your website/portfolioimages/social media).
Collaboration essay (max. 150 words). Describe your approach to interdisciplinary collaboration, the inclusion of diverse perspectives, interest in working with youth, artists, and/or scientists.
Short Resume or CV (max. 4 pages)
Requests for needs-based travel funds. Provide an estimate and information about any constraints on your availability to take part in the workshop or the fieldwork in Aug- Sept.
Project Leadership
The residency and festival event will be produced by Pratt and Beam Center youth will be part of the selection process. The project’s advisory board and selection committee includes,
Pratt Institute, Department of Math and Science:
• Mark Rosin, Climate Studio Senior Director, Assoc. Prof of Physics, Founder of Guerilla Science
• Jennifer Whitburn, Climate Studio Director, jenniferwhitburnExhibits
Beam Center:
• Brian Cohen, Executive Director Beam Center
• Rose Malefant, Director of Design and Programming
Telos Learning:
• Rafi Santo, Principal Researcher
• David Phelps, Research Fellow
Advisory Board:
• Tammy Clegg, Associate Professor, University of Maryland
• Bill Penuel, Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado
• Edna Tan, Hooks Distinguished Professor of STEM Education, U. North Carolina- Greensboro
• Cynthia Thomson, Programs and Operations Manager, Renaissance Philanthropy
• Jen Wong - Head of Programming, Science Gallery London; Guerilla Science Director
2025 Climate Studio Timeline
May 6 Climate Studio Residency award notification
May 8 Virtual Info meeting 12-1pm
May 13 Deadline for Climate Studio Residency candidates response
(accept/reject)
July 14 - 18 Co-Design workshop @ the Brooklyn Navy Yard: 9am-5pm
July 21 - August 15 Production for Other Worlds Fair
August 15 - 17 Other Worlds Fair on Governors Island in New York*
(Aug 15 install; Aug 16-17 public-facing event)
Sept - October Two Public Facing Events - Exact Dates / Times TBC*
(*Note: Estimated 40 hours hybrid work during the production phase per Resident to be scheduled with selected candidates.)