PAM CUT’s Sustainability Labs applications are now open for U.S.-based multidisciplinary
creators, media artists, directors, and producers.
The Sustainability Labs are an annual program that uniquely prioritizes holistic career advancement and sustainability, and is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Rather than focusing on a singular project, the Sustainability Labs act as a spark not only for select artists, but for our community and the ecosystem at large.
Preference will be given to mid-career artists, storytellers, and creative producers who
have completed at least one significant project in at least two disciplines or mediums.
Alternatively, applicants who have completed work on a project and are now in significant
development in a new medium, form, or format will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The five media storytellers selected as 2025 Sustainability Labs Fellows will take part in a
one-week intensive in May, in which they will work with professional mentors, life coaches, and
guest presenters to isolate professional needs, set goals, and strategize a sustainable path
forward. This includes individual, bespoke support on business plans, project and personal
financial planning, creative brand expansion, growth opportunities, as well as small group
sessions on mental health and balance.
At the end of the week, fellows will have the opportunity to present their work to professionals
and attend PAM CUT’s annual Cinema Unbound Awards, honoring storytellers who use their
creative vision to expand the reach of cinema as an art form to challenge for whom, by whom,
and how stories can be told. Continuing beyond the initial week, the fellows will have personal
one-to-one check-ins with special guest life coach Kisha Imani Cameron and their personal
mentors to track progress and make adjustments as necessary. In order to provide the greatest
access to artists, a $3,000 stipend is provided, as well as travel and lodging in Portland during
the week in May.
In PAM CUT’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, at least half of the participants in the
Sustainability Labs are artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, artists of color, women artists, trans/nonbinary, or disabled artists. The Labs also bring together both Northwest artists and
artists from around the country, uplifting the region’s talent to a national scale and creating
lasting interconnected cohorts that can support one another now and into the future.
The Sustainability Labs are part of PAM CUT’s range of artist services, which include fiscal
sponsorship, an artist residency program, and professional development workshops. There is a
$30 application fee to apply; however PAM CUT will not turn away anyone due to financial
hardships. If a potential applicant would like assistance, please reach out directly to
ben@pamcut.org.
