SPCUNY Actionists Application and FAQ

For questions not addressed below, please write spcuny@gmail.com. We promise we’ll get back to you.

What is SPCUNY?

Social Practice CUNY (SPCUNY) is an educational network that amplifies the collective power of socially engaged artists, scholars, and advocates throughout the City University of New York’s rich tapestry of faculty, staff, and students working for social justice. Based at the CUNY Graduate Center and working with students and faculty across CUNY’s 25 campuses, SPCUNY’s theory of educational transformation fosters structures for diverse creative leaders who will empower New York City as an inclusive, justice-driven cultural landscape. Please see our About page for more details.

What are Actionists?

Actionists are CUNY graduate students with a serious art practice, often but not always from MFA programs, who are working to develop an independent project at the intersection of art and social justice. Selected through an open call, this group will be part of a wider SPCUNY 2024-25 cohort, which includes CUNY faculty/practitioners, all of whom are also developing their own projects. Actionists participate in a weekly seminar in the Fall and Spring semesters that includes all student members of the cohort, and they receive $3,000 in the form of CUNY fellowships towards the fulfillment of their public-facing project. (Please be aware that the way your SPCUNY payment is processed may vary from campus to campus.)

You will likely benefit the most from being an Actionist with SPCUNY if you are a CUNY graduate student who is:

Working towards one or more socially-engaged art projects, and has an existing basic knowledge of social practice art
Interested in furthering your engagement with social practice and public-facing art beyond the requirements of an academic program
Interested in discussions around social practice’s core issues while developing a project independently

What do you mean by social practice and what kind of projects do you support?

While the term has many possible definitions, and our own understanding of the term is always evolving, SPCUNY is focused on work that has both an artistic component (in any discipline of the arts) and a social justice component. We are open to many different forms of artistic practice and of social justice/community involvement, but we do prioritize projects that work directly with people and with communities outside of CUNY classrooms. The best way to get an idea of what we consider to be social practice is to check out examples of past and current projects from our Fellows by visiting our Projects page and our Events page. We encourage work within communities where our Actionists are already connected—no need to reinvent the wheel. We want to celebrate what you’re already working on.

What will be required of SPCUNY Actionists?

Actionists will need to commit to the full academic year of participation in the SPCUNY cohort, which includes:

Enrolling in a weekly 3-credit seminar during two consecutive semesters (Fall 2024/Spring 2025), led by a rotating group of faculty and guest lecturers;
Meeting with the larger SPCUNY cohort once or twice per semester;
Independently working on and publicly presenting their own socially-engaged work by the end of the academic year.

Who is eligible?

SPCUNY is accepting applications from interested students who are currently enrolled in a CUNY graduate program, who will have completed at least one year of study by the end of the Spring 2024 semester, and who can commit to participation in the SPCUNY program for the full 2024-25 academic year. The program is aimed at MFA students, but we will consider applicants from other types of graduate programs who can provide evidence of existing artistic practice. Our website showcases work from previous cohorts that will give you an idea of appropriate projects. If you think this program might be a fit for you but you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact us!

How would being an Actionist affect my current studies and program?

The SPCUNY Actionist position is not a certificate or degree program. Overlap between MFA thesis projects and SPCUNY student projects is welcome, though not required. Actionists will need to register for two semesters of the seminar as electives (6 credits total); this is a requirement for participation in the SPCUNY cohort. This may have financial and/or academic implications based on your home program, your credit load and allowances. For specific questions about how participation will figure into your progress to degree, speak with your advisor or program head.

Questions we advise asking your home campus include:

Will I be able to count the two SPCUNY seminars as electives towards my degree?
Will conducting an independent, socially-engaged art project be possible within my existing academic requirements?
Are there any fees associated with enrolling in the SPCUNY seminars that go beyond my usual tuition load if I cannot count these courses as electives for my program?