Call for small grants for “Live Free…” Symposium Spring 2023
Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts Global Racial and Social Inequality Lab and the New Hampshire Humanities Collaborative
What does it mean to be free? Why is freedom such a coveted value? What role do conceptions of freedom play in racial and social justice? How do we understand freedom and what does this mean for the humanities and social justice? The New Hampshire Humanities Collaborative (NHHC) and the UNH College of Liberal Arts Global Racial and Social Inequality Lab (GRSIL) offer small grants to support the creation of content for the Collaborative’s “Live Free…” symposium on April 7, 2023.
For centuries humans have proclaimed the value of freedom. Vivre libre ou mourir (“Live Free or Die”) was a popular motto of the French Revolution. A similar sentiment was proclaimed by Patrick Henry during the American Revolutionary War and echoed in 1809 when General John Stark proclaimed “Live free or die…” inspiring the New Hampshire state motto.
The event encourages dialogue and exploration of the idea and manifestations of freedom. To enhance the engagement by UNH and community college students, GRSIL seeks proposals that integrate this theme/topic into course curriculum during the Spring 2023 semester. Successful applications will contribute to the “Live Free…” symposium scheduled for April 7, 2023 at UNH in Durham. Contributions should be visually oriented and may take the form of artistic expression, written works, visual/performance art, presentations, analytical pieces, and/or an examination of narratives about the idea of “living free.” Awards include a $1000 stipend (per faculty/staff/graduate student instructors) and a budget ranging between $500 and $2,000. If faculty/staff from both UNH and a community college are partnering the stipend can be up to $2,000 as reflective of the depth of engagement between institutions.
We encourage proposals that examine both formal and informal engagement with the concept of freedom and how it is construed (and manipulated) as well as artistic, literary, scientific, and social expressions of freedom.
Examples of possible individual or course-related classroom project with student co-presenters at the event:
- Art and Art History: How is freedom depicted, contested, and explored through visual mediums?
- Literature: What narratives of freedom are depicted, contested, and explored through literary mediums?
- History and Classics: How have ideas around “liberty” and “freedom” been treated historically, and how do they influence our understandings today?
- Race and Gender: What is the relationship between racial identity and gender and questions of freedom?
- Disability Justice: What is the relationship between accessibility and the questions of freedom?
- Architecture and Design: How do we understand and envision freedom in “place and space”?
- What is religious freedom, and is it tenable in a secular or post-secular state?
- Culture: How do different cultures (present and historical) create and interpret conceptions of freedom?
- Music and Performance Art: How do we explore, portray, interpret and reveal freedom? What is the nature of free artistic expression?
- Computer Science and Technology: How does human engagement with technology influence understandings of freedom and shared notions of liberty? Is it true that ‘information wants to be free’?
- Mathematics and Science: How do the disciplines of math and science establish, test and support claims of freedom?
- Social Sciences: How do conceptions of freedom frame justice and legal systems? How do they impact public policy?
- How have narratives regarding "freedom" been used as a tool of oppression and marginalization?
Other forms of participation:
- Music/dance performances, art compositions, demonstrations etc., are also encouraged
- We also seek a graphic and digital arts class to partner in the creation of a pamphlet or poster for the event’s promotion.
- Individual students with relevant projects are welcome to apply independent of a specific academic course
The GRSIL and CCSNH collaborative encourage projects that foster partnerships between students and faculty/staff from UNH and the community colleges, or with other New Hampshire institutions. Participants may be invited to participate in the virtual New Hampshire Humanities Collaborative Winter Academy January 13, 2022 to further explore collaborations between CCSNH and UNH. While we encourage collaboration across classes and institutions, we also encourage projects that do not have a collaborative component, so long as the key themes of the call are engaged.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Rigorous and robust engagement with the theme of freedom
- Supports the GRSIL and NHHC mission
- Feasibility of the itemized budget and innovation
- Potential impact of the project (including, if appropriate, the number of students served and timeframe)
- Level of cross-campus engagement and collaboration
Application Process: please submit the following documents:
- 1-2 page program description including abstract, curricular plans, potential collaborations, and student deliverables for presentation at the April event.
- Itemized budget and budget narrative/rationale
Proposals Due: December 16, 2022 email to GRSI.Lab@unh.edu
Decisions made mid-late December. If you have questions, please contact Alynna Lyon at UNH (Alynna.lyon@unh.edu), and Leslie Barber (lbarber@ccsnh.edu) or Stephanie Roper (sroper@ccsnh.edu) within CCSNH.
