Getty Images has teamed up with GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer media advocacy organization, to launch a global creative grant worth $25,000 (approximately £21,700 / AU$40,000). It’s available to anyone in the queer community who is openly and authentically exploring celebrations, events and actions around the theme of chosen families.
The grant will hopefully help diversify people’s perspectives, challenge harmful stereotypes and, by giving LGBTQ+ content creators a platform to have their voices heard, and enable the community to share its day-to-day experiences. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are so often underrepresented, and their coverage in the mainstream media can be limited to Pride and Pride events, and this grant should help move away from that.
"Our VisualGPS global research shows that less than 1% of visuals in media and advertising show members of the LGBTQ+ community and those mainly focus on Pride celebrations as a defining event across the community," said Dr Rebecca Swift, Global Head of Creative Insights at Getty.
"This grant aims to portray connections across the LGBTQ+ community, visualizing people coming together to embrace, nurture, love, and support each other, irrespective of traditional familial ties.”
By giving more space to LGBTQ+ photographers and videographers in the mainstream media, and enabling their voices to be heard, it is hoped that members of the community will feel safer and be able to deliver authentic insight into their daily lives.
Any photographers or videographers from the LGBTQ+ community can enter to be in with a chance of winning $10,000 (£8,600 / AU$15,600) for first place, $7,000 (£6,000 / AU$11,000) for second and $3,000 (£2,600 / AU$4,700) for third. A further $5,000 (£4,300 / AU$7,800) will be awarded by the Getty Images; employee resource group, LGBTQIA+ Alliance.
Judges on the panel include Monica Trasandes, author of Broken Like This; Myles Loftin, an artist, storyteller and collaborator working to increase visibility for underrepresented groups; Alex Schimder, the director of transgender representation at GLAAD; plus several other queer photographers, videographers, content creators and artists.
To be in with a chance of winning the creative date, entrants must submit their existing portfolio, a 200-500 word project proposal with an inspirational mood board and a short essay that outlines their approach (all of which must be submitted in English). The closing date is November 18 2022 and the winners will be announced during the week commencing December 12.
Visit the Getty grants page for more information.
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