The 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship from the Magnum Foundation empowers photographers to uncover and illuminate untold stories from our past. This innovative program supports visual artists who challenge traditional historical narratives through their lens. By bringing photographers together in a virtual community, the fellowship creates space for bold creative exploration and critical dialogue about how we understand and document history.
Selected fellows receive significant support to advance their vision: a $10,000 grant awarded to up to ten photographers, plus additional discretionary funds of up to $1,000 for project needs. From April through November 2025, fellows join an enriching eight-month journey featuring virtual development workshops, expert mentorship, and connections to global creative networks. The program respects artists’ time commitments, requiring just four hours of online engagement monthly.
The 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship builds more than individual projects—it cultivates a collaborative community of visual storytellers. Fellows dive deep into essential questions about history’s role in shaping our world, memory’s influence on narrative, and photography’s power to reshape understanding. The fellowship actively seeks diverse voices, particularly welcoming photographers whose perspectives have been historically overlooked in the field.
Time-sensitive opportunity: Applications close Friday, November 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. This fellowship opens doors for photographers ready to reframe historical narratives and push the boundaries of visual storytelling. Don’t miss this chance to join a community of artists dedicated to illuminating hidden histories and shaping how we see our past, present, and future.
This 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship may be among the best photo contest opportunities for photographers on our website. And no doubt, it is among the most outstanding free photography open calls we have received.
The 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship prizes
The 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship supports emerging voices in photography with a substantial $10,000 project development grant for each selected fellow. This funding enables photographers to fully realize their vision while exploring untold historical narratives. Fellows also receive $1,000 in discretionary funds to pursue additional creative opportunities, from specialized mentoring sessions to essential project resources.
Beyond financial backing, fellows join an enriching virtual community of visual storytellers committed to reshaping historical narratives. Through regular mentorship sessions, interactive project development workshops, illuminating guest presentations, and collaborative community gatherings, participants forge meaningful connections with fellow artists. These relationships often evolve into lasting professional networks that continue to flourish long after the fellowship concludes.
Selection as a Counter Histories fellow carries significant weight in the photography world, marking recipients as innovative voices supported by the prestigious Magnum Foundation. Fellows gain a powerful platform to contribute to global conversations about history, memory, and visual storytelling. The program culminates in a high-profile showcase where fellows present their expanded projects to curators, editors, and industry leaders, opening doors to future opportunities and collaborations.
The categories of the 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship
The 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship does not divide submissions into specific categories but revolves around the theme of Counter Histories. This theme encourages photographers to creatively explore gaps, absences, and silences in historical records. Projects should challenge dominant narratives, elevate marginalized histories, or provide alternative interpretations of historical events.
While the fellowship is open to a wide range of interpretations of these themes, applicants must have a project already underway. Magnum Foundation is specifically looking for proposals from photographers who are ready to expand and complete their existing work, rather than starting from scratch.
Submission deadlines and entry fees
The application process for the 2025 Counter Histories Fellowship is straightforward, with a submission deadline of Friday, November 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. The fellowship will run from April 1, 2025, to November 31, 2025, providing participants with eight months of virtual programming, collaboration, and mentorship.
One of the standout aspects of this fellowship is that there is no registration fee. Magnum Foundation is committed to making this opportunity as accessible as possible, particularly for underrepresented communities in photography.
