As we take stock of the year past, and reflect on how we can make a more positive impact in the tumultuous world around us, we would like to take this moment to share with you some exciting new initiatives that VII is involved in.
The year ahead will see an increasingly dynamic collaboration with the VII Foundation, which is launching a broad range of education initiatives through a new non-profit entity it is creating in France called the VII Académie.
The VII Académie has received significant funding to build a new visual media education ecosystem that will provide tuition-free education for men and women, particularly from the majority world and other communities underrepresented in the media.
Perpignan. In 2020, the Académie will open a media institute in the city of Perpignan, famous for its annual photo festival, Visa Pour L’Image. The institute, which will be housed in the former Museum of Contemporary Art, will provide a broad range of educational opportunities including fully funded scholarships for men and women from the majority world and from other communities that face economic hardship.
Sarajevo. In 2019, the VII Foundation and Académie will open an educational and cultural institute in Sarajevo which will have a mission of supporting cultural initiatives in the Balkans and support the mission of the VII Académie in providing education and training in the media.
École Ephemera. The VII Académie will be launching a one-semester long school that will temporarily be situated in different regions of the world wherever they are needed.
Scholarships. The VII Académie will continue to support scholarships for the VII Agency workshops through 2019. Applications for scholarships are available through the VII Agency website. The Académie has funded two scholarships at the Danish School of Journalism for 2019.
These initiatives have been made possible by a generous gift from the Gross Family.