Kometa: Fellowship Programme

The Kometa Fellows Programme awards €10,000 to six journalists, writers, and photographers documenting war, censorship, and political or social tensions through immersive, field-based storytelling.

Overview

Kometa is an independent media outlet. With no advertising, no majority shareholder and no editorial allegiances, it exists to tell the story of the world in all its complexity, alongside those who live it. With the Kometa Fellows programme, the organisation is taking a further step: providing financial support to authors – photographers, journalists, writers – engaged in ambitious field projects, where working conditions are difficult, access is uncertain and stories are rarely told. It focuses on work addressing conflict, censorship, disinformation, and political or social change.

Two are the topics selected for the first cycle. The first topic is Disinformation: mechanisms and counter-narratives: journalists, writers and photographers are invited to submit proposals for investigative reports, features or photo essays exploring the mechanisms of disinformation – how it is created, its effects, its victims and those who combat it. They are particularly interested in concrete approaches rooted in a specific geographical area or community. Three projects on this theme will be supported. The second topic is The Gulf region: beyond clichés: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Iran – a region all too often reduced to statistics or crises. We are looking for projects that capture its tensions, its transformations and the lives of its ordinary people, informed by first-hand knowledge of the region. Three projects on this theme will be supported.

Practical Info

The Kometa Fellows programme is open to journalists, writers, and photographers of legal age, regardless of nationality or place of residence. A press card is not required. Each applicant may submit only one project; collaborative applications are accepted. Applicants must submit a statement of intent, a detailed project description, a provisional calendar and budget, a CV, and examples of previous work.

A maximum of six projects will be selected for this first round, with each recipient receiving €10,000 gross to support research, travel, production, and working time. Selection is based on narrative strength, originality, field engagement, feasibility, and the ability to collaborate with Kometa’s editorial team. Projects must be completed within one year.

Selected authors will be requested to complete the proposed project within the timeframe agreed with the editorial team, keep the Kometa editorial team informed of the project’s progress on a monthly basis, contribute once a month to La Comète, Kometa’s newsletter, with a field report – a commented image, notes, or a logbook, and acknowledge the support of the Kometa Fellows in any material used to publicise or publish.

About Kometa

Kometa is an independent media platform dedicated to long-form storytelling at the intersection of journalism, photography, and narrative writing. It focuses on contemporary global issues and shifting political, social, and cultural realities, supporting authors who work in-depth from the field. Through its magazine and editorial projects, Kometa publishes immersive, narrative-driven work that explores complex contexts with clarity, nuance, and a strong authorial voice.