The internet is a place. What should we build there?

Get paid to explore the foundations, laws, and aesthetics of an internet-native civilisation with the Plumia Fellowship.

About the Plumia Fellowship

We’re launching a new fellowship programme that blends creativity, future-thinking, and global connection.

The Plumia Fellowship is designed to support visionary writers, artists, researchers, and musicians seeking to explore the future of digital civilisation, network societies, and human flourishing. Over three months, Plumia Fellows will develop an original piece of work inspired by what it means to build a country on the internet.

• Duration: 3 months

• Stipend: $1,500/month

• Categories: Writing, Research, Art, Music

Prompts

🤝 How is trust coded into a society that exists online?

Every enduring society is built on trust—not just between people, but in systems, stories, and rules. In the digital realm, what replaces the handshake? Is it cryptography, community, code...or something stranger?

⏳ What marks time and space in a country without land?

If a nation exists online, what becomes sacred? Think digital sabbaths, non-linear calendars, rituals without bodies—and ask what kinds of timekeeping or reverence might emerge when geography is gone.

🎭 Can beauty bind a borderless people?

Banners, anthems, and architecture once made nations feel real. What plays that role in a digital society? Consider the aesthetics of citizenship, or how shared symbols might shape belonging without borders.

📚 What myths will the founders of a digital nation pass down?

All nations are made of stories. What tales will be told about the first citizens of the cloud? What kinds of memory, meaning, or origin myths help people feel like they come from somewhere—even if that place is virtual?

🌐 What do citizens owe an internet-native country?

Every homeland—physical or digital—relies on more than rights. What duties come with belonging to a country made of code and connection? What does it mean to care for something that exists everywhere and nowhere at once?

Applications will be evaluated on:

Creative projects 🎨

• Concept and originality

  Is the idea imaginative, unexpected, or conceptually rich?

• Alignment with fellowship themes

  Does it thoughtfully respond to one of the prompts and reflect the fellowship’s ethos?

• Feasibility and clarity

  Can this project realistically be completed within the 3-month timeframe? Is the creative direction clear?

Research projects 🧠

• Clarity of research question
  Is the topic well-articulated, with a novel and clear inquiry or thesis?

• Relevance to the digital nation frame
  Does the proposal engage with digital society, policy development, governance, identity, or other fellowship themes?

• Method and feasibility
  Is the proposed research approach realistic and achievable in the given timeframe?

What Plumia Fellows receive

In addition to the cash stipend of $1,500 per month, fellows gain visibility, support, and meaningful connections as they produce new future-facing work:

💸 Distribution for your project via Borderless and SafetyWing (500,000+ reach)

✈️ An all-expenses-paid trip to Essaouira, Morocco, to present your project at the annual Plumia Connect Summit in May 2026

📝 Editorial support and mentorship from our award-winning team

💬 Access to a private Slack community for Plumia Fellows

Who should apply

We welcome both emerging and established creatives and researchers who are curious about digital societies, future-building, nomadism, and global citizenship.

We’re seeking fellows who are open to bold ideas, experimental formats, and the philosophical challenges of imagining new kinds of civilisation for the internet era.

🗓️ Application process

Applications open in July 2025 and close on August 31st.

1. Submit your application
   Share your contact info, portfolio or website link, and your project idea.

2. Interview with Plumia team
   Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with our team.

3. Final selection and announcement
   Fellows will be announced in September.

4. Start work on your project

   Fellows will work on their project between October and December 2025.

   

AI Policy
We encourage the use of AI as part of the creative process as long as it’s smart, intentional, and enhances the work rather than replacing the thinking behind it. The best submissions will reflect clear authorship and point of view, whether AI was used or not. One of our judges, Lauren Razavi, wrote about this idea in The Author is a DJ Now. We recommend reading it if you're thinking about how to integrate AI into your project.