ANNOUNCING THE NEW MYTHOS RESEARCH GRANT

It's all a question of story. We are in trouble just now because we do not have a good story. We are in between stories. The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it is no longer effective....Our challenge is to create...a new sense of what it means to be human.

Thomas Berry

The old gods are dead or dying and people everywhere are searching, asking: What is the new mythology to be, the mythology of this unified earth as of one harmonious being?...The only myth that is going to be worth thinking about in the immediate future is one that is talking about the planet and everything on it.

Joseph Campbell

Toward the end of his life, Joseph Campbell interrupted his major work Historical Atlas of World Mythology to publish The Inner Reaches of Outer Space with an urgent message that he felt needed to be heard. That book serves as a clarion call for the discovery and development of a new myth to inform our world. That was 1986.

Since then Campbell’s call has been taken up by many and now we find ourselves in a time when the cry from most every quarter is for a new story, a new narrative, the new mythos that he wrote about. We humans are in search of a way to understand the patterns underlying the profound transformation we are currently experiencing in relationship with each other and our planet. From whence will this new mythos come? Who will tell the story? How will such a search be resourced?

The collections held by OPUS Archives and Research Center provide treasures by visionary thinkers, scholars, writers and teachers. These individuals dedicated their lives to exploring the origins of cultural stories from pre-history (Marija Gimbutas), through ancient and classic history (Joseph Campbell and Christine Downing), and into contemporary culture (James Hillman and Jane and Joseph Wheelwright), thereby laying the foundation for new research that fosters meaning and guidance for the questions held by our modern world.

OVERVIEW OF GRANT

OPUS is offering 5 to 7 grants to individuals or teams that show both intent and ability to seize the opportunity and take responsibility for searching OPUS’ collections for the “gold” harbored there, both published and unpublished; public and as yet unrevealed to the community-at-large. The goal is to use the OPUS archival collections in order to articulate and manifest the seeds of the new mythos, the new narrative of our time. The findings will be made available in a public forum, on OPUS’ and other websites and, if warranted, in written form. The research and project results are to be made available in a myriad of forms with a broad scope. OPUS will encourage the successful grantees to manifest their projects in whatever creative form they take.

GRANT GUIDELINES

Applicants must demonstrate the necessity of substantial on-site use of OPUS’ collections.

Who is Eligible. The grant is open to inspired seekers from many disciplines and positions--graduate students, faculty, independent scholars, filmmakers, visual artists, business and social entrepreneurs, environmental visionaries, storytellers, educators and those interested in social justice, peace, and reconciliation--who have demonstrated the capacity to research and produce creative work through writing, visual art, poetry, film, musical compositions, curriculum development or social enterprise.

Amount and Duration of Grant. Grants range between $3000 and $5000. The awarded amount will depend on the proposed project. These funds are for one (1) year of research to be conducted between December 1, 2009 and December 1, 2010.

Deadline for Submission: September 15, 2009

Notification of Awarded Grants: November 20, 2009

Granting Process. Proposals will be initially screened by a committee appointed by the OPUS board of directors. Final selections will be made by leaders in diverse fields that focus on the articulation of a new story. Current final review members include Barbara Marx Hubbard and Jean Houston.