Organization Description

Rainbow Serpent seeks to advance Black LGBTQ culture through the exploration of emerging technologies, innovative healing protocols, traditional African cosmologies, and multimedia art. We are dedicated to celebrating the diversity and richness of Black LGBTQ culture while promoting healing and empowerment within the community. We fulfill this mission by (1) creating and promoting artistic works, exhibitions, and performances; (2) experimenting with modalities such as spatial augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and digital archiving to generate relevant applications;  (3) offering educational programs and workshops to increase community understanding; (4) organizing multi-day retreats grounded in queer African spiritual traditions that promote mental, physical, and spiritual healing; (5) curating events that showcase a diversity of cultural expression, featuring work from established and emerging practitioners; and (6) providing residencies for artists, healers, and technologists.

Recent Rainbow Serpent productions include Obi Mbu (The Primordial House), an experimental dance film currently on view at the North Carolina Museum of Art; The Four World Ages, a multimedia live performance, photography series, and public art installation; the multi-day retreat Harnessing the Power of Creation Through African Ritual; and Anatomy of the Human, a public art installation featured in the Andy Warhol Museum’s POP District, on billboards on Pittsburgh’s Route 28, and on approximately 150 digital kiosks around the country.

Immersive Fellowship Description

Rainbow Serpent is seeking an immersive fellow to support the independent publishing and promotion of a book entitled The Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers. This book is meant to accompany an exhibition of the same name that features 16 glass sculptures of Black queer deities and will premiere at the Pittsburgh Glass Center on May 4, 2024.

To support the publishing process, the immersive fellow will help secure a graphic designer (to design the book’s front cover, back cover, and spine; set the book’s layout; etc.), an indexer (to create an index for the project), and a proofreader (to review the manuscript before publication). The fellow will also help execute a checklist of other tasks, including preparing epub and mobi files, gathering blurbs, creating an author page on Amazon, creating a marketing plan and launch strategy, preparing metadata, sending out advance review copies, crafting social media content for prior to release and afterward, promoting a preorder sale, registering ISBN numbers and barcodes, choosing a publishing platform, and creating a book website page.

The immersive fellow will also contribute to the planning of a book tour to support the release of the book. Items to focus on will include rolling out content for social media, newsletters, and book blogs; setting up interviews with print outlets, podcasts, YouTube content creators, and other sources; and reaching out to venues across the country to set up in person events. This will also entail compiling a list of book awards to apply to, drafting those applications, and crafting a strategy for ads to be placed on platforms such as Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Responsibilities include some combination of the below items:

• Attend regular meetings with Executive Director and relevant stakeholders  
• Prepare an organized timeline for the implementation of multiple components of a publishing plan
• Assist with managing a book publishing process, including but not limited to preparing epub and mobi files, gathering blurbs, creating an Amazon author page, preparing metadata, and sending out advance review copies.
• Develop and implement a marketing and launch strategy for the book, encompassing a preorder sale, social media promotion, and website updates.
• Support the planning of a book tour to promote the release, including arranging interviews, setting up in-person events, and coordinating with multiple media outlets.
• Coordinate the hiring of graphic designers, indexers, and proofreaders to ensure the book’s production elements are professionally executed.
• Identify relevant book awards and draft applications.
• Help develop a targeted ad placement strategy across platforms like Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in or a strong interest in learning about the field of independent publishing.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to adhere to timelines and meet project deadlines.
• Self-starter with the capability to work independently and take full ownership of responsibilities and tasks.
• Strong teamwork skills, with an openness to receiving and giving feedback to collaboratively achieve objectives.
• Cultural sensitivity, open-mindedness, and a strong commitment to anti-oppression and inclusivity.