Sponsorships, Grants & Contest Topics

Talescape occasionally offers grants and sponsored contests in partnership with cultural institutions, foundations, or ethical brands that share its mission of supporting creativity, empathy, and independent storytelling.

This document outlines how sponsorships and grants work, how topics are selected, and how Talescape maintains full editorial independence.

Grants and sponsorships may support:

• Contest prize pools and awards
• Outreach programs and community events
• Creator grants for selected Bards or projects

All partnerships follow the same neutrality and transparency standards described below.

Talescape welcomes collaboration with cultural, educational, and artistic sponsors who share its mission of supporting creativity, empathy, and independent storytelling.

Sponsors may contribute to contest prize pools, outreach efforts, or event organization, but Talescape remains fully independent in its editorial and creative decisions.

This policy defines the boundaries for sponsorships and sponsored contest topics to ensure that Talescape stays neutral, transparent, and inclusive.

Talescape will not accept sponsorships from:

• Political parties or campaign organizations.
• Companies, media outlets, or foundations with clear or declared party affiliations.
• Advocacy groups primarily focused on influencing legislation, elections, or public policy.

We welcome support from:

• Cultural foundations and public arts programs.
• Educational institutions, museums, and libraries.
• Ethical brands and individuals aligned with Talescape’s creative values.

All sponsorships are reviewed individually to ensure they uphold Talescape’s neutrality and integrity.

Sponsors may propose contest themes under the following conditions:

3.1. Creative Freedom

• Topics must remain broad, interpretive, and open to different artistic perspectives.
• They should invite exploration, not promotion or persuasion.

3.2. Neutrality

• Contest topics may not favor or criticize any political party, ideology, religion, or commercial brand.
• No slogans, products, or campaigns may appear in the contest title or description.

3.3. Cultural Relevance

• Themes should reflect universal human ideas such as empathy, resilience, imagination, or moral complexity.
• Social issues may be explored, but always through an inclusive and nonpartisan lens.

3.4. Transparency

• All sponsors are listed publicly on the contest page.
• Each listing includes a note clarifying Talescape’s editorial independence, for example:
  “This contest is supported by [Sponsor Name]. The theme was approved by Talescape to ensure neutrality and creative freedom.”

3.5. Editorial Control

• Talescape reserves the right to edit, rephrase, or reject proposed topics.
• Final approval always rests with Talescape’s internal review team.

When Talescape defines a contest theme internally, the same standards of neutrality and openness apply. Each topic is chosen to inspire creativity, reflection, and emotional depth, not to promote specific ideologies or current events.

4.1. Guiding Principles

• Universality: Topics should speak to timeless human experiences such as love, loss, resilience, curiosity, identity, or change.
• Interpretive Space: Authors should be able to approach the theme from multiple directions such as comedic, tragic, philosophical, or abstract.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Themes must avoid bias toward specific nations, religions, or social movements.
• Constructive Relevance: Real-world issues may inspire a topic, but they are always framed broadly (e.g., “Displacement and Belonging” instead of “The Refugee Crisis”).
• Positive Challenge: Contests should invite reflection and empathy, not outrage or division.

4.2. Review and Approval

Each proposed topic goes through an internal review process that considers:

• Ethical neutrality and inclusivity.
• Artistic potential and creative diversity.
• Fit with Talescape’s mission and yearly focus.

Final approval lies with the Talescape team to ensure alignment with the platform’s core values.

Sponsorship and grant funds are used exclusively for:

• Contest prize pools and awards.
• Promotion of contests and winning stories.
• Moderation, community management, and technical costs directly related to contests.
• Direct Bard grants or project stipends.

Talescape does not sell ad placements or story visibility in exchange for sponsorships.

Every sponsorship is an act of trust.Talescape will always prioritize creative freedom, transparency, and the independence of its authors. Sponsors support the community; they do not shape its opinions or artistic direction.