Duke Arts is excited to introduce the three teams for the 2025 Arts+ program, a summer experiential learning initiative now in its second year. This multifaceted program offers opportunities for Duke graduate and undergraduate students to gain practical experience in the professional arts world; focus areas include marketing and communications, program development, arts education, and more.
Arts+ helps students build skills, explore career paths, connect with professionals and peers, and expand their portfolios for future opportunities. The six-week timeline means students still have time in the summer to visit with family, pursue an experience in Global Education, or take a second summer session course. —Jules Odendahl-James, Director of Engagement
For six weeks at the beginning of the summer, Arts+ students work full-time in small groups with arts professionals to gain hands-on skills. This year, Arts+ students will develop and operate middle school puppetry camps at the Duke University Marine Lab, launch a new arts education program that connects Duke students and faculty with Durham Public Schools, and integrate into the Duke Arts administrative team to produce a summer concert series while announcing and marketing the upcoming Duke Arts Presents season.
In addition to working with their individual teams, Arts+ students participate in breakaway learning activities including arts workshops and a weekly lunch-and-learn series with industry speakers. This summer, Arts+ will partner with the inaugural Doc+ program, a new initiative from the Center for Documentary Studies, to provide unique arts experiences to students in both cohorts.
Arts+ joins a series of co-curricular summer learning opportunities at Duke University known as the +Programs, including Data+, Climate+, CS+, and more. Students interested in learning more about +Program opportunities, including Arts+, are encouraged to attend the Plus Programs Information Fair from 1-3 pm this Thursday, January 16.
Based at the Duke University Marine Lab (DUML), this team will develop and run middle school camps to teach resilience through puppetry in collaboration with faculty from the DUML and Trinity College of Arts. Students will develop camp curriculum with the larger team over two weeks, run three separate weeklong camps, and evaluate the effectiveness of the camp curriculum in the concluding week. Students interested in middle school education with experience in the arts are encouraged to apply. (No puppetry experience necessary.)
Team Lead: Torry Bend
“I’m most looking forward to the coastal air fueling our creativity. With two weeks to plan, three weeks to connect with middle schoolers and iterate, and a final week of reflection and assessment, I think we will find the perfect mix of challenge and reflection making for a productive and inspiring summer.”
Skills Developed in this Team:
• Puppetry Design
• Curriculum Development
• Evaluation and Assessment of Education Programs
Duke Arts Fellows is an academic year program that will connect Duke undergraduates with Durham Public Schools educators and Duke faculty mentors. The program seeks to bolster arts education offerings in public schools while providing Duke students with 1:1 Duke arts faculty mentorship. Within the DPS system, Duke students will leverage their expertise, background in the arts, and Duke’s resources to cultivate meaningful arts programming. Learn more about the ‘25-’26 Duke faculty mentors here.
Building on the work started by the Arts+ Fellows team last summer and the current Duke Arts Fellows Student Advisory Board, this summer’s team will focus on shaping the program’s next phase to prepare for launch during the 2025-26 academic year. Students will develop the schedule, structure, and expectations for the undergraduate students, Duke faculty mentors, and DPS educators in the program.
Team Lead: Anna Wallace
“As a graduate of Durham Public Schools and a former arts educator, I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring these two parts of my background together to support the Duke Arts Fellows becoming a reality. I look forward to guiding students who have a passion for the arts and education as they flesh out the program and set up management systems and assessment that will ensure its long-term success.”
Skills Developed in this Team:
• Program Management
• Research and Data Analysis for Program Development
• Public Education Collaboration
This student team will integrate into the programming, production, marketing and communications teams at Duke Arts, gaining hands-on experience running an outdoor concert series while launching the upcoming 2025-26 Duke Arts Presents season. On concert dates (every Wednesday in June, and the final Wednesday in May), the team will work closely with programming and production to support the needs of the artists and ensure a successful concert series. The team will also work with programming to identify artists for an upcoming festival. Roles with Marketing and Communications will include preparing event descriptions, building web pages, and developing marketing plans for the upcoming season; brainstorming community outreach strategies for individual events; and building accessibility resources and communications around Duke Arts Presents venues and events.
Team Lead: Frances Howorth & Aaron Shackelford
“Summer is one of the most exciting times to get involved in a presenting season, especially at Duke Arts. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share work with Duke students as we build our marketing strategy and help welcome local communities to our events.”
Skills Developed in this Team:
• Website Building
• Marketing Plan Development
• Researching and Building Accessibility Resources
Arts + takes place during Summer Session 1. Students will receive a stipend of $3,500 for their participation OR room and board in on-campus housing. (The Resilience through Puppetry team will only have the housing option available, as they will be based at the marine lab, and no stipend will be provided for this team.)
Applications open on February 3.