For Duke students looking to shape their academic and creative journeys, opportunities from Duke Arts are available now. From paid summer experiences to yearlong fellowships and project funding, many of our most popular programs are accepting applications right now, and several will close within weeks. Explore the options below and join us to invest in your artistic life at Duke.
Spend six weeks during the summer gaining full-time professional experience in the arts. For summer 2026, this program offers four project teams focused on recreating a community stained glass window, developing video game narratives for Duke Game Studios, creating climate action–focused prints in partnership with the Museum of Life and Science, and supporting the Duke Arts administrative team on the upcoming Duke Arts Presents summer concert series and season.
Applications are due February 27.
Mary Duke Biddle Duke Arts Fellows is an academic yearlong program connecting Duke undergraduates with Durham Public Schools educators and Duke faculty mentors. Open to students of all majors, Fellows (Duke students) work alongside a Duke faculty mentor and a DPS teacher in writing, visual art, dance, theater, or music. Through this collaboration, Fellows develop impactful arts education programming and a capstone experience in the spring with DPS students. Students must be able to commit to participation for a full academic year.
Applications for 2026-27 are due February 27.
Benenson Awards in the Arts funding is available for arts-centered projects proposed by Duke University undergraduate students, including graduating seniors. Awards are either $2,500 or $4,500 and can be used to cover fees, travel, and other educational expenses related to your project.
Applications are due March 16.
Creative Arts Grants are provided to help defray fall or spring project expenses of up to $500 for Trinity and Pratt students enrolled in faculty-supervised Independent Study courses or full-credit private instruction in the creative arts (e.g., Art & Visual Studies, Dance, Literature, Music, Theater Studies). Funds are available to purchase approved supplies and equipment for the arts project.
Applications are due February 25.*
Applications may close early if funds are exhausted.
Duke Arts also offers student internship positions during the academic year, including a Student Engagement Assistant, a Marketing Assistant, and a Photo and Video Assistant. Keep an eye out for applications opening for these positions this summer.
Explore more art-related opportunities across campus, including the Center for Documentary Studies Doc+ summer program and 2026-27 Bass Connections Project Teams.
This past summer, Caroline Edmondson (’26) stepped into one of the country’s leading creative laboratories: the National Theater Institute’s Theatermakers Summer Intensive. A double major in Theater Studies and Dance …
Cover Photos by Naflah Mohammed and Jocelyn Morgenstein In late June, the Arts+ Resilience Through Puppetry team wrapped up six weeks of immersive, hands-on work at the Duke Marine Lab …
While undoubtedly a field trip filled with beach skies and sun-soaked laughter, this venture was also a profound experience that brought introspection, observation, and questions.
Trinity and Pratt students use Creative Arts Grants to fund creative projects that supplement independent study or regular coursework. To celebrate the opening of the 2024-2025 Creative Arts Grants, our new Duke Arts Fellow, Maya Ghanem, spoke with two of last year’s grantees: Ruby Wang (T’ 24), who created a multimedia collage, and Cate Knothe (T’ 24), who wrote, shot, and edited a short film.
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