Emerging Arts Fellowship

Help Invent the Future of Theatre

Arizona Theatre Matters is a digital-first theatre company exploring how performance, research, technology, and artistic practice can expand what becomes possible for artists and audiences.

We believe the future of theatre will not be built solely on stages.

It will emerge wherever artists, technologists, researchers, educators, accessibility specialists, and communities collaborate to create new forms of participation and performance.

The Emerging Arts Fellowship invites curious, creative people to help build that future alongside us.

What Makes This Fellowship Different

Most theatre internships prepare participants to enter existing systems.

Arizona Theatre Matters asks Fellows to help imagine new ones.

Our work lives at the intersection of:

  • Digital theatre
  • Creative research
  • Inclusive storytelling
  • Emerging technologies
  • Artistic Experimentation
  • Audience participation
  • Creative technology
  • Methodology development
  • Cultural innovation

Every Fellow contributes to projects with real audiences, real collaborators, and real artistic purpose.

Our Philosophy

The Fellowship is grounded in Arizona Theatre Matters’ developing methodology, What Becomes Possible?

Rather than asking what someone already knows, we ask:

What becomes possible when emerging artists, thinkers, technologists, and leaders are trusted with meaningful responsibility in a supportive creative environment?

Learning happens through participation.

Fellows are encouraged to experiment, collaborate across disciplines, solve real problems, and reflect on what they discover through the creative process.

Fellowship Opportunities

Digital Production Fellow

Help bring new theatrical work from rehearsal to audiences around the world.

You might:

  • Coordinate digital production workflows
  • Prepare YouTube premieres
  • Organize production assets
  • Develop metadata and publishing strategies
  • Coordinate captions and transcripts
  • Support accessibility quality review
  • Build digital archives

Audience Research Fellow

Help us understand how people experience theatre in the digital age.

You might:

  • Analyze audience engagement
  • Study viewing patterns
  • Develop audience surveys
  • Explore accessibility outcomes
  • Create data visualizations
  • Contribute to research reports

Participation Design Fellow

Explore how thoughtful design expands participation in artistic experiences.

You might:

  • Design accessibility and participation workflows
  • Support Artistic Sign Language integration
  • Coordinate audio description
  • Test new participation models
  • Evaluate audience experiences
  • Research emerging accessibility practices

Digital Experience Fellow

Help shape how audiences encounter Arizona Theatre Matters online.

You might:

  • Improve the website
  • Develop interactive digital experiences
  • Organize online resources
  • Design audience pathways
  • Build digital exhibitions
  • Explore emerging technologies

Research & Methodology Fellow

Support the continuing development of What Becomes Possible?

You might:

  • Conduct literature reviews
  • Document emerging practices
  • Develop educational resources
  • Assist with pilot projects
  • Create evaluation tools
  • Support methodology development

Communications Fellow

Help tell the story of Arizona Theatre Matters with clarity, care, and imagination.

You might:

  • Write articles and newsletters
  • Prepare press materials
  • Interview artists
  • Develop documentary content
  • Create impact stories
  • Support public communications

Digital Festival Fellow

Support the Glendale International Fringe Festival as a laboratory for digital performance and artistic innovation.

You might:

  • Assist with artist onboarding
  • Support digital programming
  • Coordinate festival communications
  • Develop accessibility resources
  • Document festival activities
  • Improve audience experiences

Who Should Apply

We welcome applicants from a wide range of disciplines.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Theatre
  • Film and Media Arts
  • Communications
  • Journalism
  • Digital Media
  • Computer Science
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • UX Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Disability Studies
  • ASL Interpreting
  • Education
  • Public Administration
  • Nonprofit Management
  • Data Science
  • Library and Information Science
  • Digital Humanities
  • Research and Evaluation

The future of theatre will not be built by theatre alone.

The Fellowship Experience

The Emerging Arts Fellowship provides meaningful professional experience through active participation in the work of Arizona Theatre Matters.

Fellows receive:

  • Individual mentorship
  • Leadership opportunities
  • Portfolio-quality projects
  • Experience working across disciplines
  • Collaboration with artists, researchers, and creative professionals
  • Professional references
  • Opportunities to contribute to nationally visible digital theatre initiatives

Each Fellowship is designed around meaningful work.

Depending on the Fellowship track, participants may complete digital productions, research reports, accessibility frameworks, communications campaigns, educational resources, audience studies, website features, methodology documentation, or other projects that contribute directly to the mission of Arizona Theatre Matters.

Compensation

Arizona Theatre Matters provides compensated Fellowship opportunities.

Compensation, eligibility requirements, appointment terms, expected hours, and application procedures vary by Fellowship and will be specified in each Fellowship announcement.

Join Us

Arizona Theatre Matters is always interested in meeting curious people who want to help shape the future of theatre.

Fellowship opportunities are announced throughout the year as projects become available.

Whether you come from the arts, technology, education, research, design, communications, or another field entirely, we invite you to imagine what becomes possible when creative people build something together.

The future is built by those who choose to participate.