Visual & Performing Arts Opportunities for High School Students
Browse 21 verified Visual & Performing Arts opportunities for high schoolers, matched by interest with real deadlines and eligibility.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The largest US recognition program for teen writing and visual art, with 28 categories judged regionally first. Entry is $15 per work with a fee waiver built into the portal; Bay Area regional deadlines fall in December.
JCamp
Week-long multicultural journalism training camp where students report, write and produce alongside working journalists. Open to sophomores and juniors of any background — you do not need to be Asian American to apply.
Interlochen Arts Camp
Residential summer arts camp in northern Michigan covering music, theatre, dance, visual arts, film, and creative writing in sessions of one to six weeks. Tuition is steep, but 86% of families who requested aid received it last summer.
StudentCam
C-SPAN's national video documentary contest. You make a short film about an issue that affects your community or the country.
California State Summer School for the Arts
Four-week state-run residential arts intensive at Cal Poly Pomona in animation, film, dance, music, theater, visual arts, and creative writing. Nearly 60% of students recently received full or partial scholarships, limited to California residents.
Pre-College Academy
Saturday conservatory program in downtown San Francisco running August through May with private lessons, ensembles, and master classes. Admission is by audition and expects 1-2 years of prior study; financial aid is offered.
YoungArts National Arts Competition
National competition for artists ages 15-18 across ten disciplines — writing, visual arts, film, theater, dance, voice, jazz, and more — with awards from $250 to $10,000 plus mentorship. The $35 fee is waivable.
Blue Planet Awareness Contest
Annual creative contest (formerly the Ocean Awareness Contest) asking students to explore an ocean and climate theme through visual art, writing, film, music, or interactive media. Free to enter, with cash awards across divisions.
Congressional Art Competition
Visual art contest run in each congressional district every spring. You enter through your own member of Congress's office.
Essentially Ellington
Free Jazz at Lincoln Center program for high school jazz bands. Your school band takes part as a group.
Grammy Camp
Summer music industry camp in cities such as Nashville, Miami, and New York. Tuition runs $2,500 to $3,600 by location.
High School Journalism Institute
Summer journalism workshops at Indiana University covering reporting, photojournalism, design and yearbook. Open from rising high school freshmen through rising college freshmen.
Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
Two-week summer intensives on a Southern California mountain campus in visual arts, dance, theatre, music, film, fashion, and creative writing. Rolling enrollment until sessions fill; need-based scholarships available.
Met Museum Summer High School Internship
Paid summer internship placing NY/NJ/CT high schoolers (grades 10-11) with Met museum professionals in curatorial, education, design, imaging, or social media teams. Interns receive a $1,100 completion stipend. 2027 application deadline not yet published — check the Met's internship page.
National History Day Contest
Research a topic tied to the annual theme and present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website, advancing from local and state contests to nationals in Maryland.
Poetry Out Loud
National poetry recitation contest. You memorize and perform poems, starting at your school and moving up to state and national finals. Your school must be registered with the state coordinator.
Smithsonian Internships
Internship listings across Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo, spanning collections, science, education, and communications. Each posting states its own grade and age requirements.
Student Reporting Labs
Free youth journalism program with lesson plans, editing support, and publication opportunities for student-produced video and audio stories on national broadcasts and the PBS NewsHour site.
Whitney Youth Insights
After-school and summer program at the Whitney where New York City teens work with contemporary artists.
Writing Workshops & Teen Poetry Slam
Free weekly spoken-word writing and performance workshops in San Francisco and Oakland, plus an annual Teen Poetry Slam whose finalists represent the Bay Area at Brave New Voices.
Youth Media Programs
Free Oakland-based training in journalism, audio production, and digital storytelling for ages 14-24, no experience needed. The organization paused in late 2024 and relaunched in 2026 — confirm current status before applying.