Detroit Public Theatre

InsideOut Literary Arts

Creative Washtenaw/ArtTrain

Living Arts

African American Cultural & Historical Museum of Washtenaw County

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)

CultureSource

Arab American National Museum

Sidewalk Detroit

Mosaic Youth Theatre

Detroit Opera

Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit

Detroit Sound Conservancy

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Garage Cultural

Eisenhower Dance

Motor City Street Dance Academy

Dearborn Historical Museum

Studio Artists: Nour Ballout & Diana Nucera: Mother Cyborg

Detroit Public Theatre • InsideOut Literary Arts • Creative Washtenaw/ArtTrain • Living Arts • African American Cultural & Historical Museum of Washtenaw County • Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) • CultureSource • Arab American National Museum • Sidewalk Detroit • Mosaic Youth Theatre • Detroit Opera • Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit • Detroit Sound Conservancy • Detroit Symphony Orchestra • Garage Cultural • Eisenhower Dance • Motor City Street Dance Academy • Dearborn Historical Museum • Studio Artists: Nour Ballout & Diana Nucera: Mother Cyborg •

Culture Corps connects U-M undergraduates with paid internships at arts and culture organizations across Michigan focusing on Metro Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Culture Corps matches U-M undergraduate students to paid internships at arts and culture organizations in Southeast Michigan after taking a mini-course. Its goals are to encourage and expose students interested in arts and humanities majors to career pathways, to encourage students who might not know how to get started in arts and culture careers, and to support a breadth of SE Michigan art and culture organizations with a consistent group of paid students. The Humanities Collaboratory Equity Initiative supported a research phase of Culture Corps over the summer of 2021, to determine best practices for establishing relationships with internship hosts, the types of structures that promote quality experiences for students, and the historic trajectories that have shaped arts institutions' values and affecting their ability to attract a diverse staff.

1: Join the Program
September–February

Request to join Culture Corps by emailing Program Lead, Alison Rivett at alibyrne@umich.edu.

2: Two-Credit Mini-Course
March–April

You'll take AmCult 377: Culture Corps for foundational knowledge & skills. Preparation starts after winter break.

3: Internship & Check-ins
May–August 

Most internships are up to 20 hours/week for 15–16 weeks. Hourly pay is $18, and transportation costs are reimbursed. You'll meet with your intern cohort throughout, to share your experiences & learn from your peers.

Why were you interested in an arts & culture internship?

  • I’ve had internships in the past...

    ...but never in the arts sector, and I am someone who absolutely loves theater & performance so I wanted to try to work in that area before continuing on in academia to see if it was something I would prefer to do. Frankly, I just love the arts, and I wanted to spend my summer working with an organization that worked on spreading theater to the wider community!

  • I'm a very arts-inclined person...

    ...and what drew me to CultureCorps is that I’ve always interested in the behind-the-scenes effort of planning museum exhibitions and the work that goes into continuing a collection, connecting with artists, and curating the works.

  • As I was preparing for graduation...

    ...an internship in arts and culture would be a perfect way for me to transition out of college and into a career in the area I have been studying.

  • I love the arts, but my major...

    ...did not leave much room for taking any semester-long art classes. An internship over the summer was the perfect solution for me to pursue an arts-related program as well as receive non-major credit.

What is a day in your internship like?

  • Lots of behind-the-scenes planning...

    ...directly under the supervision of the Founder/President of the Museum, researching pieces and artists, working directly with other interns, communal discussions, and — on occasion — putting up and striking exhibitions.

  • Office work, with a creative lens...

    ...I help reach out to tell Detroit about our programs, and summarize data from our past performances. Occasionally I attend shows and other events. My recent projects involve heading summer recruitment for our fall season and planning our playwriting/songwriting summer program.

  • You open a lot of new opportunities...

    ...available for you and get to connect with people who could be the complete opposite of you but still manage to maintain a great connection with. You learn skills that are applicable in the real world and are put in situations no other place can put you in.

  • I go to work and...

    ...typically make some ceramic tiles. I check in with my colleagues from each department and ask if they need help that day. I usually do some planning on my computer for the apprenticeship program that I am assisting.

  • Researching opportunities for artists...

    ...to receive funding and other resources), managing finances, and doing readings as a means of enriching my understanding of the artist’s background. I’ve also had a business trip in Chicago where I learned how to mount a photo and create a frame from scratch, which was very interesting and fun.

What is something new you have learned from your internship?

  • I’m definitely an expert in...

    ...spreadsheets and Asana now. I’ve made myself busy reorganizing any data I can get my hands on to make it more comprehensive for the team, and I’m proud that it’s paying off. I’m also improving on my group planning skills. It’s surprising how many people have to be involved on any one project, and you should never expect to be on your own.

  • I have learned the basics of...

    ...QuickBooks and what a nonprofit’s accounting information looks like. Additionally, coming into the internship I was already very familiar with Excel but I have become even more experienced with the software. Further, I have learned a lot about facilitating grants and the importance of grant language.

  • A lot about the process of...

    ...running a dance school, especially a successful one. The studio pushes a lot of content out of their Instagram account and it allows for more engagement of the dance students and their parents. I learned how to take effective meeting minutes and pitch ideas to a group (have all the parts ready before presenting so the idea is fully thought out).

  • I’ve learned a lot about...

    ...ordering merchandise, event planning, and how the audition/callback process of a small professional theatre works. I’ve also gotten to learn about Actors’ Equity and the hiring process for directors, stage managers, and other production team members.

What has been a favorite moment from your internship?

  • I got to sit in on the auditions for DPT’s next season, which was very cool!

  • Riding in a Model-T after we washed it!

  • Participating in a cooking workshop while helping run it.

  • Visiting the house of a local artist—I was able to see a lot of the art they made and even was gifted a piece!

History

The Humanities Collaboratory Equity Initiative supported a research phase of Culture Corps over the summer of 2021, to determine best practices for establishing relationships with internship hosts, the types of structures that promote quality experiences for students, and the historic trajectories that have shaped arts institutions' values and affecting their ability to attract a diverse staff.

Interested in becoming a host organization?
Contact 
artsinitiative@umich.edu to learn more.

Request a pdf of the full Culture Corps report by emailing artsinitiative@umich.edu.