University of Otago Arts Fellowships

University of Otago Arts Fellowships are considered the premier fellowships in New Zealand and are highly sought after by writers, artists, composers, musicians, and dancers. They are long-standing fellowships that provide selected fellows with the freedom, space, and time to focus on their creative practice without financial constraints.

The Fellowships reflect the University’s commitment to supporting imagination and creative work as a core part of its academic and civic mission, recognising the contribution of artists and writers to the cultural, intellectual, and social wellbeing of the University and the wider New Zealand community.

The University offers a number of Fellowships, including:

• The Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance
• The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship (offering paused in 2026)
• The Mozart Fellowship (offering paused in 2026)
• The Robert Burns Fellowship
• The University of Otago College of Education Children's Writer in Residence (offering paused 2026)

Arts Fellows are typically practising artists, writers, composers, musicians, or dancers who are selected through a competitive process based on artistic merit and potential contribution to the University and the wider community.

Further information

Otago Fellows