2027–28 Polar STEAM Antarctic Artists & Writers Program
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What is Polar STEAM for Artists & Writers?
Polar STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, is not just a national program, but a journey for all of us to become closer to what is so physically distant, to understand the Polar regions and people, and to commit to share what we learn with the world so others, too, can let their curiosity thrive.
The Antarctic Artists & Writers program facilitates deployments to the Antarctic for creative practitioners within the arts and humanities. Collaborations between polar researchers and artists and writers help increase the public’s understanding of and appreciation for human and scientific endeavors in Antarctica through the resulting works. Polar STEAM welcomes applications from working artists, writers, and creative practitioners in a variety of genres, from traditional to experimental. You can view 2025–26 fellows as well as those from past years on the website.
This application is for four to ten weeks during the 2027–28 Antarctic summer season, typically October through February, with a possible option for early season (August through September). In the past two seasons, deployments have been 6-8 weeks in length.
Because the potential creative scope of projects will be determined in part by logistical considerations in the remote Antarctic environment, we strongly encourage applicants to attend the informational webinar on April 30, 2026 at 2:00PM PST or to view the recording that will be made available on the Polar STEAM YouTube channel in order to prepare the strongest possible application. Information about the webinar is posted on the "Apply Now" page of the Polar STEAM website.
Before applying, please read the FAQs on the Polar STEAM website. Note: Only individuals can apply, and only individuals will be awarded fellowships. Due to limited resources, we are only able to deploy individual artists or writers. Collaborative projects may begin or resume upon return from deployment, but teams cannot be involved during deployment or logistics planning.
All applicants will be notified of status by early September, 2026.