Continuing Education at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies is growing, and this spring we’re offering a vibrant slate of courses in photography, film, audio, writing and more.
Registration is now open. Whether you’re just beginning or returning to your craft, these courses offer space to learn, experiment and strengthen your documentary practice.
Explore the full list of Spring 2026 courses and register below.
Introduction to Darkroom Photography
Discover the magic of film photography by learning to shoot, develop, and print your own black-and-white images in the darkroom.
6 Weeks — January 15 – February 19, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Threading Memories: Words & Photos
A hands-on workshop exploring how personal writing and photography can intertwine to illuminate memory, identity and healing through intimate text-and-image storytelling.
6 Weeks — February 27 – March 24, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here.
Introduction to Tintype Photography
Discover the 19th-century art of tintype photography — where light, metal and chemistry converge to create luminous, one-of-a-kind portraits on metal plates.
2 Days — February 21 – 22, 2026, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Digital Documentary Photography: Essentials of Visual Storytelling
Learn to see like a storyteller—build the technical and creative foundations needed to make photographs that inform, move and connect.
6 Weeks — March 24 – April 28, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Gelatin Dry Plate Workshop
Explore one of photography’s most beautiful 19th-century processes by handcrafting and shooting your own gelatin dry plates.
2 Days — April 11 – 12, 2026, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Documentary Film for Social Impact
This class explores how documentary filmmakers can use storytelling as a tool for social change. Participants will learn how to develop, produce and launch impact campaigns that create sustainable and lasting change in their communities.
6 Weeks — February 3 – March 10, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Anytown, USA
A collaborative filmmaking workshop where students partner with small-town residents to create short documentaries that explore resilience, identity, and life in America’s disappearing rural communities.
10 Weeks — March 4 – May 6, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Embodying Social Justice Values in Documentary Filmmaking
Bring your values to the center of your filmmaking and learn how to create documentaries that are accountable, ethical, and collaborative.
6 Weeks — March 4 – April 8, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Documentary Film Producing
Learn what it takes to bring a documentary from idea to screen, balancing creativity with strategy, storytelling with structure, and artistry with impact.
6 Weeks — March 31 – May 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here.
Writing and Producing the Scene, the Backbone of Audio Storytelling
A craft- and reporting-focused workshop where students learn to write, record, and produce powerful audio scenes—the essential building blocks of immersive documentary storytelling.
6 Weeks — February 10 – March 17, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here
Writing Memoir in History
Explore the art of memoir writing through a historical lens, creating personal narratives that resonate within the broader context of their time.
6 Weeks — January 21 – February 25, 2026, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
Learn more and register here
Threading Memories: Words & Photos
A hands-on workshop exploring how personal writing and photography can intertwine to illuminate memory, identity, and healing through intimate text-and-image storytelling. ONLINE
6 Weeks — February 17 – March 24, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Learn more and register here
The Art of the Impactful Story
A craft-focused writing workshop for innovators who want to shape meaningful, powerful stories that move audiences to think, feel, and act.
6 Weeks — February 25 – April 1, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here
Writing and Producing the Scene, the Backbone of Audio Storytelling
A craft- and reporting-focused workshop where students learn to write, record, and produce powerful audio scenes—the essential building blocks of immersive documentary storytelling.
6 Weeks — February 10 – March 17, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here.
The Art of the Impactful Story
A craft-focused writing workshop for innovators who want to shape meaningful, powerful stories that move audiences to think, feel, and act.
6 Weeks — February 25 – April 1, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here.
Threading Memories: Words & Photos
A hands-on workshop exploring how personal writing and photography can intertwine to illuminate memory, identity and healing through intimate text-and-image storytelling.
6 Weeks — February 27 – March 24, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. ONLINE
Learn more and register here.
The Imaginary of Disobedience
Join leading scholars and artists for a one-day exploration of how photography and visual culture have shaped global histories of dissent, resistance, and anticolonial imagination.
January 19, 2026, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Learn more and register here
Embodying Social Justice Values in Documentary Filmmaking through Reflection
Join us to hear Natalie Bullock Brown share how her path was shaped by the liberatory visions of Marlon Riggs, bell hooks, and Angela Y. Davis, and how those influences led to the creation of DAWG’s collaborative, care-centered approach to documentary ethics.
February 17, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm.
Learn more and register here
Access to Audience: Case Studies in Documentary Producing
Join independent producer Rebekah Fergusson as she shares excerpts and case studies highlighting the key opportunities, operations, and producing decisions that enabled her films to cross the finish line and secure distribution.
March 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm.
Learn more and register here.