Teaching Artist - Drama/Theatre and Arts Integration
POSITION: Teaching Artist
LOCATION: Chicagoland
DEPARTMENT: Arts Engagement & Education
REPORTS TO: Associate Director of Arts Engagement and Education Coordinator
PAY RATE: $57.75/hr for teaching and $30/hr for planning plus travel reimbursement.
ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE:
Writers Theatre (WT) is a nationally-recognized, award-winning theatre company located on the North Shore of Chicago with an annual, pre-pandemic operating budget of approximately $6.5 million. Known for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its productions, WT is focused on the power of the written word and dedicated to the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 120 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In February 2016, WT opened a new, state-of-the-art theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. Now celebrating its 32nd season, WT annually welcomes more than 60,000 patrons, hundreds of students through its Education programs, and has helped establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.
SUMMARY:
The Arts Engagement and Education Department at Writers Theatre is seeking teaching artists to join our cohort for the 2024/25 school year and beyond, primarily for our Novel Series program. Candidates must have weekday day-time availability and ideally some prior experience working with young people in the classroom or community settings on theatre or literary programs. Artists of all theatrical disciplines are encouraged to apply. Teaching Artists are freelance W2 employees and will receive offers to teach residencies throughout the school year. Each cohort member will teach a varied amount of hours/classes depending upon their availability.
Please note our 2024-2025 teaching artist training will consist of:
- one virtual session either October 17th 7-8:30pm or October 18th 9-10:30am
- one session onsite at Writers Theatre October 19th 11:30am-4:30pm.
ABOUT WT RESIDENCY PROGRAMS:
THE NOVEL SERIES is a 10-session theatre and literary arts curriculum designed to allow students to explore literature and the artistry of bringing text to life. Students engage in a layered investigation of text and enter a rigorous artistic process that includes deep academic enrichment and meaningful text-to-self and text-to-world connections. Teaching Artists collaborate with classroom teachers to create curriculum around a novel the students are studying. Students work in small groups and rotate through CORNERS that focus on vocabulary, writing, and discussion through a theatre-based lens in addition to performance. The corner work is paired with whole-class sessions and culminates in a final presentation of student work. Novel Series partners with Chicago Public Schools in 3rd-8th grade classrooms.
ACTIVATE is Writers Theatre's wraparound residency designed to deepen students' engagement with the art on our stages. ACTIVATE is designed to prepare for and extend students’ experiences at the theatre through participatory workshops. These pre and post-show workshops investigate contextual information and the major themes in the play working with Teaching Artists in conjunction with the school’s attendance at a Student Matinee on-site at Writers Theatre. ACTIVATE partners with primarily high-schools in Chicago and the suburbs.
ONSITE CREATIVE LEARNING offers occasional teaching opportunities such as Pop-Up Day Camps, Family Matinee Series, and Wake Up Words Family Playtime.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Create and implement curriculum in collaboration with WT Education staff and school/classroom partners.
- Submit regular updates and reflections about classroom work.
- Communicate reliably with WT Education staff and classroom partners.
- Ability to travel to schools around Chicago (car, public transportation, etc).
- Maintain required fingerprinting, background check, and training as required by Chicago Public Schools and partner organizations.
- Participate in occasional training, classroom observation, and professional development.
NOTE: We want to acknowledge that experience comes in many forms. The job of a teaching artist at Writers Theatre requires the skills listed here but they are not a prerequisite for employment. If your prior experience does not align with most or all of these qualifications but you have a passion for education, young people, and the arts, please do not hesitate to apply.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience working with students in theatre, and/or in arts education.
- Ability to create innovative, progressive curriculum and work with classroom partners on arts-integrated approaches.
- Facility with handling and teaching text and writing as well as theatre-based skills.
- Self-directed, meet deadlines, and possess superb/timely communication skills.
- A positive attitude, flexibility, patience, confidence, and a sense of humor.
- Must be able to comply with organizational COVID safety policies and procedures.
- A commitment to ethical conduct in all aspects of the work environment.
- A commitment to creating a just, equitable, and inclusive work environment and cultivating an anti-racist teaching environment.
COVID SAFETY:
Writers Theatre requires proof of vaccination for all employees. Teaching artists must also comply with Chicago Public Schools’ COVID safety protocols.
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
WT is deeply committed to creating and sustaining an organizational culture that values equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as promoting a safe, supportive and collaborative work environment conducive to professional and personal growth. A successful candidate will share these values.
WT is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.
With these values in mind, below is some information to give you a better sense of what you might expect working at WT:
- We have implemented a new and comprehensive Anti-Harassment Policy and Complaint Procedure, developed in collaboration with our HR Business Partner, Maylene Peña.
- We have developed a Code of Conduct, intended to govern the workplace behavior of everyone at the theatre to provide a generous and equitable work environment for everyone involved in bringing our mission to life.
- We stand together for justice, equality and against racism. We are committed to listening, learning and are invested in the work critical to change, in order to ensure an equitable society for all, especially for those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). For details on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion commitments, please visit https://www.writerstheatre.org... information about the actions and policies we’re implementing to provide a safe and supportive workplace can be found at www.writerstheatre.org/working-at-wt.
TO APPLY: Submit a resume and a brief statement of interest (video, audio, or written, 250 words/2 minutes long or less) via this form. In your statement of interest please address:
- Your most relevant teaching experience
- Your approach and/or values when working with young people
- What interests you about working with Writers Theatre Education?
Applications will be accepted through Wednesday, September 4th with interviews scheduled to begin September 17th. Reach out at education@writerstheatre.org with questions. No phone calls please.
Resources for assistance with creating a resume: Resume Guide and Resume Template.
Form URL: https://forms.gle/Vq5NozCFmLSZUBUv9
Resume Guide URL: https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Pages/writing-a-resume.aspx
Resume Template URL: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SZUWADBFotxsfm0djiA0WIpaKzel3PkdD04gkradrOQ/edit?usp=sharing
