RESIDENT DIRECTOR
Supervised By: General Manager
Employees Supervised: Academic Tutors
Classification: Exempt, Full time, Salary
Organizational Overview Albany Park Theater Project creates transformative experiences that forge an inclusive community of youth artists, adult artists and audiences to envision and build a more just, equitable and joyful world. APTP’s teen ensemble members – mostly young people of color from immigrant families – and adult artistic team collaborate to create world-class theater that amplifies and illuminates the voices and experiences of our immigrant and first-generation community. Our creative process prepares and propels teens to lead civically engaged and choice-filled lives. Our performances foster empathy, humanize challenging social issues, encourage new ways of seeing the world, and inspire action.
Opportunity The Resident Director position offers a unique opportunity for an established artist to find a true artistic home – a place to bring their developed artistic practice to a space that truly values their expertise and perspective, that is both well-resourced and stable but also risk-taking and incredibly ambitious. The Resident Director will have a rare opportunity to merge their life’s creative work with APTP’s mission and vision, and to build on a 20+ year track record of artistic and youth development expertise. APTP is serious about nourishing and supporting its artists and provides a space to be challenged and grow within a close-knit team of theater artists, designers, administrators and more.
Position Overview The Resident Director role offers a collaboration-minded, experienced and innovative theater maker the opportunity to create ground-breaking, multidisciplinary performances rooted in the lived experience of immigrant communities and driven by Albany Park Theater Project’s mission of social justice and enriching the cultural vitality and quality of life in the Albany Park neighborhood as well as throughout Chicago.
The Resident Director’s work bridges art making, teaching and youth development. This role is an integral part of the APTP artistic team, collaborating in the devising and directing of performances for a diverse group of audiences and planning and facilitating workshops for teen ensemble members with a goal of artistic skill-building, empowerment and amplifying youth voice. The Resident Director is also an integral part of the youth development team, collaborating to mentor teen ensemble members and work with them toward college access and success.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Art Making and Performances (approximately 50% of the time):
– Serve as a member of the core artistic team that devises multidisciplinary, ethnography-based plays with a teen performing ensemble
* Collaborate in the conceiving, directing, scripting, composing, choreographing, and producing of performances
* Collaborate to plan and facilitate teen ensemble members in ethnographic research to collect the real-life stories that inspire APTP’s plays
* Actively lead and support rehearsals
* Actively participate in providing and integrating feedback and refining production content with teen ensemble, artistic team and production team
* Assume a leadership role in the maintenance of performances, including, but not limited to: taking and giving notes, leading pickup and maintenance rehearsals, making cast changes and leading put-in rehearsals when necessary
* Plan, facilitate and support performing arts workshops and training programs for teens
* Serve as lead staff to fulfill the organization’s strategic priority of making some APTP performances accessible to monolingual Spanish speakers
* Invest in personal artistic development by attending and participating in workshops, trainings and other opportunities to hone and expand craft and skill set
* Create and nurture relationships with local, national and international artists in the service of enriching arts learning and art making opportunities for APTP
Youth Development (approximately 25% of the time):
– Serve as a resource and mentor for youth ensemble members by providing assistance and support related to education, artistic, social-emotional skills, life skills and other human development needs
– Connect youth to health, wellness, education and other supportive services as appropriate; respond to the needs of young people in crisis including mental health and other emergencies
– Participate in the work of APTP’s College Access and Success Program
– Build and manage relationships with families of teen theater ensemble members, and with community residents, schools and teachers and community organizations to ensure youth’s needs are met and foster a sense of community and social support
Community Engagement (approximately 10% of the time):
– Serve as an organizational resource by educating teen ensemble and other community stakeholders about APTP’s work through in person and written communication
– In collaboration with artistic team, coordinate and oversee community-based artistic projects
– Establish and nurture relationships with other arts organizations, locally, nationally, internationally
– Collaborate with team to strategize, implement and manage programs for recruiting/retaining teens
Program and Staff Management (approximately 10% of the time):
– Plan and oversee programs and activities that fulfill the APTP mission
– Hire, orient, and supervise the following positions: Academic Tutors
– May be called on to provide oversight to freelance production contractors
Administrative Support (approximately 5% of the time):
– In collaboration with other members of the artistic team, provide regular communication to all staff on artistic developments, programming and events
– Keep abreast of the state and needs of APTP administrative, operations, community and development departments
WORK ENVIRONMENT
– This position operates primarily in a professional office environment that is not fully accessible
– This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets, and fax machines
– While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds
– This is a full-time position. Evening and weekend work is regularly required as the schedule is often determined by the shifting needs of the organization.
– Some travel to off-site locations in the Chicago metro area is required
– Workplace is a smoke- and drug-free environment
– Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service and/or marital status, order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes. As an organization devoted to advancing racial equity and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, and particularly of immigrant communities, Albany Park Theater Project is dedicated to building a diverse team of artists and administrators.
THE QUALIFIED CANDIDATE
Albany Park Theater Project seeks an innovative and passionate artist with at least five years of experience making theater and/or performance with the experience and skill to serve as lead artist on APTP main stage productions. They will be relationship-focused, trustworthy, optimistic, and visibly engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders. The qualified candidate has experience in a mentorship and resource role working with a diverse group of young people. They will be a goal oriented, natural leader who is passionate and committed to the full mission and vision of APTP.
REQUIREMENTS:
Education and Skills
– Established multidisciplinary theater maker with five years’ experience directing devised theater
– At least 2 years of experience working with youth (college access/readiness work helpful)
– At least 2 years of experience as a teaching artist
– Bilingual Spanish speaking required
– Experience hiring and managing freelance contractors
– Demonstrated ability to set and achieve or exceed goals
– Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to serve as a key spokesperson for APTP
– Ability to plan, prioritize, and coordinate multiple responsibilities
– Demonstrated history of working with people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and economic strata
– Demonstrated ability to work successfully with Board members and other volunteers and community leaders in a collaborative manner
– A current driver’s license and a clean driving record preferred
QUALITIES
– Entrepreneurial spirit, creative problem solver, and strong collaborator
– Demonstrated commitment to social justice
– Progressive, positive and forward-thinking attitude
COMPENSATION
– The salary range is $55,000 to $60,000 and includes a fully employer-paid health plan, generous leave, and opportunity to see other theaters’ performances
– The position offers employer-paid professional development opportunities, employer-paid travel and the opportunity to become part of a nurturing community and to create work with one of the country’s leading community-based theaters
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your resume, accompanied by a cover letter that explains why you are qualified for this position and your interest in working at Albany Park Theater Project. Use the opportunity to share something of yourself that we won’t get from your resume alone. Please email your cover letter, resume, and salary range requirement to residentdir@aptpchicago.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Resident Director is an employee at will, meaning that either party may terminate the employment relationship at any time by written notice to the other. Nothing in this job description is to be deemed to create a contract of employment for a specific period of time.