Teaching Artist

Position:  Teaching Artist 

Reports to:  Education Director 

 

About Theatre for a New Audience 

Founded in 1979, Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) is an award-winning off-Broadway LORT- C theatre whose mission is to develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama alongside other new work.  TFANA is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and equitable environment and strongly encourages applications from underrepresented populations. The position will remain open until a diverse and qualified pool of candidates is identified. 

We are guided in our work by five core values: a reverence for language, a spirit of adventure, a commitment to diversity, a dedication to learning, and a spirit of service. These values inform what we do with artists, how we interact with audiences, and how we manage our organization.

 

To advance our mission and values, Theatre for a New Audience: 

  • produces Shakespeare alongside other plays of classic stature and major contemporary plays, creating a dialogue over centuries between Shakespeare and other authors about our contemporary world;
  • builds long-term associations with artists and offers programs for their growth and ongoing development;
  • promotes the humanities by presenting dynamic discussions with leading artists and scholars in a variety of fields in conjunction with the plays we present;
  • programs for wide-ranging audiences—from connoisseurs of diverse repertory to young people who are seeing groundbreaking productions for the first time;
  • promotes access for diverse audiences by offering reduced-priced tickets;
  • provides rich arts-in-education programs, including teacher training and the largest in-depth program to introduce Shakespeare in NYC public schools;
  • contributes to the international theatre community through touring, artistic exchanges and partnerships.

 

About the Teaching Artist Position

 

Collaborating closely with Education Department staff, Teaching Artists deliver TFANA’s arts education programming for students and teachers in NYC public schools. TFANA seeks experienced and highly collaborative theatre arts educators with strong facilitation skills and a commitment to partnering with young people and teachers in the classroom.

 

Teaching Artists primarily facilitate TFANA Education’s two in-school arts integration programs (both programs involve partnership with classroom teachers of academic subjects, and include professional development and collaboration sessions with those teachers alongside weekly classroom visits by the Teaching Artist): 

 

  • New Voices Program (grades 4-12): a 12-week playwriting residency program in NYC public schools; TFANA actors perform students’ original plays in staged readings at the end of each residency.

 

  • World Theatre Project (grades 5-12): an 11-week Shakespeare residency program in NYC public schools; students attend a performance at TFANA of Shakespeare or other classic drama, then conduct project-based explorations of the play, culminating in a performance of their own version.

 

Teaching Artists may occasionally work on TFANA Education’s professional development programs for teachers, which include Shakespeare & Social Justice (a partnership with the Shakespeare Center of LA and the Southern Poverty Law Center); Critically Conscious Shakespeare (a partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company); Teaching Shakespeare’s Plays through Scholarship and Performance (a biennial NEH Summer Institute for teachers from across the country).  

 

Responsibilities include:  

  • Teaching. Prepare and facilitate in-class instruction for students in each residency, guided by the TFANA Curriculum and adapting it as needed. Co-create environments with students that celebrate their identities and support creative self-expression. Collaborate with students in making connections between – and asking critical questions of – theatre and our world.
  • Professional development & collaboration. Meet regularly with classroom teachers to adapt the residency and to ensure that teachers have the tools to lead Teacher Activities from the TFANA Curriculum.
  • Managing residencies to a successful conclusion. Maintain a consistent schedule of visits with each classroom; work with teacher to plan a Culminating Event that sets students up for success; execute that plan.
  • Communicating regularly. Provide regular updates to Education staff about the progress and schedule of each residency, along with curriculum changes, requests for support, and plans for culminating events.
  • Training & curriculum development. Attend TFANA’s annual training & curriculum development intensive each fall, as well as check-ins and training opportunities throughout the year. (Additional paid opportunities for peer observation and capacity-building around inclusive and social justice education are also available.)

 

Qualifications and Traits:  

We know that there are great candidates who may not have all the qualifications listed below but possess fully transferable skills. So don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself if that’s you!

  • 4+ years’ experience teaching in a K-12 setting (in- or out-of-school-time)
  • Experience teaching Shakespeare (or other classic drama) and/or playwriting
  • Experience partnering with K-12 teachers to deliver in-class arts instruction
  • Availability during public school hours and ability to commit to your residency schedule once finalized between you and TFANA Education staff
  • Collaborative, self-motivated, responsible, communicative, and punctual

 

This would be a great opportunity for you if: 

  • You have experience developing your own curriculum and/or adapting and differentiating existing curriculum
  • Your arts teaching centers social justice, antiracism, and/or culturally responsive-sustaining practices
  • Creating environments of belonging through high-quality, inclusive theatre curriculum for young people with disabilities is important to you
  • You’re excited about decolonial approaches to Shakespeare in the K-12 classroom

Compensation: 

  • $85/class period for facilitation (all school-based work: lessons with students and PD with teachers)

 

  • $20/hr for all lesson planning, prep, internal training, curriculum development, and external PD opportunities (TFANA residencies are structured so that Teaching Artists are paid for lesson planning and prep time)

 

TFANA Teaching Artists are paid as employees. This is a part-time, in-person role requiring frequent travel around the 5 boroughs of NYC. All TFANA staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

 

Additional Benefits: Paid Sick Leave in accordance with NYS Law; complimentary tickets to all TFANA productions; membership in NYC Arts in Education Roundtable; paid professional development opportunities.

 

 To Apply: 

Applicants for this position should send the following materials, combined into a single PDF with your name as the file name, to jobs@tfana.org  with “Teaching Artist” in the subject line:

 

  • Chronological resume of teaching experience (you may include an artist resume as well, but we are mainly interested in learning about your teaching experience)
  • Brief cover letter addressing your approach to working with young people in the classroom
  • A sample lesson plan or outline of an activity you’ve facilitated in a K-12 setting

 

Theatre for a New Audience is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining employees who reflect the cultural diversity of our community. We believe that every employee has the right to work in a respectful environment that is free from discrimination, consistent with our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and respect. This commitment extends to all aspects of the employment relationship.