Programming Assistant

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Programming Assistant

Reporting to the associate director, social impact, the programming assistant is a part-time contract position focused on supporting the mental health of Calgarians by reconnecting them with live performances in outdoor spaces.

You are passionate about the local arts scene—and live performance in particular!

You believe in advocating and amplifying the voice of equity-seeking communities through the arts, and you enjoy engaging with different genres, styles, and artistic practices. You’re willing and able to assist with the load-in, set-up, and strike of an outdoor performance; and you know your way around assisting and organizing a live event. You’re also equally comfortable with administrative tasks and digital tools like smart phones, laptops, and apps for collaborating online.

You’re comfortable when working on online tasks, but you shine when collaborating with others. You’re a strong communicator – written, over the phone, and in-person—and you’re comfortable taking direction and asking for clarification when you need it. While you certainly can troubleshoot a problem, you’re not afraid to ask for help—especially when it comes to safety

Who We Are

Under new leadership, Arts Commons is embarking on a new path to support the Arts Commons ecosystem inclusive of artists, resident companies, and community groups. As one of the largest performing arts centres in Canada, Arts Commons strives to break down barriers to cultural participation by providing a modern, open, and inclusive gathering space in a central location.

We are:

  • Stewards of an arts ecosystem.
  • Our mandate is to provide and care for our assets.
  • An arts presenter.
  • Our mandate is to produce and present multiple series, presentations, and education programs annually.
  • A facilitator.

Our mandate is to ensure optimal access and utilization of our assets, by ourselves, our resident companies, and the community at large.

What We Offer

On top of the excitement of working with a team of committed performing and visual arts professionals at one of Canada’s top performing arts facilities, Arts Commons offers:

  • A collaborative, engaging and values driven work environment.
  • Wage of $22/hr at ~24hrs/wk from June to August 2021 (with possible extension to September 30, 2021).
  • Stipend for cell phone and pre-approved expenses.
  • A dynamic role that will have you engaging with the arts and communities in different parks and outdoor spaces throughout the spring/summer.

What We Value

We are looking for individuals who share our vision of building a creative and compassionate society, inspired through the arts. Our team is made up of people with a diverse range of interests—singers, actors, musicians, playwrights, coaches, teachers, gamers, bakers, photographers, athletes, dancers. People whose interests encompass the widest spectrum. We even have furry, four-legged friends in the office. We value people who strive to do the right thing, and work to be their best. People with open minds, hearts and arms.

What You Will Get To Do Here

The main focus of this role is to support the programming team (also known as Arts Commons Presents) in the coordination and delivery of our public facing activities, including the associated administration. These primary event coordination assistance responsibilities include:

  • Assist with the coordination, execution, and/or administration of the ArtsXpeditions series, Arts Commons’ summer outdoor performance series, and Arts Commons Presents events.
  • Assist production teams in the movement of items to and from Arts Commons to multiple outdoor performance sites, including driving a rented vehicle.
  • Assist and lead on delivery of selected outdoor performances.

In addition to these on-the-ground responsibilities where you are interfacing with site/venue contact persons, artists, technicians, and the public, this role also includes a secondary focus on assisting with the coordination and administration of other events, including:

  • Arts Commons Presents events, as required.
  • Arts Commons visual and media arts projects, as required.
  • New and existing artist development programs, as required.
  • General departmental assistance with schedule coordination, agreement drafting, information gathering, reporting, and data consolidation.

Where You Fit Within Our Ecosystem

The programming assistant is a member of the Arts Commons programming team and reports to the associate director, social impact. In this role, you will work closely with all members of the programming team, as well as with contracted event technicians, artists, and the public.

You will be a great fit if you…

Must Haves:

  • Ability to work from home, when required (including the use of a personal computer, reliable internet access, etc.).
  • Experience coordinating live events.
  • Comfortable with public speaking.
  • Comfortable using a phone to record video or capture images for use on social media.
  • Comfortable using social media.
  • Comfortable working in collaborative environments.
  • Experience working with equity-seeking communities.
  • Knowledgeable and able to work confidently in Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365.
  • Knowledgeable and interested in Calgary’s local arts-scene.
  • A smart phone capable of using apps such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint.
  • Class-5 driver’s license and comfort driving moderately sized vans and/or trucks.
  • Ability to lift at least 35 lbs. and navigate uneven terrain (e.g. outdoor park spaces).

Nice to Have…

  • Experience in live performance stage management (e.g. theatre, music, dance, etc.).
  • Experience in live performance production (e.g. theatre, music, dance, etc.).
  • Is comfortable and enjoys spending time outdoors.
  • Is comfortable and enjoys using technology.
  • Is able to/has access to reliable transportation (not necessarily a personal vehicle).

If you are interested in applying to this exciting opportunity, please forward your resume and cover letter in confidence to:

Human Resources
Arts Commons
205 8th Ave. SE
Calgary, Alberta  T2G 0K9

Or email employment@artscommons.ca.

Interviews will be conducted on an on-going basis and the job posting will officially close when a suitable candidate is found.

Please state the position you are applying for. No phone calls please. We thank all interested applicants in advance but will only be contacting those selected for an interview.

If you have any specific questions to ask in relation to the role, please send them to the email address above and a member of our team will do our best to respond to you in a timely manner.

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA)

As part of our organization’s commitment to IDEA, we work to remove barriers in collaboration with a broad range of voices. Removing these barriers begins with the hiring process. To that end, we are committed to recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and providing accessible employment practices. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process, and applicants are asked to make their accommodation needs known.

It is the unique contributions of all our people at Arts Commons that drives our success. We are committed to providing an environment free of harassment and discrimination for everyone, and we will continue to work to ensure that our teams reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

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