Teaching Artist
DESCRIPTION
Chicago Opera Theater (COT) seeks passionate Teaching Artists to join the Education team as a part of the Chicago Public School residency program Opera for All.
As a Teaching Artist with COT, you will play a pivotal role in the arts education of students in Chicago Public Schools. Working closely with classroom teachers, Opera for All incorporates the many elements of opera (vocal music, visual art, acting, movement, writing, and performance) into the curriculum through a yearlong residency in the CPS. Teaching Artists will teach students about the art form of opera, performance and creation skills, and guide students as they create their own original operatic work. At the end of the year, students perform their opera for classmates and family members.
Responsibilities include:
Collaborate with the Director of Education and Community Engagement to plan and facilitate innovative classes based on COT’s Opera for All curriculum
Work with COT staff and CPS staff to plan and execute the program
Teach consistent weekly lessons at CPS Partner Schools
Write student librettos with their assistance (one per class)
Collaborate with Guest Composers and Artists
Teach vocal technique, musicianship skills and the process of mounting an opera
Develop students’ ability to think critically, build individual and team competencies, turn theory into practice through experiential learning, and engage in the arts through multiple modalities (singing, movement, reading, writing, etc.)
Prepare students for their own opera by teaching music and directing scenes
This position is a good fit for someone who has:
A knowledge of and passion for opera, music, theater, and the performing arts
An excitement for arts education and working with children
Exceptional organizational skills
Ability to multi-task
Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive values
Chicago Opera Theater is willing to teach:
The Opera for All Curriculum
Best practices for collaboration with CPS Partner Teachers and staff
Basic teaching and classroom management skills
Policies and procedures specific to COT and Opera for All
Residency Dates: Teaching artist residency runs from mid-September 2024 through May 2025 during daytime school hours. Curriculum development and planning session begins August 2024.
Submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@cot.org . Please submit materials before July 20, 2024.
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About Chicago Opera Theater
Chicago Opera Theater is a company laser-focused on living its values of:
expanding the tradition of opera as a living art form
producing high-quality works new to Chicago audiences
identifying top-tier casts and creative talent
following through on commitments to equity and access – behind the scenes, on the stage, and in the audience
Since its founding in 1973, in a city where storefront theaters and global icons thrive side by side, COT has grown from a grassroots, community-based company to a national leader in an increasingly vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking art form. COT has staged over 150 operas, including 78 Chicago premieres and 45 operasby American composers. In addition to its mainstage season, COT is devoted to the development and production of new opera through its Vanguard Initiative, launched in 2018, which trains emerging opera composers, invests time and talent in new opera at various stages of the creative process, and opens up opportunities for Chicago audiences to become part of the development of new work in dialogue with the creators themselves.
At Chicago Opera Theater, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it. COT is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and to provide employees with a work environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at COT are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the law.
We encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and all others who may contribute to the diversification of ideas at COT.
Desired Start Date: August 30, 2024
BENEFITS
Pay Range: $25 - $65 Hourly
HOW TO APPLY
Submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@cot.org . Please submit materials before July 20, 2024.
Application Deadline: July 30, 2024
Application Email/Link: jobs@cot.org
JOB CONTACT
info@cot.org