Seeking Residency & Workshop Teaching Artists for Underserved Teens and Young Adults

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is seeking teaching artists specifically in the following disciplines:

• Hip hop dance
• Contemporary dance
• Musical theater dance
• Storytelling
• Theater and improvisation
• Voice/Singing (with the ability to accompany on piano)

Teaching artists will lead workshops and residencies targeting historically underserved teens and young adults as part of a new initiative called “The Cassin Promise”. Teaching artists must be passionate about working with youth and believe in the power of the arts to effect social change.

The purpose of this program is to partner with local organizations focused on historically underserved teens and young adults to provide access to arts opportunities for their constituents. Segerstrom Center believes that participating in the creative process is essential for all humans and builds critical life skills such as social and emotional development, problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration, self-confidence, public speaking, reduction of stress and anxiety, and promoting physical and mental well-being, to name a few. This programming will be offered free of charge to support these organizations and the youth they serve reach their goals. Examples of organization we may work with include the Orange County Department of Probation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, the Orange County Department of Education, OC Rescue Mission, and various youth shelters and nonprofits throughout the county serving high risk teens and young adults.

For the workshops and residencies below, teaching artists will receive the following:

• Teaching artists will be engaged as part-time independent contractors on an as needed basis for residencies and workshops as outlined below. There is no regular guarantee of work as it is dependent on the requests of outside organizations.
• Teaching artists will receive paid training in working with diverse, underserved youth populations.
• Teaching artists will receive format for workshops and residencies as well as paid preparatory time.
• Teaching artists will work with one other teaching artist for each workshop and residency.

Workshops, residencies and responsibilities are as follows:

Voice Workshop or Residency

• Plan and implement program content in collaboration with Segerstrom Center staff, outside organization staff and partner teaching artist. Curriculum may be provided for this program or teaching artists may be asked to create curriculum as needed, depending on experience and expertise level.
• Visit local organizations and engage teens and young adults in singing. Material may include musical theater songs, pop music, or other styles of music depending on the request of the organization and the interest of the participants.
• Vocal instructor may be paired with a dance instructor to conduct Musical Theater workshops and residencies involving both singing and dancing.
• Teaching artist must be able to play piano well enough to conduct warm ups and provide basic accompaniment as needed.
• Teaching artist should cater the materials to the youths' interests and abilities to help promote crucial life skills and to have fun!
• Workshops and residency sessions may be 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Residencies may last 2-8 weeks.

Storytelling Workshop or Residency

• Plan and implement program content in collaboration with Segerstrom Center staff, outside organization staff and partner teaching artist. Curriculum may be provided for this program or teaching artists may be asked to create curriculum as needed, depending on experience and expertise level.
• Teaching artists visit local organizations and guide teens and young adults through the process of writing and editing a piece about their life story, journey at the organization, or a pivotal moment in their lives.
• Artists will coach youth on how to deliver their story to an audience, building confidence and public speaking skills. In order to build these skills, artists should utilize building blocks of theater, theater games and improvisation exercises.
• Workshops and residency sessions may be 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Residencies may last 2-8 weeks.

Theater Games & Improv Workshop or Residency

• Plan and implement program content in collaboration with Segerstrom Center staff, outside organization staff and partner teaching artist. Curriculum may be provided for this program or teaching artists may be asked to create curriculum as needed, depending on experience and expertise level.
• Teaching artists visit local organizations and teach the basic building blocks of theater and improvisation through games, exercises, scene and/or monologue work.
• Artists will coach youth on how to deliver their story to an audience, building confidence and public speaking skills. In order to build these skills, artists should utilize building blocks of theater, theater games and improvisation exercises.
• Workshops and residency sessions may be 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Residencies may last 2-8 weeks.

Dance Workshop or Residency

• Plan and implement program content in collaboration with Segerstrom Center staff, outside organization staff and partner teaching artist. Curriculum may be provided for this program or teaching artists may be asked to create curriculum as needed, depending on experience and expertise level.
• Teaching artists visit local organizations and instruct teens and young adults in their dance style, teaching them not only routines/dance numbers, but the building blocks of dance so that they may choreograph their own piece.
• Teaching artist should be able to cater their work to the interest and skill level of the participants.
• Dance instructor may be paired with a vocal instructor to conduct Musical Theater workshops and residencies involving both singing and dancing.
• Residencies last a minimum of four, 1–2-hour sessions and include a culminating presentation for peers, family, friends, and organization stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge, expertise, and passion for their art discipline
• Experience working as a Teaching Artist or Classroom Teacher, or teaching in a comparable environment (preferred)
• Experience working with diverse populations, including high need and high-risk youth and young adults (preferred)
• Strong classroom management skills while working with diverse students of varying degrees of experience levels and adaptable to a wide range of teaching conditions and learning styles.
• Exhibit a strong passion for teaching and a warm, respectful, and trustworthy rapport with students and other stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with external partners and stakeholders and represent Segerstrom Center in a professional manner.

• Excellent collaborative and communication skills; willing and able to team-teach with fellow Teaching Artists
• Must have own transportation to travel to and from organizations throughout Orange County
• Experience working with English language learners and ability to speak Spanish or other coming spoken language in our community is a plus
• Must pass a federal-level background check via live scan fingerprinting.

Compensation:

• $200/$225/$250 per 60-minute/90-minute/120-minute residency visit and culminating event
• $100-500+ stipend for preparatory work/curriculum creation
• $25 per hour for virtual training; $30 per hour for in person training

To Apply:

Interested candidates should email their teaching artist/artist resume and a short letter of interest to bumbach@scfta.org. In your letter, please indicate which of the following workshops/residencies you are interested in teaching:

• Hip hop dance
• Contemporary dance
• Musical theater dance
• Storytelling
• Theater and improvisation
• Voice/Singing (with the ability to accompany on piano)