Artist Positions
Urban Gateways is no longer accepting applications for teaching artist and touring artist positions for the 2011-2012 school year.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Britton Bertran, Educational Program Manager, at bbertran@urbangateways.org or 312.922.0440 ext. 2762.
APPLICATION BASICS
APPLICATION BASICS
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011
Please Note: only online submission will be accepted. If you have difficulty accessing the internet for submission, please contact the administrator for alternative means of submitting this application.
All applications must be filled out and submitted by the individual and/or group. Urban Gateways will not accept applications filled out and submitted by a third party individual or organization
- Applicants must submit:
- Online Artist Application 2011-2012
- Supplemental Materials burned on CD/DVD and mailed to Urban Gateways - See online application for full list of required materials
- Applicants may apply as a teaching or touring artist. If applying for both areas, please complete a separate application for each area.
- New artists must provide background and program information used in the development of educational materials.
- All artists must be available a minimum of two weekdays.
- Urban Gateways provides required training for all new teaching artists.
- Urban Gateways artist contracts are annual.
- Artist fees are competitive with industry rates.
- APPLY ONLINE NOW>>>
ARTIST POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
Urban Gateways teaching artists are committed to giving children, teachers, parents, and other community members’ access to the arts. Urban Gateways artists inspire students of all ages to discover the worlds inside themselves and around them. Urban Gateways artists challenge students to take risks and address preconceptions. The artist understands the educational challenges teachers face and provides strategies for more effective instruction in the arts.
- Programs may be conducted before, during and after the school day, as well as on weekends.
- Programs are delivered to private and public school settings, as well as community sites.
- The lengths of specific programs vary from one week to a full year.
Teaching artists deliver instruction in the following program areas:
Artist-in-Residence Programs
These programs feature a professional artist who works in residence at a school and collaborates with educators and students to encounter works of art, engage in hands-on art-making activities, and reflect upon the creative process. This methodology integrates the arts into the educational experience of students and educators alike, and is readily adapted to the unique needs and context of each classroom setting.
Student Workshops
Workshops actively engage students in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. Each workshop is individually designed to expand students’ knowledge of the arts while addressing the Illinois Learning Standards.
Professional Development Programs for Educators, Parents, and Community Members
Urban Gateways offers intensive, hands-on, professional development workshops in which educators, parents, and other adult caretakers of children learn first-hand the process of making art and how to integrate the arts into the learning experiences of children. Each participant receives instruction that includes theoretical approaches, skill and technique building.
Community Schools
Tailored to the specific needs and interests of each school, Urban Gateways’ community schools programs aim to provide students with meaningful, high-quality arts education, offering arts instruction and exposure not otherwise available through the school’s programming alone. Scheduled before and after school day hours, these programs act as an attendance incentive for students as they provide a safe space to learn and a creative outlet.
Urban Gateways touring artists bring high-quality, professional performances of all disciplines into schools and community sites. These shows are created on an educational foundation, and expose audiences to artistic concepts and ideas through performance. Shows can emphasize different themes, cultures, and artistic ideas that are important to present to young audiences. Touring performances fulfill the following criteria:
- Touring performances are 40 minutes in length.
- Performances must be adaptable for various settings that may include school auditoriums, gymnasiums, park district field houses, and professional stages.
- Touring performances must be specifically for student audiences. Artists must demonstrate an enthusiastic attitude towards performing for children.
- Shows can have a specific grade range, for example 5th-8th grades, or can be for all ages.
- Artists must be willing to engage in open dialog with Urban Gateways and school staff regarding the development and constant growth of the performance.
- Touring performances are offered in dance, music, and theatre. There is no limit to the number of performers in your group, but please be advised that it is difficult for Urban Gateways to compensate large groups while keeping the cost to the client at a minimum.
All touring performances must contain or demonstrate the following:
- High quality artistry from the performers
- A strong educational foundation
- Visual elements (i.e. costumes, set)
- Audience engagement - that is, components that elicit active response from the audience
- A closure that summarizes the audience’s experience
Artists must provide their own equipment and materials for performances; musicians must have amplification systems.
Criteria for Acceptance
Artist applications are reviewed and auditioned by a panel consisting of Urban Gateways staff. Artists must be currently working professionally in their discipline, but previous teaching experience is not mandatory.
For the 2011-2012 school year we are seeking artists from all disciplines but are especially seeking artists working in the following areas:
For Teaching Artists
- Musicians (all types)
- Literary Artists
- Digital Media Artists
- Hip Hop musicians/dancers
- Graphic/Animation Artists
- Spoken Word/Beat Poetry
- Visual Arts/Conceptual Arts
For Touring Artists
- All disciplines
- Theatre (all types)
- Storytelling
- Hip Hop (music, dance, or poetry)
- Native American
- Hispanic culture and/or languages
- Asian culture and/or languages
- French culture and/or language
- Interdisciplinary works
The review panel appraises each application based on:
- Artistic quality
- Supporting materials
- Personal interview/audition
- Applicant’s available time for professional development and site assignments
- Urban Gateways’ need/interest in the artistic discipline or performance
- Demand for the artistic discipline in schools
*Submission of an application does not guarantee employment.
MORE ABOUT URBAN GATEWAYS
The mission of Urban Gateways is to ignite the full creative potential of all young people.
Urban Gateways Center for Arts Education specializes in bringing the best of the visual, literary, media and performing arts to children in school-based and community settings throughout the Chicago area. Founded in 1961, UG excels at deepening the artistic experience for all youth by ensuring that the arts play a critical role in every child’s education.
As the oldest and largest multidisciplinary arts organization in Chicago, we are known for the scope of arts programming, the quality of artist training, the reputation of our teaching artists and our responsiveness to diverse school populations and needs.
Every art. Every child. Every day.
We believe that active engagement and education in the arts are essential components of every individual’s academic, cultural and personal development.
We accomplish our mission by promoting and fostering learning in and through the arts within the Chicago metropolitan area.
We believe in:
- Equitable access to the arts: all children must have the opportunity to be regularly engaged in meaningful artistic experiences
- Diversity: broad forms of creative expression enrich the learning process
- Artist as educator: the artist brings unique perspectives and skills to the learning process that catalyze young people’s development in profound ways
- Collaboration: working together we succeed; everyone has a part to play in furthering arts education for our youth
State Standards in Fine Arts
Each of our programs is developed in connection with the Fine Arts Standards established by the Illinois State Board of Education and familiarizes students with the following goals:
Goal 25: Know the language of the arts
Through observation, discussion, interpreta¬tion and analysis, students learn the “language” of the arts. They learn to understand how others express ideas in dance, drama, music and visual art forms.
Goal 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced
Students acquire skills to produce and perform dance, drama, music and visual art. As students create and perform their own artworks and review the works of others, they become more imaginative, strengthen their problem-solving skills and learn to respond to the creativity of others.
Goal 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilization, past and present
Artists are influenced by—and influence—the times and places in which they live and work. As students learn through the arts about people and civilizations, they learn about others and themselves.
Equal Opportunity Employment
In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at UG will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. UG does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law