CONTRACT DATES: November 13, 2017 – November 16, 2018
HOURS: Part-time (roughly 15 hours per week; exact scheduling is flexible and may demand more of the applicant in production months, less at other times)
REPORTING TO: Artistic Director
SALARY/FEE: ~$13,000-$17,000/year
Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre is seeking a creation artist to join the company as a contributor and leader under the title Artistic Accomplice, beginning November 2017 in Calgary, Alberta.
Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre just celebrated its tenth anniversary; it was founded in 2006 by Co-Artistic Directors Mark Hopkins and Charles Netto. Now, after a decade of collaboration, Charles is moving on to new adventures and Mark is stepping into the role of Artistic Director.
Swallow-a-Bicycle is known for creating original theatre and performance in unusual locations, for presenting site-specific and post-dramatic performances, and for offering professional development workshops. The company is in the process of adopting a new set of guiding principles (www.swallowabicycle.com/guiding-principles-draft) that, when finalized, will offer a lens through which all artistic and administrative decisions will be viewed. For more on the history of Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre, visit www.swallowabicycle.com/sab-history.
Responsibilities of the Artistic Accomplice, both shared and individual, may include:
- Collaborating with the Artistic Director on the planning and implementation of new performance creation, programming and professional development workshops.
- Assisting with grant-writing, both for specific projects and organizational operations.
- Producing specific events, which could include venue coordination, box office and volunteer coordination, communications (social media, website updates, e-newsletters), marketing, event logistics, etc.
- Artistic participation on in-progress Swallow-a-Bicycle creation projects, as appropriate and agreed upon in consultation with the Artistic Director.
- Administrative duties in support of the organization’s ongoing operations as a non-profit, charitable organization.
- Participating and offering feedback, input and leadership in all aspects of Swallow-a-Bicycle’s operations, particularly in the adoption and implementation of the new guiding principles.
- The successful candidate will also be offered a modest budget to initiate and/or workshop a new creation project.
The ideal candidate has:
- An established practice of creating new performance (probably “theatre”, but we take that term pretty loosely).
- An affinity for boundary-pushing art, often site-specific, interdisciplinary and/or post-dramatic.
- A passion for independent producing/performance, and all of the associated joys and challenges.
- Strong organizational and task-management skills, often in a self-directed manner.
- Experience with community-engaged, intercultural artistic practices.
- A willingness to challenge convention and shit-disturb.
- Artists of colour and/or from LGBTQ+ communities are heartily encouraged to apply.
To apply, please submit:
- CV highlighting both artistic and administrative experience
- A letter, or audio or video recording, that includes…
- Why you want to work with Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre
- Information about your artistic practice.
- Your thoughts on SAB’s draft guiding principles (available here:
www.swallowabicycle.com/guiding-principles-draft) - A short piece of art in reaction to the guiding principles (could be as simple as a poem, a sketch on a napkin, 10-second movement phrase, sock puppet, etc.)
- Any support materials (or surprises!) relevant to the application.
If you are interested in the position but these requirements create a barrier to applying, please contact us via phone (403.710.0093), email (info@swallowabicycle.com) or post (#4 714 5A St NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1R4) so we can figure out something that works for you.
Email applications to info@swallowabicycle.com with the subject: Artistic Accomplice Application.
DEADLINE: Submissions must be received by MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 AT 6PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME.
“A playwright lives in an occupied country. He’s the enemy. And if you can’t live like that, you don’t stay. It’s tough. He’s got to be able to take a whack, and he’s got to swallow bicycles and digest them.” – Arthur Miller, 1915-2005
