Expected Start Date – October 3rd, 2022
Salary Range – $55,000 – $65,000 plus health benefits
Working Conditions – Hybrid (office / home)

About the organization

Founded in 1988, Shakespeare in Action (SIA) is a registered charity and professional theatre and arts education not-for-profit organization. For more than thirty years, SIA’s mission was to make the language and stories of William Shakespeare accessible, fun, and relevant for young audiences and their families. In 2019, SIA became the resident professional theatre company at the new Artscape Weston Common in Toronto’s northwest region. As one of the only professional theatre companies operating in this part of the city, and after a change in leadership as well as a recommendations report, SIA board voted in 2021 to change the mission of the organization. We now aspire to “nurture and develop the next generation of performing artists, arts workers, educators,
and audiences through the exploration and performance of classical and contemporary stories that are relevant to our community.” Our vision is to grow a performing arts ecosystem anchored in our community.

The position

Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in collaboration with the Managing Producer, the Artistic Director defines the artistic vision of the organization and develops its annual programs in alignment with the organization’s mission and vision. They are responsible for steering programming choices, hiring artistic and technical staff and contractors, developing and stewarding partnership opportunities, and fostering safe and equitable working environment for all staff, contractors, volunteers, and participants. In collaboration with the Managing Producer, they will take an active role in fundraising
activities including grant writing and planning and participating in special fundraising events. The Artistic Director will also work closely with the Board of Directors on a rebrand and communications strategy for the organization. The Artistic Director may be a creative project lead (ie. director, playwright, dramaturge) on an SIA project or separate creative endeavour during employment. The Artistic Director is expected to balance leadership responsibilities during any other creative engagement.

Roles and Responsibilities

• With the Managing Producer and Board of Directors, participate in the development of Rebrand Strategy, Communications Strategy, and Strategic Plan
  Programming all artistic activities
• Establish and carry out short and long term artistic goals
• Collaborates with the Managing Producer on budgeting and scheduling for
  all projects
• Hires and/or oversees hiring for all artistic and technical staff
• Stewards relationships with community partners, lead artists, and stakeholders
• Act as primary representative of the company to the public
• Participates in community organizing tables and advocates for growth of arts and culture initiatives and funding opportunities in our community
• Attends Board Meetings and creates artistic reports for the Board of Directors.

In Collaboration with the Managing Producer:

• Leading and supporting fundraising initiatives (grant writing, sponsorship requests, fundraising events, soliciting donations)
• Promoting a safe, healthy, and equitable work environments and recommending policy developments that mitigate toxic work expectations and environments
• Monitoring project budgets and timelines(with additional support from Managing Producer)
• Oversight of marketing and communication content and materials to ensure consistent messaging
• Supporting the growth of the company’s equity strategy, and commitment to addressing anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, and other forms of discrimination

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience in leadership position in an arts organization
• Strong track record of creating culturally-relevant work for the stage
• Experience developing arts education initiatives and programs
• Strong leader with excellent communication, collaboration and team building skills
• Has knowledge/understanding of building/growing anti-oppressive work environments
• Commitment to expanding access to the performing arts in northwest Toronto
• Experience with grant writing & fundraising
• Familiarity with project reporting
• An understanding of organizational finances, season and project budgets
• Ability to manage and navigate multiple and competing needs and asks from various stakeholders including artists, community organizers, residents, politicians, etc.
• A natural networker: with a keen interest in growing and building innovative community partnerships and nurturing grassroots initiatives

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest and resume to board@shakespeareinaction.org by 11:59PM on Sunday July 31st, 2022. The letter of interest should include an answer to the question: What role does SIA have to play in the performing arts community? We encourage early applications.

Hiring Statement

Shakespeare in Action strongly encourages applications from those who reflect the communities in and around Weston (this includes Jamaican-, Somali-, Vietnamese-Canadian populations among many others), Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities; newcomer; Two-Spirit, non-binary, trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people; disabled people; people with lived experience of poverty; members of other equity seeking groups; and/or those who have a relationship with this part of the city. SIA acknowledges we are at the early stages of our journey centring equitable practices, and invite you to follow our progression at www.shakespeareinaction.org/strategic-revisioning

Shakespeare in Action is looking for 3 Artist-Educators to be part of their 6ix Power PopUps initiative in four neighbourhoods in North-West Toronto. These neighbourhoods are Weston, Mount Dennis, Westborough-Greenbrook and Humber Heights. Ideal candidates will have a history of working with children and youth through the arts and will find joy engaging community members in free outdoor programming! Popups are to be designed as family-friendly fun-day type events, rather than workshops. As this work is connected to SIA’s efforts as part of the Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy (TYVES) – West, all applicants are expected to be fully vaccinated 2 weeks prior to the start of the contract.

Dates: July 27th – Aug 20th, approximately 9 hours per week. (4 engagements per week, see planned schedule below)

Times: TBD

Pay: $2550 (Rate of Pay: $62.50 per hour of engagement, estimated 36 hours worked, and upto 15 hours of training and preparation at $20 per hour)

Successful candidates will be required to pass a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) and acquire a First Aid/CPR B certification. If not already in possession of one, this will be acquired at SIA’s cost, so please do apply, even if you don’t have these!

Reporting to the Lead Ambassador TYVES (West) and Community Arts Coordinator, they will have:

• Demonstrated experience engaging young people (ages 5-21) through the arts
• An awareness and appreciation for outdoor community engagement
• A positive attitude towards Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination in general
• A desire to maintain a fun and friendly environment for all participants and staff 
• The ability to think on their feet and remain flexible and nimble to the realities of outdoor programming

Candidates will also be required to:

• • Attend training and ensure that they understand all camp policies and their role within the camp
  • Model positive, respectful, and inclusive behaviour at all times 
  • Collaboratively develop programming activities for Pop-Ups, dependent on the skills and interests of the team, and in line with family fun-day type activities

• Be fully (triple) vaccinated two weeks prior to the start of the contract (non-negotiable)

Click here to see planned schedule

To Apply – Please email  community@shakespeareinaction.org  with your resume and a short email (500 words or less) describing your interest in this position. All applicants will receive a response.

• Job title: Development Assistant
  Organization name: Shakespeare in Action
  Job location: York, Ontario
  Hourly wage: $18.00
  Hours: 15 hours/week
  Start Date: July 4th
  Length of assignment: 37 weeks

For more than 30 years, Shakespeare in Action (SIA) has made the language and stories of Shakespeare accessible, fun, and relevant to young audiences across the GTA through productions and interactive workshops in schools, libraries, and community centres. In 2019, SIA became the resident professional theatre company at the Artscape Weston Common, in Toronto’s Weston community. Since our move, we have shifted our mission and vision to focus on growing a sustainable and culturally-diverse performing arts ecology in northwest Toronto.

SIA seeks to hire a Development Assistant, who will play a pivotal role in SIA’s transformation in 2022 as we continue to grow relationships with donors and partners to support free and accessible performing arts programs for neighbourhood children and youth.

TASKS
The Development Assistant will be responsible for:

• Maintaining and improve donor relations by ensuring accurate and timely handling, processing, receipting, and acknowledgment of donations and gifts
• Entering and revising donor information in CRM, and creating monthly reports for board on donation progress
• Generate customized queries and reports
• Respond to donors’ concerns with discretion, insight, tact and sensitivity.
• Support the Managing Producer and Artistic Director to successfully cultivate, solicit and steward donors and prospects to meet the fundraising goals of SIA
• Use template text to fill in information in grant and sponsorship applications
• Support fundraising event for donors in November and December

QUALIFICATIONS

• The ideal candidate will possess the following skills or qualifications:
• Is enrolled or will be enrolled in college / university in 2022
• Demonstrated experience in data entry and collection
• Familiarity with gift processing and/or fundraising principles
• Knowledge of CRA guidelines (an asset)
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and Google applications (Docs, Sheets, Forms)
• Strong focus and attention to detail along with high degree of accuracy
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to take initiative, and develop and implement process improvements
• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities and meet strict deadlines
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills
• Solid customer service skills with the ability to build and foster reliable work relationships within a diverse work environment
• A passion for theatre, and community engaged arts
• A relationship with Weston and/or northwest Toronto (an asset)

COVID-19 and PROOF OF VACCINATION:
Given the ongoing uncertainty around the pandemic, SIA is committed to following all public health guidelines, and are presently planning to take the following steps to reduce COVID transmission: prioritizing outdoor activity, providing PPE to all staff and contractors, provide COVID-19 best practices training and resources to all summer staff, indoor mask-wearing for all staff & contractors, regular hand-washing, physical distancing and paid sick days.

Shakespeare in Action presently requires all staff, contractors and volunteers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 two weeks prior to the beginning of any in-person work.

Interested applicants are invited to send a resume and letter of interest to jobs@shakespeareinaction.org by 11:59 PM, June 26th, 2022. Early applications are encouraged.