Dates: Mandatory Training: June 28, 2023, 9am-5:30pm (Zoom) / Session Dates: July 9-14, 2023 or July 16-21, 2023 (applicants may apply to work one or both sessions)
Salary Range: $1,340/session, room and board included
Employment Status: Seasonal, Exempt
Department: Education & Community Engagement
Reports to: arts-X-press Managing Director / Director of Arts Engagement
Position Summary
The arts-X-press Creative Expression Instructor is a vital member of our summer arts program faculty, facilitating a workshop for 10 middle school students of diverse abilities and backgrounds in a classroom setting for one hour per day for four days. The purpose of our creative expression workshop is to foster understanding and bonding between students and to reflect on the program experiences throughout the week. Though the main method of expression is creative writing, this position has been successfully filled by those who teach language arts, music, art, theater, and a variety of other disciplines.
All arts-X-press instructors reside on campus for the duration of their six-day session and take part in excursions and workshops in addition to classroom instruction on four of the six days. This position requires the instructor to be both a teacher and a member of our community. More information about the program can be found at www.pacificsymphony.org/arts-x-press.
Essential Functions
All arts-X-press instructors:
Are responsible for creating and directing workshop activities and/or class time. Instructors are encouraged to create their own plan for using class time (one hour per day for four days) – there is no set curriculum. The main method of expression in these classes is through creative writing, but other methods of expression through the visual and performing arts are encouraged as well. CE instructors need not be formally trained in creative writing. The most effective instructors have created activities where all students could participate, feel involved, and learn about themselves and their fellow participants. The focus of arts-X-press is on the creative process. Instruction will culminate in a five-minute student presentation the last evening of the program.
Live on-site at Concordia University during the program and assist in all aspects of the program including mentoring and supervising students and counselors and chaperoning on and off-campus performances, workshops and group activities. Staff arrive on Sunday afternoon and depart on Friday afternoon.
Other Functions
Participate in all activities, workshops and excursions.
Enforce and abide by safety and rules.
Live in the dorms with students and counselors as a program chaperone. (Staff live in a suite without students and have their own bathroom within that suite.)
Make pre-session phone calls to welcome students.
Work arrival and departure on the first and last day of the program.
Minimum Job Requirements
Education: College degree or equivalent artistic experience.
Experience: Teaching experience required, either in-school or out-of-school.
Specific Skills:
Understanding of age-specific learning and emotional needs for middle school students.
Experience working with students from a variety of racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and knowledge of issues related to racial equity in education.
Enthusiastic about working with children, young adults and artists and able to manage classroom time or events in a flexible, calm, patient and forgiving manner.
Has strong organizational and interpersonal skills and thrives in team-oriented environments. Able to solve problems calmly, be flexible and have sustained energy.
Pacific Symphony values diversity in its workforce and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, class, religion, country of origin, political belief, (dis)ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any factor protected by law. We strongly encourage people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people and members of other marginalized communities to apply.
All staff must be willing to follow and enforce all health and safety precautions put forth by arts-X-press.
Supervisory Responsibility
Responsible for supervising middle school students. While executing program, responsible for student participant safety at all times.
Working Conditions
This position requires attendance at one full-day training meeting, either over Zoom or in-person.
Living onsite in the dorms during the program is required.
The program can be physically demanding. There is quite a bit of walking, sometimes up to 1-2 miles in a day.
The daily schedule during the program begins around 7 a.m. and generally concludes around 10:30 p.m. Instructors are given breaks throughout the day.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Founded in 1978, Pacific Symphony inspires, engages, and serves Orange County through exceptional concerts, education and community programs.
Pacific Symphony is a highly dynamic and innovative organization, led artistically by Music Director Carl St. Clair for 30 years and operationally by President John Forsyte for 21 years. It presents more than 100 concerts annually, has been the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over a decade, and serves 250,000 community members each year. The Symphony is nationally and internationally recognized for performance excellence, strong community engagement through education and other programming, and for commissioned new works by contemporary composers. In April 2018, Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall as one of two orchestras invited to perform during a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass’ 80th birthday, and the following month the orchestra toured China.
The orchestra made its national PBS debut in June 2018 on Great Performances with Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America.” Pacific Symphony twice received prestigious ASCAP Awards for Advent...uresome Programming, and was showcased in the League of American Orchestras' nationally released publication entitled Fearless Journeys.
Pacific Symphony offers was one of the most comprehensive array of education and community engagement programs of any American orchestra. Its flagship Class Act elementary school enrichment program has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras for its exemplary orchestra education.
The Symphony is located in Orange County, California's second most populous county boasting a rich arts tradition strongly supported by an engaged public. The region is a tourism magnet, home of Disneyland, and a major financial and business hub.
MISSION, VISION, & VALUES
Mission
Pacific Symphony inspires, engages and serves Orange County and the region through exceptional music performances, and education and community programming.
Vision
Pacific Symphony leads a renaissance in the appreciation, accessibility and impact of classical music in Orange County and the region, through creativity, responsiveness and innovation.
Values
Excellence: Pacific Symphony strives for the highest quality in performance, community service and organization.
Passion: Pacific Symphony brings determination, great energy and vitality to its work and projects a sense of pride.
Education: Pacific Symphony seeks to ensure greater understanding and appreciation of music by all ages.
Engagement: Pacific Symphony listens to and believes in involving the community, its artists, and volunteers in shaping the future of music and ensuring its impact on the broader community.
Innovation: Pacific Symphony embraces and anticipates change, experiments with new practices, and shapes the future of classical music.
Financial Responsibility: Pacific Symphony generates and stewards programs and resources which meets the needs of present and future generations.
COMMUNITY
Pacific Symphony is located in Orange County, California's second most populous county boasting a rich arts tradition strongly supported by an engaged public. Orange County envelops the visitor in the ultimate Southern California lifestyle…casual sophistication, pristine beaches, legendary theme parks, and endless options for fun in the sun or cultural exploration. Orange County is known for its ideal year-round climate with an average daily temperature of 70 degrees.
Just minutes from Orange County’s 42 miles of beaches, there are magical adventures and adrenaline pumping rides at the original Disneyland Resort, and the always-thrilling Knott's Berry Farm. Orange County’s parks offer sprawling wilderness and nature parks, perfect for recreation of the sun-soaked variety, with miles of trails and coastal preserves to explore.
The level of arts and entertainment found Orange County is equally unmatched. For sports fans, Anaheim offers professional baseball, hockey, and indoor soccer, with something for everyone all year round. Costa Mesa is home Pacific Symphony’s home, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, featuring four theaters and world class offerings. Laguna Beach houses an abundance of thriving art galleries and Orange County’s most famous summer and winter art festivals.
Orange County’s strong university system – including the University of California, Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, and Chapman University – has helped contribute to the fact that 39% of its residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, ranking it as one of the top five regions in the nation for college educated residents and number one in California. In addition, Orange County’s economic strength is reflected in its low unemployment rate, which consistently runs lower than that of the statewide average.
