Design Assistant – Summer Music Camps

Canadian Opera Company•Toronto, ON

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Canadian Opera Company (COC) is seeking an energetic and responsible Design Assistant to provide administrative and artistic support for their Summer Music Camps. These camps offer children and youth entering grades 1 to 9 the opportunity to create their own opera over four weeks in July, exploring singing, composing, story creation, drama, movement, and stage design. Participants present a rehearsal of their opera at the end of each week. This position is ideal for a post-secondary student interested in stage design, arts education, or community arts, offering mentorship from a design specialist and experience in preparing and facilitating visual arts and stage design activities, working with children, and collaborating with professional artists. The Assistant will be part of the Community Partnerships & Programs Department and will report to the Senior Manager, Community Partnerships & Programs, and the Design Specialist.

Requirements

Post-Secondary student studying visual art, stage design, and/or arts-education
Experience working in an educational capacity with small and large groups of children and teenagers
Proven ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with others
Emotional intelligence – ability to harness interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to tasks
Demonstrate commitment to championing under-represented voices, and engage with diverse and BIPOC communities through culturally responsive programming
Must be between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of the employment period.
Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment.
Must have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

Nice To Haves

First Aid and CPR certificate
Holds, or agrees to acquire, a valid Vulnerable Sector Verification through the Police Reference Check Program

Responsibilities

Providing artistic (stage design) and educational support, including purchasing, preparing, and maintaining materials for stage design sessions, and assisting the design specialist in creating and presenting concepts and lessons.
Supervising children during lunch hours.
Collaborating with artists on programming.
Helping to set up and clean up materials.
Helping to curate a display of participants’ work on the final day each week of camp.
Organizing and maintaining design supplies.
Attending meetings.
Contributing to the writing of a program report that catalogues information about the COC’s Summer Music Camps upon completion of the camps.
Providing artistic support for the COC’s Summer Music Camps, including helping to establish a safe and welcoming environment for children and youth, leading activities and games, assisting with set up and clean up, actively engaging in all programming (drama, movement, stage design, singing, libretto-writing, and composing), encouraging participants to stay on task, supervising children during lunch and extended care, and contributing to leading rehearsals and activities when called upon.