Director of Education

Contemporary American Theater Festival•Shepherdstown, WV

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

Beginning as part-time with the potential to move quickly to full-time, the Director of Education will manage CATF’s summer programming including the high school program Hostel YOUTH!, and the festival talktheater events – the humanities series. The Director of Education will also serve as the staff leader for the summer intern company. In the off-season the Director will serve as liaison to the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees and lead CATF’s programming within the public schools of the West Virginia Eastern Panhandle. Additionally, the successful candidate will value and practice Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive (ARAO) efforts. Founded by Ed Herendeen in 1991 with the mission to produce and develop new American theater, CATF has grown to a $2.5M organization at the center of new play development and production in the nation. Now led by Artistic Director Peggy McKowen, CATF’s core values of fearless art, diverse stories, inclusivity, community-building, ARAO, and care guide all its actions from play selection to human resource management. Nestled in Shepherdstown, WV, approximately 1.5 hours from Washington, DC and Baltimore, CATF produces a summer festival of 5 plays on the campus of Shepherd University along with new play development and educational programming year-round. Over the course of 35 seasons, CATF has produced 144 new plays by 104 playwrights including 66 world premieres and 11 plays commissioned by the Festival. CATF premieres have gone on to Broadway, London, off-Broadway, and regional theaters as well as adapted into major motion pictures.

Requirements

Minimum three years of progressive leadership experience in performing arts education, preferably within a theater or performing arts organization
Excellent organizational, written/oral communication, and interpersonal skills
Creative and strategic thinking, with an ability to grasp the organization’s big picture
A belief that art makes our world a better place
Ability to foster strong relationships with diverse stakeholders both outside and inside the organization
Demonstrated success in program development, staff supervision, and budget management
Proven ability to develop, implement, and evaluate arts education programs and initiatives
Comprehensive understanding of current trends in performing arts education and training, theater for young audiences, accessible arts programming, and other current areas of practice, such as: arts and neurodiversity, arts and health, arts and life-long learning
Arts integration
Strong knowledge of educational best practices and curriculum development
Excellence in team building and professional development of staff
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail
Flexibility to participate in off-site meetings and events outside regular business hours
Strong commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression practices

Responsibilities

Lead recruitment for and implementation of the summer high school program, Hostel YOUTH!
Lead the implementation and expansion of the public-school educational programming including building relationships with Boards of Education, public school administrators, and teachers
In collaboration with Artistic Director, develop and update curriculum and materials for educational programming
Serve as the staff liaison to the summer intern company
Organize and implement programming, review processes, and events for the summer intern company
Serve as the staff liaison to the talktheater series for the summer festival
Assist Artistic Director in strengthening the relationship with Shepherd University and the Contemporary Theater Studies Program
In collaboration with Artistic Director, recruit students for educational opportunities
In collaboration with Artistic Director, organize and teach lifelong learning classes
Serve as the staff liaison to the Board of Trustees’ Education Committee
Serve as a public representative for CATF to the community