The Co-Producers are accepting applications from GRADUATE and UNDERGRADUATE students for the following position on the 2011 New Works Festival Executive Committee:
TITLE: GUEST ARTIST COMMITTEE CHAIR
COMPENSATION: stipend
DATES OF INVOLVEMENT: February 22, 2010—April 29, 2011
REPORTS TO: Suzan Zeder, Co-Producer
APPLICATION OPENING DATE: December 3, 2009
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 by NOON
Applications may be dropped off in the Theatre &Dance Main Office, (WIN 1.142) or submitted via e-mail to New Works Festival Transition Coordinator Wendy Bable.
The Guest Artist Committee Chair will:
- Gather guest artist suggestions from UT community, gather contact info, and submit potential guest artist list to Producers in late April (prior to the Festival year)
- Book individual travel and for all guest artists (airfare, lodging, transportation to/from hotel)
- Create “Guest Artist Profile” (short biography, affiliation, etc.) for inclusion in the Festival Guide
- Work with producers to match guest artists with projects that will benefit from their observation and feedback
- Recruit and organize student hosts for each guest artist that can assist with day-to-day transportation to events, respondent sessions, guest artist panels, etc.
- Prepare daily itinerary for each guest artist, and guest artist welcome packets
- Prepare guest artists for what will be expected of them during the festival (response sessions, panel discussions, student interactions, etc.) This may also be in collaboration with Festival Dramaturgy Team.
- Set up and maintain guest artist Hospitality Suite during the Festival, as well as day-to-day transportation arrangements from campus to the hotel
- Prepare/submit guest artist paperwork in collaboration with Theatre and Dance administrative office personnel
- Participate in reviewing and selecting applications for the 2011 Festival
- Maintain the Guest Artist Committee Chair archive binder, and submit the updated 2011 binder upon completion of Festival involvement
- Attend weekly ExCom meetings and Committee At Large meetings (the latter will not meet until the festival roster is chosen).
Required Job-Specific Skills
- ExCel spreadsheet savvy, able to synthesize complex schedules and information
- Professional and gracious communication with VIPs
- Knowledgeable about travel bookings, particularly airfare
- Able to respond to communication in a timely manner across multiple time zones
Description of the Festival Executive Commitee
The Executive Committee (ExCom) is comprised of currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students and serves as the critical infrastructure of the New Works Festival (NWF). Members of the ExCom receive valuable training and practical experience as theatre-makers, direct access to guest artists and special events, and play a substantial role in determining the content and scope of the Festival. They are the Festival’s most prominent ambassadors to the Festival participants and the public-at-large. Each member of the ExCom should possess the following qualities:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, savvy about “tone” and appropriateness of all communications
- Integrity and strong sense of ethics (often responsible for confidential information)
- Strong leadership skills with both peers and faculty/staff, able to delegate tasks and supervise committees
- Able to work independently, proactively, and with a positive attitude
- Excellent time management skills, including task prioritization and setting and meeting deadlines
Application Timeline
Selected candidates will be interviewed February 8-12, 2010. The Co-Producers plan to make final hiring decisions by February 19, 2010
Critical Dates
- Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Research &Development Grant Extravaganza
- Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Research &Development Grants Due
- Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Research &Development Grant Awards Announced
- Friday, September 17, 2010 NWF Kick Off Event
- Monday, October 18, 2010 Festival Applications Due
- Friday, November 5, 2010 NWF 2011 Roster Announced
- Friday, March 4, 2011 Festival-at-a-Glance Released
- Monday, March 28, 2011 Opening Ceremony, Festival Day 1
- Tuesday, March 29, 2011 Festival Day 2
- Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Festival Day 3
- Thursday, March 31, 2011 Festival Day 4
- Friday, April 1, 2011 Festival Day 5
- Saturday, April 2, 2011 Festival Day 6, Closing Ceremony, Strike
About The New Works Festival
The University Co-op Presents the Cohen New Works Festival is a celebration of new work created by UT students that culminates in a week-long showcase every other April held throughout campus. It is not just an event, but a celebration of a continuously ongoing process-the creation of new work.
Inaugurated in 2001 as a new play festival, The University Co-op Presents the Cohen New Works Festival was created and named in honor of David Mark Cohen, former head of playwriting within The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. Cohen was killed in a car crash on December 23, 1997, but during his life, he was an adamant supporter of new work. Today, The New Works Festival has evolved to include not just plays, but all mediums of student-generated new work. It is the largest festival of its kind, being run and organized entirely by a committee of graduate and undergraduate students, with the support of faculty co-producers. 2009 will mark the fifth New Works Festival in 10 years.
Our Mission
The University Co-op presents the Cohen New Works Festival is a celebration of new work created by UT students that culminates in a week-long showcase every other April held throughout campus. It exists as an incubator for innovative and original forms of theatre, dance, music, film, design, visual art and architecture. It provides a nurturing environment and practical resources for the creation, development, production and discussion of new and interdisciplinary work by students, faculty, guest artists and scholars who come together in the spirit of collaboration and critical inquiry.
Our Vision
Embraced and invigorated by the energy of a university setting, the Festival provides a safe place for artists to take risks, a bridge between potential and the profession, and a forum for a national conversation on the value and future of the arts in society.
Three Core Values
The following values support our mission and our overall vision. They inform our practice and guide all aspects of decision-making and implementation.
Empowerment and Responsibility
Our goal is to create an environment in which each individual is empowered to take responsibility for his or her own artistic, entrepreneurial and intellectual development with the support of mentors who care.
Access
Our goal is to provide access to the production resources and guidance necessary to realize individual creative visions and to encourage collaborative connections with guest artists and scholars on a national level.
Integration
Our goal is that the Festival will serve as a positive and productive force within the cultural ecosystem of the Department of Theatre and Dance, the College of Fine Arts, the University of Texas and ultimately within the arts themselves to further the development of new works and new artists.