Executive Artistic Director

EARTHDANCE is an artist-run workshop, residency, and retreat center located in the Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts.  We provide a dynamic mix of dance, somatic, and interdisciplinary arts training, with a focus on sustainable living, social justice, and community.  Earthdance has been spearheading innovative arts programming, and maintaining beautiful facilities in service of local, regional, national and international communities and group events in the Berkshire’s /Pioneer Valley for over two decades.  Our diverse, year-round programs include: Contact Improvisation (CI) jams, dance and improvisation workshops; interdisciplinary artist, ecological, inter-generational, and artist residencies & festivals, including our New Performance Series; social justice focused programs; yoga, personal and other retreats.  Our facilities include two large and sunny studios with maple floors, meeting space, meditation and massage rooms, 100 acres of woods, streams, trails and a wood-fired sauna.

www.earthdance.net

Job Description:

This is an Executive level Director position, which is shared with the Director of Business and Finance. The areas of oversight managed between these two positions include organizational and business management, long-term planning, event programming, management of rental program, fundraising and grant writing, publicity and outreach, oversight of the physical facilities, staff hiring and oversight, and working with and reporting to the board of directors.

The Executive Artistic Director’s, primary function will be oversight and direction of programming, development and fundraising, management of marketing, staff leadership and organizational management. The Executive Artistic Director, will also play a major role in cultivating efforts in pluralism, community growth and partnership development.

Candidates should be highly self-motivated, creative, community-minded and detail-oriented, with strong leadership and organizational skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must be able to develop and direct projects, oversee staff members, handle multiple tasks within in a timely manner, and make bold, strategic decisions while nurturing a culture of collaboration and cooperation. We are looking for someone who enjoys the creative challenge of devising systemic solutions and implementing them, and who would relish the opportunity to grow with a cooperatively run community arts organization. We greatly value someone who has a Contact Improvisation or other creative practice, and who has a familiarity with Contact Improvisation and/or other improvisational dance and interdisciplinary arts. More detailed job responsibilities are listed further below. Candidates with three to five years of previous experience in dance/arts program development and/or curation, as well as experience in community leadership are preferred.

In the past few years, Earthdance has renewed its core values, mission, and long-term goals, articulating the interrelatedness: creative exchange, artistic growth, social/economic/and ecological justice, and healthy living. The Executive Artistic Director would be a primary influence in nurturing these values in the Earthdance community.

Women, people of color, LGBT/queer people, and/or people who are differently abled are encouraged to apply.

Compensation

• Salary: The Executive Artistic Director works 32 hours/week and is also expected to spend some non-work time at Earthdance for community events, jams, performances, etc. The annual salary for this position is commensurate with experience, and will be in the mid-thirty thousand dollar range.  A higher salary may be possible for candidates with demonstrated experience in fundraising and organizational leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to the Earthdance mission and values. We anticipate that this salary will rise over the next 2-3 years as we invest greater energy in our fundraising program.
• Additional Benefits include four weeks of paid vacation time, the opportunity to attend many events free of charge, and connection to a diverse, creative community.
• Health Insurance: Earthdance does not currently offer a healthcare plan, though an individual may qualify for subsidized insurance through the Massachusetts Commonwealth Care program.
• Housing: We do not currently provide housing for the Executive Artistic Director.

Responsibilities:

Together, the two Directors provide Organizational Leadership, Staff and Board Development, Residential Management, Budgeting and Financial Oversight, and General Supervision of Earthdance.  While much of the oversight of Earthdance is a shared endeavor, the Executive Artistic Director will hold direct responsibility for the following areas:

Fundraising & Development

• Lead annual development efforts
• Develop and coordinate annual fund drives and materials
• Explore potential sources of institutional funding and develop relationships with appropriate local, regional, and related international foundations.
• Manage all institutional grant research, writing, reporting and budgeting.
• Develop partnerships and relationships with funders, potential funders, and other community organizations

Earthdance Programming

• Continue to build Earthdance’s program of workshops, festivals and events.
• Collaborate with other institutions to develop combined programs.
• Develop relationships with prominent teachers and artists in the field of improvisational dance and arts
• Develop diverse set of programming that is aligned with Earthdance’s mission and long-term goals, including pluralism.
• Maintain and enrich Earthdance’s growing Artist-in-Residency Programs

Public Relations, Promotion & Marketing

• Oversee all general marketing for Earthdance.
• Increase stakeholder engagement, education of Earthdance programming, and general public outreach and development.
• Lead in Earthdance advocacy and positive public relations.
• Oversee our newsletter production, design and content.

If you are interested in this position please submit the following:

• A personal/professional statement that includes: 1) a detailed summary of your relevant experience as a manager of projects and people 2) your specific experience related to the detailed job responsibilities above 3) your interest and/or experience in movement, dance, community living, sustainability and other Earthdance Core Values 3) and a persuasive presentation sharing with us how you are uniquely suited to the position of Co-Executive Director at Earthdance.
• A resumé
• Three references (include name, relationship, phone number, and email if possible)
• 2-3 supporting materials (marketing or fundraising materials, a grant narrative, general writing samples, project descriptions, etc.)

Materials should be sent to:

hiringcommittee@earthdance.net

Earthdance

Attn: Executive Artistic Director Hiring Committee

252 Prospect Street

Plainfield, MA 01070

APPLICATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15TH, 2012  ANTICIPATED START DATE: DECEMBER 15TH, 2012