CURATORIAL INTERNSHIP
Six Points Reading Series at the Chicago Poetry Center
Posted: December 1, 2018
Expires: January 15, 2019
DESCRIPTION
Six Points Reading Series is the Chicago Poetry Center’s free, public, roving monthly reading series. The series features emerging and established writers at a multiplicity of venues across the city including observatories and conservatories, boats, bars, and bookstores, iconic cultural venues and Chicago parks. Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, the Chicago Poetry Center (CPC) intends to contribute to equitable access to cultural programming, as well as fun, fresh, and welcoming venues for the public to enjoy the poetic renaissance Chicago is currently in.
We’re looking for a curator with knowledge of the Chicago lit scene. This is a professional internship, the right person will be eager to keep their finger on the pulse of the local (and national touring) scene, curate and pair writers, support writers of many styles, and consider and reach out to appropriate venues for each reading.
The Curatorial Intern will work directly with the outgoing curator for the first two months, and continuously with the Executive Director. The new Curatorial Intern’s first event will be our February reading, organized and planned by the outgoing curator, and co-hosted. March and April events will be the new Curatorial Intern’s first opportunities to individually host the series; the events will have largely been planned in advance, with guidance from the outgoing Curatorial Intern. The Curatorial Intern will gradually take on more duties with each month, with May being their first fully curated and organized event. The CPC has a great deal of resources for the Curatorial Intern, to ensure a smooth and successful transition for someone who is eager, inquisitive, and self-directed.
We’re looking for a Curatorial Intern who can commit to a minimum of one year, ideally two years, of curating one Six Points event per month (breaks in July/August and December/January). The curator will be paid an honorary monthly stipend of $50 for organizing that month’s event. The CPC partners with local universities to create opportunities for universities to provide additional support to student interns at this 501c3 nonprofit. Work study, course credit, and student grant stipends have been utilized by recent interns from colleges and universities across Chicago. Additional benefits include exceptional networking and knowledge of the Chicago lit scene. This is a great position for someone looking to build their experience in the lit world and in Chicago.
Curator should be up on current literary movers and shakers, and who to watch out for next. They should be comfortable and professional when contacting writers by email or phone. Curator organizes event logistics with venue, media, and writers each month, is there for set up, event management, and hosting. Executive Director will support Curatorial Intern in hosting duties at events. Curator should be eager about audience cultivation and will coordinate with our social media intern to brainstorm new ways to cultivate audiences.
Because this job includes non-traditional hours, Curatorial Intern is expected to attend one in-office meeting during regular work hours each week, and welcome to work with the organization in our co-working space, or remotely past the meeting requirement. Must be available for all Six Points events, which are usually after work on weekdays, but also sometimes on weekends.
Poetry Center office culture is one of fun and professionalism: everyone is serious about their work, but has fun doing it. We work in a lively open office space with many Chicago non-profits (and several scooters).
REQUIREMENTS
Highly organized, excellent communicator, who enjoys staying up on poetry in Chicago. Must be comfortable and professional when speaking, writing, and coordinating with writers, venues, audience and media. Should be knowledgeable and excited about current Chicago literary scene, and full of ideas on how they can add to it. Able to commit 5 – 10 hours per week; one meeting in-office per week. Must be able to bring/work on your own computer, we cannot provide them in our shared open office space. Must be self-motivated and eager to spearhead your own projects. Comfort with Google Suite, including Drive (Docs & Sheets), Gmail, and Calendar.
Knowledge of social media, prior marketing or event organization is a plus. Additional skill with Adobe Suite, WordPress, HTML, Canva, and Constant Contact are not necessary, but a willingness to learn is. Ideal Candidate will also possess knowledge of, or a willingness to learn:
- Constant Contact (or other mail apps)
- Adobe Suite and/or Canva
- WordPress, HTML
- Social Media navigation, marketing and engagement
HOW TO APPLY
Submit your application by email to Executive Director Elizabeth Metzger Sampson at beth@poetrycenter.org. Subject line: Curator Application: First Name Last Name. Resume should be attached as a PDF and include your last name in the file name (eg: Sampson_curator_resume.pdf).
Resume should include all relevant experience, paid or volunteer. Cover letter may be attached as a PDF or in the body of your email and should address why you are enthusiastic about this position, the length of your commitment, and why you would be a great fit. Cover letter is a great place to explain in detail some of the aspects of your resume you’d like to highlight.
All resumes will be reviewed immediately following this application’s expiration date, January 15, 2019. During the week of January 21st, the CPC will reach out to request interviews to occur the week of January 28th. Because the application period spans several holidays, applicants may not immediately receive receipt of application confirmation. All applicants are encouraged to review our site, and in particular our Six Points offerings past, to get a sense of the organization and the series.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Learn more about CPC’s mission, programs, and team by visiting our website at poetrycenter.org. Be sure to check out our videos of our school program, upcoming Six Points events, and the online Reading Series Archive. Our next Curatorial Intern will help build the future poets and pages that fill this resource.
Additional opportunities from CPC may become available to the Curatorial Intern, including workshop coordination and poet in residence work. The resident Curatorial Intern will be considered first for additional paid opportunities, but no additional work can be guaranteed.
Equal Opportunity
The Poetry Center is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and will treat all interns and qualified applicants equally regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, military status, qualified disability, handicap, marital status, or sexual orientation, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. It is the Poetry Center’s policy to comply fully with all federal and state laws that ban discrimination in the employer-employee relationship.
