CAT Youth Theatre is a free afterschool program that invests in young people and inspires them to thrive—on stage and in life. Members create original shows from their own ideas and present socially relevant, and artistically sophisticated performances. It is a space for members to build community, think imaginatively, share perspectives, and develop capacity as theatre artists. Members engage in theatre games and exercises, improvisations, scene work, rehearsal, critical reflection, and group discussion. The collaborative theatre process gives members the opportunity to create meaning and art from their life experiences. CAT Youth Theatre allows members to build confidence, compassion, and accountability while thinking critically about their world—preparing youth to become contributing citizens.
CUNY Creative Arts Team (CAT) hosts the award-winning, city-wide Youth Theatre program at its midtown studios, bringing together students from every borough for a free, out-of-school program that primarily operates September through May. CAT becomes a creative home for dozens of students each year.
CUNY CAT is an arts-in-education organization that uses theatre strategies to support social and academic development for students of all ages throughout NYC.
CAT is a program at CUNY under the office of K-16 Initiatives. CAT receives no baseline funding from CUNY and is responsible for raising its own annual budget.

The Associate Director of the Youth Theatre Program develops curricula for workshop sequences, and directs original devised productions from the young people’s ideas that are appropriate and relevant to the changing needs of the young people, parents, audiences and host institutions. They oversee the implementation of all projects and are responsible for specified projects as agreed; currently that encompasses planning and overseeing implementation of all Junior YT projects. We are looking for a passionate theatre director who loves working with young people, is committed to fostering inclusive, youth-centered, culturally responsive learning environments, and is someone who is invested in pedagogy and policy development.

• Develop knowledge and understanding of Creative Arts Team & CAT Youth Theatre policies, pedagogy, procedures, personnel & youth theatre members;
• Create work and develop methodology that is demonstrably appropriate and relevant to the changing needs of the young people, parents, audiences and host institutions;
• Plan and lead weekly sessions, and rehearsals. Inform work with appropriate research;
• Work with the Program Director (PD) to develop annual plans. Create schedules, and be responsible for production schedules, and Junior Youth Theatre schedules;
• Assist the PD to complete the development and rehearsal of projects to meet all agreed deadlines. Develop annual plans for the Junior Youth Theatre, and ensure the completion of all projects to meet agreed deadlines;
• Work within agreed budgets;
• Reflect on the work, assess long term goals and submit assessments, reports, production needs forms, statistics, financial production completes in a timely manner;
• Record anecdotal evidence of effect of program on participants;
• Liaise with young people and key adults in participants’ lives (families, teachers);
• Seek to develop basic knowledge of support organizations and resources available to young people;
• Instigate discussions, meetings, plans to meet needs of program and develop youth theatre policy;
• Help organize/hold auditions and/or interviews and lead training activities for contracted employees as required;
• Liaise with and supervise contracted employees as required, brief and supervise production staff and back stage staffing. Offer continuous assessment and developmental support to all staff, and share the formal annual evaluation process with the PD;
• Help with the monitoring of compliance and adherence to CAT procedures; problem-solve as necessary;
• Develop, train, co-ordinate (programmatically) and implement professional developments as required;
• Oversee and assist in the creation of resource guides, staff development and other support materials;
• Observe and discuss the work of other CAT programs as appropriate and agreed; Contribute to artistic/educational forums designed for senior program staff; Contribute internally to the overall development of CAT policy;
• Present at conferences etc. as appropriate;
• Be responsible for own on-going professional development, and take advantage of at least one agreed professional development experience annually;
• Other duties assigned.

Official application link: https://www.rfcuny.org/careers/postings?pvnID=VA-2503-006745

Qualifications:

• Experience devising original theatre
• Experience working with young people and/or directing theatre (experience of both preferred);
• Knowledge and understanding of the field of Applied Theatre and/or Educational Theatre;
• A Bachelors Degree from an accredited college and 5 years of work experience in the required fields, OR
• A Masters Degree from an accredited college and a minimum of 3 years of work experience in the required fields
  AND
• Demonstration of the specific competencies required at the time of hire.

CORE COMPETENCIES:
Ability to –

• devise original theatre from the ideas of the participants; direct a theatrical product;
• communicate and work productively with young people;
  structure curricula and learning;
• initiate, plan, organize, prioritize, and implement multiple projects and assignments;
• work independently and as part of a team;
• supervise other staff; coordinate the efforts of support staff, volunteers and young people;
• communicate effectively with diverse clients and staff, providing accurate and appropriate information; articulate policies and procedures in response to inquiries; draft basic-to-complex reports;
• identify artistic / educational and personnel problems and handle complaints, resolve conflicts, and refer issues appropriately to supervisors;
• And a commitment to working in culturally diverse settings and using youth centered practices; enthusiasm for working with teenagers