Job Posting:
Community Director

The Bushwick Starr theater is seeking an ambitious, dynamic, and highly motivated full-time Community Director to join our team.

The Community Director is a pivotal position at the Starr. Reporting to the Artistic Director, Noel Allain, the Community Director will work closely with Education Director Cassandra Brown to plan and implement community and education goals, and with Producing Director Lucy Jackson and Associate Artistic Director Machel Ross to create and execute events and sustain partnerships with schools, senior centers, and community organizations, elected officials, local businesses and other stakeholders. Broadly speaking, the Education Director will lead on pedagogy and curriculum, and the administration of programs based in schools and other educational settings, and the Community Director will lead on outreach, relationship creation and management across all programs, and the administration of programs outside a school setting, with the two positions in support of one another.

Candidates for this position must be bilingual in English and Spanish. The position requires a great deal of onsite and local neighborhood presence, as well as some evenings and weekends as needed (comp time will be taken in lieu).

In addition to our annual Season of performances and artistic development programs, the Starr’s annual Education & Community Programs take place in Bushwick/Ridgewood and currently include:

  • Big Green Theater, an eco-playwriting and environmental justice curriculum serving 60 youth in 3-4 public elementary schools;

  • Creating Performance, an extracurricular comprehensive workshop in personal narrative serving 30 teen members of El Puente Bushwick;

  • Senior Storytelling, a creative aging workshop serving 30 elders in 2 local senior centers;

  • Community Workshops, intergenerational sessions taught by Starr season artists based around the themes of our productions;

  • Summer Arts Festival, an evolving series of events serving our communities during the month of August.

The Starr is currently working to create additional programming, including a weekly Theatre Games class. The education programs work in tandem with our organizational community initiatives, with participants being invited to attend Season performances and special talkbacks, take part in cultural and community events in Bushwick public spaces, and offered fellowships and work opportunities at the Starr as appropriate.

This position is full-time (40h/wk) at The Bushwick Starr, with regular office hours on-site at the Starr and on location at education partner sites, and some nights and weekends as required for education performances and community/special events (comp time will be taken in lieu).

The salary for the Community Director is $67,898/year plus health and retirement benefits. We are interested in candidates who are not historically represented in our field, and encourage applications from under-represented groups as well as individuals who have experience with diverse populations. 

To apply please send a cover letter, resume and a list of three references to apply@thebushwickstarr.org. Applications will be accepted through February 20. The position will begin March 30 (flexible to start April 6).

Core responsibilities will include:

  • Building, maintaining, and expanding relationships with Bushwick & Ridgewood community partners, neighbors, community boards, businesses, school administrations and local elected officials to pursue deeper and more integrated relationships. 

  • Administering community programs, including Summer Arts Festival, Community Workshops and Theatre Games, in collaboration with the Education Director and Artistic team.

  • Providing support and partnership to the Education Director for the Big Green Theater program, including forming and maintaining relationships with administrators, staff, and parents at local schools where BWS is working, to build better relationships and communication. This entails monthly visits and meetings with different school faculty, attending and tabling at school performances and parent/student school events to build awareness of our after school offerings, and attending some classes to get to know the programs and the students.

  • Supporting new and existing Senior programs.

  • Working with Artistic and Education teams to identify intersections with Starr programming, developing opportunities for education & community program participants to interact with season artists, and working with other staff members to facilitate this engagement.

  • Making frequent contact with organizations, schools etc. we’re already working with, as well as reaching out to local orgs we don’t currently work with to create new relationships. A list attached of existing & potential partners & stakeholders will be provided, to maintain and update.

  • Creating and updating contact lists for participants & parents of each class and program to ensure we maintain communication about other BWS offerings throughout the year.

  • Setting goals and metrics for community relations outcomes and evaluating effectiveness towards those goals through regular site visits and feedback sessions with partner organizations and program participants.

  • Gathering in-person anecdotal information from BWS’ partners, schools, organizations, and individuals, about the effectiveness of the programs for reporting. This includes changes in participation, mood and interests. 

  • Maintaining records and information within the BWS record-keeping systems, needed for reporting to funding partners and other stakeholders.

  • Participating in meetings with local officials regarding program opportunities and funding.

  • Collaborating with development staff to generate proposals and reports for program funding.

  • Collaborating with the Creative Director on marketing for community programs; generating and delivering all public facing program language (including content for social media, etc.) in conjunction with program interns & assistants. Advise on Spanish translation of materials.

  • Coordinating documentation of community programs, including photographs and filming.

  • Coordinating local distribution of print publicity materials for community programs.

  • Attending & reporting out from monthly Community Board Meetings.

  • Attending BWS season programming to be familiar with the material the Starr is presenting.

  • Emphasize building Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA), anti-oppression, environmental and social justice goals at the core of each program.

Additional responsibilities include:

  • Being an additional point-person at the Starr for education & community teaching staff across all programs.

  • Collaborating with the Education Director to identify potential teaching artists for BWS programs.

  • Supporting the Education Director with curriculum development for BWS education programs.

  • Collaborating with the Producing Director to create and maintain educational and community program budgets, define contract terms and ensure payroll needs are communicated.

  • Collaborating with the Company and Cultural Competency Manager on ensuring the Starr is a welcoming environment for community members, and participants in community programs.

  • Attending and representing The Bushwick Starr at internal and external events, including galas, job & intern fairs, opening nights, meet & greets, talk backs, and other engagement opportunities; as well as local community board meetings for CB4 and participation in CB4’s arts + culture subcommittee.

  • Attending weekly staff meetings and annual retreat, participating in mandatory training sessions and optional working groups.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • Strong leadership and organizational skills (ability to stay on top of, and manage multiple projects concurrently).

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

  • A deep understanding of The Bushwick Starr’s unique voice, mission, and the population we serve.

  • A keen eye for detail, an ability to work autonomously, and a positive attitude.

  • The ability to plan and lead meetings.

  • Experience with and/or passion for environmental justice and social justice principles and initiatives.

  • Experience working with public schools, senior centers, and/or community based organizations, and community boards and/or elected officials.

  • Awareness of community resources, programs and initiatives.

  • A passion for culturally relevant and responsive arts programming, engagement for youth and seniors, and interest in ongoing professional development in the field of community arts.

  • Cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to institutional initiatives and programs around IDEA and anti-oppression work.

  • A background in arts in education, curriculum development, and culturally-responsive pedagogy/teaching is a bonus.

  • Program management and/or community organizing experience.

This position is full-time (40h/wk) at The Bushwick Starr, with regular office hours on-site at the Starr and on location at education partner sites, and some nights and weekends as required for education performances and community/special events (comp time will be taken in lieu).

The salary for the Community Director is $67,898/year plus health and retirement benefits. We are interested in candidates who are not historically represented in our field, and encourage applications from under-represented groups as well as individuals who have experience with diverse populations. 

To apply please send a cover letter, resume and a list of three references to apply@thebushwickstarr.org. Applications will be accepted through February 20. The position will begin March 30 (flexible to start April 6).

The Bushwick Starr is an Obie Award winning not-for-profit theater that presents an annual season of new performance works. We are an organization defined by both our artists and our community, and since 2007, we have grown into a thriving theatrical venue, a vital neighborhood arts center, and a destination for exciting and engaging performance. We provide a springboard for emerging artists to make career-defining leaps, and we are a sanctuary where established artists come to experiment and innovate. We are also a neighborhood playhouse, serving our Bushwick, Brooklyn community's diverse artistic needs and impulses. We produce 3 main stage shows per season, in addition to  several education & community programs, special events, and development opportunities such as our new works Reading Series and artist residencies.

The Starr is very much an environment of artists/administrators who are passionate about supporting new work, ambitious artists, and our programs & partnerships in Bushwick. Our relatively small size allows us to work closely and collaboratively, and as such, we value transparency, strong communication, and democratic decision-making practices between roles and departments. Our hope is to find someone like-minded with a passion for helping an organization reach the next level. 

We want to acknowledge that the Starr is an organization that has historically been run by an executive team of white, cisgendered people. As we grow, we continue to envision a team and model that reflects the 21st century world we live in and serves our local and national community. The Bushwick Starr is committed to continuing its implementation of anti-oppression practices and training for staff and board members. In 2018 we created our Code of Community: a living document on our website that details the codes by which all who pass through our doors will be treated and expected to treat others. We hold regular staff forums and trainings to continue our development in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).