Los Angeles City Council District 3 and the Performing Arts Division (PERF) at the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) have created an initiative to develop performing arts-based school-community collaborations to further enhance education for young people. Supporting an interdisciplinary Performing Arts curriculum, the program will launch in Canoga Park’s Multicultural Learning Center schools from October to December, 2022.
Background
For decades, budget cuts and an emphasis on core subjects and test scores have reduced performing arts experiences for young people in Los Angeles area schools. These missed opportunities for creative problem-solving, self-expression, perseverance, confidence building, and the development of individual identity through the performing arts, resulted in a deficit in the skills needed for overall classroom success and future success in life. While California State law requires instruction in dance, music, and theater in schools, performing arts are usually one of the first programs cut during budget shortfalls. It is well known that the Arts, when integrated into education, generate new pathways to learning as well as support cognitive and creative development and higher scores in math and sciences.
Performing arts education develops future performers, as well as opens doors to a multitude of career options. According to the American Academy of Arts and Science, “Arts education was already in a state of crisis and dire need before the fraught year of 2020, and the pandemic has intensified that crisis exponentially.” (Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Arts Education, 2021) Art for Life’s Sake documents a persistent decline in access. While 88% of Americans agree that arts education is an essential component of a well-rounded education, there has been a persistent decline in support for arts education, particularly in communities that cannot finance it on their own.”
The Call
In an effort to offset this crisis, qualified performing and teaching artists working in Los Angeles are invited to become Performing Arts Specialists in this inaugural program. Instruction will be given during regular school hours, Monday through Friday. Performing Arts Specialists will be compensated at the rate of $28 per hour.
The Charge
Performing Arts Specialists will be responsible for developing a performing arts education curriculum in traditional, contemporary, and/or cultural dance, theater, and/or music – expanding what is currently being taught in classrooms. Performing Artists’ curricula must be submitted prior to the start of the school year for approval. Programs will culminate in up to three (3) informal presentations, and/or up to two (2) annual formal presentations for the parents and community. This commission spans October, 2022 through December, 2022.
The Applicant Pool
Qualified applicants include: professional dance, theater, and music artists; heritage-based practitioners and culture keepers; and performing arts educators engaged in diverse commercial, nonprofit, and independent practices inclusive of classical, traditional, and contemporary art forms.
Performing Arts Specialists create meaningful contributions to the field, youth community, and performing arts ecosystem; are relevant and essential to the field; produce cultural content for the City of Los Angeles audiences; are perpetually increasing knowledge and expertise in their disciplines; and demonstrate a willingness to integrate performing arts curriculum with educational themes designated by their schools.
We encourage BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, and/or persons with disabilities to apply. Bilingual (Spanish/English) is preferred. Applicants must have a social security number.
Special consideration will be given to, although not limited to, Performing Arts Specialists who have:
- Received certification from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Entertainment Community Fund, or other institutions;
- Worked for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs or other institutions, community programs, cultural centers, or performing arts centers;
- A Working knowledge of LAUSD Curriculum Requirements, Common Core State Standards, California State Standards, and/or Literacy Language Arts Pre K- 12;
- A college or advanced degree in their field;
- Been performing and/or are currently teaching in their field;
- Working and/or living in Canoga Park, CA.
The Application Process
The application process consists of submitting:
- A complete application at https://forms.gle/MDSymyeLnwWsUpYt6;
- A resume or CV documentation;
- An original (12 week) Lesson Plan and Study Guide linking your discipline to a specific school subject (i.e. history, English, math, science, etc.);
- A link to a live example of your work with K-12 in the classroom or similar setting;
- Two letters of recommendation.
Finalists will be required to complete a background check, electronic fingerprinting, and TB test, as well as provide proof of Covid vaccinations.
Application materials must be emailed to: dca-madridtheatre@lacity.org no later than Friday August 19, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. The subject line should read: PERF in Schools, [Your Name]. Materials will be reviewed by a panel of Performing Arts and/or Educational professionals. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion protocols are observed and current Covid procedures will be followed.
ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTS DIVISION (PERF)
Through public and private support for performing arts programs, DCA implements initiatives to create festivals and platforms to select artists to create and/or present site-specific public art projects and/or programming. The Performing Arts Program champions Los Angeles artists through advocacy on a local, national, and international level by enhancing relationships with national touring circuits, for-profit promoters, national service organizations, other government agencies, foreign consulates, and important festivals and cultural centers across the globe.
ABOUT THE MULTICULTURAL LEARNING CENTER (MLC)
The Multicultural Learning Center (MLC) was founded in 2001 by mother and daughter team Toby Bornstein and Gayle Nadler with the vision to “bring together a diverse community of learners where cultural and individual differences are the building blocks of academic, social, and intrapersonal success.”
MLC’s vision is centered around equity and diversity in public education and the strong belief that schools have the potential and power to not only meet the needs of the families it serves, but to impact the community in which it resides and the world beyond its borders. For more information visit mlccharter.org.