Job Opening: Program Associate (Part-Time) Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here
Split This Rock calls poets to the center of public life and fosters a national network of socially engaged poets. From our home in the nation’s capital we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. All of Split This Rock’s programs are designed to integrate poetry of provocation and witness into public life and to support the poets who write and perform this critical work.
Split This Rock calls poets to the center of public life and fosters a national network of socially engaged poets. From our home in the nation’s capital we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. All of Split This Rock’s programs are designed to integrate poetry of provocation and witness into public life and to support the poets who write and perform this critical work.
Split This Rock’s cornerstone program is a biennial national festival celebrating poetry and activism, held in Washington, DC. We also have a robust youth program, publish poetry online, organize social justice campaigns, present readings and workshops, and sponsor year-round local and national programming at the intersection of poetry and social change. For more information, please visit: www.splitthisrock.org
The Program Associate will play a major role in helping to coordinate Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here DC 2016, a festival of poetry readings, exhibits, workshops, lectures, discussions, and performances to take place throughout the Washington, DC area, January through March 2016. The festival will commemorate the 2007 bombing of Baghdad’s historic bookselling street and celebrate the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, standing in solidarity with the people of Iraq and every country in which free expression is threatened. Al Mutanabbi Street programming will take place during Split This Rock Poetry Festival as well, April 14-17, 2016. Partners with Split This Rock include George Mason University, the Smith Center for Healing & the Arts, George Washington University/Corcoran School of Arts & Design, the Brentwood Arts Exchange, and the DC-Area Literary Translators, among others.
The person in this position will especially work on festival literary programming, as Split This Rock is managing the presentation of contemporary poets and poetry of Iraq and the Arab world and celebrating the translators and publishers who bring these essential voices to English-speaking readers and audiences.
The Program Associate will work directly with the festival steering committee and Split This Rock’s Executive Director, coordinating logistics for visiting writers and translators, documenting and marketing festival programs, and providing administrative and record-keeping support as needed. (More details below.) The position is part-time at 25 hours a week starting immediately, climbing to full time, if possible, during the festival. This is a contractor position at $25/hour. Hours are flexible, with nights and weekends and some remote work. Spoken proficiency in Arabic preferred but not required.
Responsibilities Include:
Events & Programs Management:
• Participate in all aspects of events planning with literary subcommittee, festival steering committee, Split This Rock staff
• Arrange project venues, including audio-visual, accessibility, day-of logistics
• Make travel and hospitality arrangements for visiting writers and translators
• Design and implement other programs such as translation contest, book reviews, e-publishing
Communications and Marketing:
• Develop and implement marketing campaign for the festival, including social media
• Develop and implement press relations campaign
• Assist with publicity emails via Constant Contact
• Design flyers, brochures, other marketing materials as needed
• Respond to e-mail inquiries and phone calls as needed
Documentation & Evaluation:
• Arrange photographer, videographer for events
• Post photos, video, audio to web and social media
• Design and implement evaluation processes
Administrative:
• Manage project volunteers and interns
• Provide staff support to planning committees – note taking, internal communications
• Liaison to project vendors, ensuring payment of invoices, etc., with Administrative Assistant
• Budget tracking and grant reporting
• Maintain public and internal festival calendars
• Archive materials for permanent Split This Rock archive at Gelman Library, GWU
Skills and Background: The ideal candidate will be driven, adaptable, and believe deeply in our organization’s mission. Additionally, the successful candidate will possess the following:
• A commitment to social justice and the role that the arts can play in social change
• Interest in and knowledge of contemporary poetry, especially of the Arab world
• Strong working knowledge of DC-area arts and social justice communities
• Spoken proficiency in Arabic preferred but not required
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Submittable, ConstantContact
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Extremely organized with excellent attention to detail and follow through
• Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Strong intercultural understanding and comfort working in culturally diverse settings
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Split This Rock is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and encourages applications from people of color, women, differently-abled, LGBTQ, and other groups that have historically been subject to discrimination.
Projected Start Date & Salary: The projected start date is as soon as possible. The position will continue through May, 2015. Salary is $25 per hour on a contract basis. No benefits come with this position.
To apply: Submit a résumé, prose writing sample (no more than 2 pages), 3 references, and thoughtful cover letter outlining your interest in this position to info@splitthisrock.org with “Application for Program Associate Position” in the subject line. No calls please. Deadline: September 11, 2015.