Customary Work Hours:
School Year Based Schedule
Average: 7 hours per week (rehearsals, performances, meetings, administrative tasks)
Rehearsals: Tuesday/Thursday during after school hours
Performances: As scheduled on some evenings and weekends
INTENTION/POSITION OVERVIEW
To be a part of a collegial community of talented professionals dedicated to the power of the arts to transform the lives of young people, families and our communities.
Destiny Arts Center’s (DAC) mission is to inspire and ignite social change through the arts. For over 30 years, DAC has served as a formative cultural institution for thousands of Bay Area youth and their families. DAC is committed to supporting young people as they develop their skills as artists, global citizens, and advocates for peace in their communities and beyond. Our North Oakland arts center offers sliding scale afterschool, weekend and summer programs in the martial arts and performing arts for young people ages 3-18; runs three performance companies (Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company: teens, Destiny Junior Company: 9-12 & The Elders Project: 60+), and houses numerous adult resident dance companies. Our School & Community program partners with over 30 schools and organizations each year to bring DAC’s creative youth development framework and movement arts programs to young people where they live and go to school.
The DJC Artistic Director is responsible for all aspects of the DJC, including recruitment, leading auditions, preparing for and leading all DJC rehearsals, creating performance material, staying connected with company members and their caregivers, and aligning rehearsals and performances with DAC’s mission, vision, values and beliefs, and Creative Youth Development Framework. The DJC Artistic Director also supervises the DJC Assistant.
This position serves as an essential member of the DAC program team and reports to DAYPC Director and DAC Program Director.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Recruitment for DJC Auditions
o Collaborate on development of audition outreach materials (postcards, web content, social
media content)
o Lead outreach efforts in local elementary and middle schools
Passing out fliers and/or live classroom or school presentations
o Lead outreach efforts to DAC youth and families previous DJC members, and Teaching Artists
who teach DJC-aged youth who may be interested in auditioning
Individualized phone calls, emails, texts
o Goal: get at least 25 youth to the DJC audition
Auditions
o Schedule, plan and run company auditions in collaboration with DAYPC director(s)
o Communicate with ALL youth and caregivers about audition results
o Goal: take at least 12 qualified youth into the DJC
Rehearsals
o Create yearly rehearsal outline
o Plan/co-plan rehearsals in detail, in collaboration with other Company Artistic Team as needed
o Facilitate and co-facilitate DJC rehearsals in collaboration with Company Artistic Team and guest
artists
o Choreograph dance pieces and create theatrical pieces for DJC with guest artists and DJC
members
o Coordinate and schedule any guest artists for DJC
o Prepare DJC members for all performances
o Set clear classroom expectations and boundaries with youth and hold students accountable to
the expectations by communicating any issues with Destiny Program Team and caregivers
o Role model to all youth the strict adherence to all Destiny community guidelines
o Arrive 15 minutes in advance of rehearsal and call times
o Embody Destiny’s mission of social change when creating curriculum, choosing music and
performance material for your students
o Goal: stay aligned with DAC’s mission, vision, values and beliefs, and Creative Youth
Development Framework, as you create rehearsal and performance material
Performances
o Direct and support all annual Company spring productions
o Direct and/or support a total of up to 10 outreach performances in the community (5 hours
each)
o Direct DJC in Destiny’s recitals including Love in Action, Moving 4 Peace
o Goal: DJC performs in at least 5 community performances (outside of recitals and Company
spring performances
Meetings & Administration
o Participate in weekly meetings with Company Artistic Team
o Coordinate and lead meetings with other artistic collaborators, as needed
o Meet with Destiny Program Team, as needed
o Participate in scriptwriting sessions with DAYPC leaders, as needed
o Meet with Company Production Assistant/Manager, as needed
o Meet with costume designer, lighting designer and other performance staff, as needed
o Work with Director of Programs on all aspects of community performances, including sending
technical needs, company photos and company bio to producers
Caregiver Communication
o Communicate with DJC caregivers regularly about progress and behavior of DJC members
o Communicate with DJC caregivers regularly about upcoming rehearsals and performances
o Coordinate and lead two in-person meetings with DJC caregivers every school year
DAC Trainings
o Attend all DAC Teaching Artist trainings
Non-Physical Demands/Qualifications
o Passionate about working with young people
o A strong commitment to the mission, goals and work of DAC
o Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to motivate and supervise youth
ages 9-12
o Effective interpersonal skills necessary to interact with DAC staff, clients (students & caregivers),
and the general community.
o Experience working with diverse youth populations.
o Multilingual, people of color and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply.
EOE STATEMENT
Destiny Arts Center does not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.