Call for Consultants -Theater Artist Educator (Nairobi, Kenya-Based)
Are you a theater artist educator interested in bringing your creative experience into the non-profit professional world?
About “Taking the Stage”
Columbia Global, through its affiliated entities Columbia World Projects and the Columbia Global Center, Nairobi, is implementing an innovative theater-based leadership development workshop entitled “Taking the Stage” for alumnae of WomenLift Health’s (WLH) Leadership Journey program. The initiative aims to strengthen the leadership skills of mid-to senior-career women leaders in health in East and Sub-Saharan Africa and North America.
Launched in March 2025, the program will reach 80 women leaders who will receive training grounded in five core competencies:
- Creative insight and innovation
- Authentic communication
- Adaptability and resilience
- Community building and collaboration
- Versatility in expression.
Through this training, WLH participants will learn to apply theater techniques in their professional lives to project confidence, communicate more effectively, and create a culture of trust and teamwork. This initiative will also train eight facilitators from East Africa in the “Taking the Stage” methodology - a synthesis of the works of Kristin Linklater, Augusto Boal, and Keith Johnstone that uses these different theater forms to bring fresh perspectives to leadership. This training will establish local capacity to sustain this innovative theater-based leadership development program beyond the funding period. To date, four artist facilitators from Africa have been trained, with three to four additional artists to be identified for participation.
Workshops will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, for WLH’s program alumnae from East and Sub-Saharan Africa, and in New York City for the organization’s North American cohort. The Nairobi Global Center will play a central role in supporting the implementation locally, and the project will be co-managed with the Experiential Learning and Innovation team at Columbia World Projects in New York City.
Columbia World Projects
Columbia World Projects (CWP) is a university-wide initiative that aims to forge closer and more useful connections between Columbia University's research capabilities and the needs of the world by mobilizing researchers and scholars in collaboration with governments, organizations, businesses, and communities to tackle critical global challenges. Experiential Learning and Innovation at CWP support early-stage, innovative initiatives by Columbia faculty designed to deepen and accelerate social change and the development of aspiring social impact leaders through unique training and education opportunities for students.
Columbia Global Center, Nairobi
Columbia Global Center, Nairobi (CGC Nairobi), serves as a regional hub for research and collaboration. It is part of Columbia University’s vision to achieve a global presence and links the continent to Columbia’s scientific rigor, technological innovation, and academic leadership. The Center provides Columbia students and faculty with a base to conduct research in and for Africa.
Position Summary
The Theater Artist Educator, who should be interested in bringing their creative experience into the non-profit professional world, will be trained in the Taking the Stage methodology to deliver workshops for cohorts of WLH’s Leadership Journey program participants. As part of this training, the artist educator will participate in a 5-day Taking the Stage workshop led by seasoned artist educators, gaining a deep understanding of the approach and techniques. Training will also include in-person and virtual sessions as well as ongoing mentoring. This is a grant-funded part-time consultancy for 10 months, beginning March 1, 2026.
Responsibilities
- Participate in a 5-day Taking the Stage workshop with WLH leadership development program participants in WLH’s leadership development program as part of the facilitator training process. This session will take place in New York City from March 16 through March 20, 2026.
- Participate in training sessions with senior artist educators to prepare to lead Taking the Stage workshops. Initial in-person training will occur during the March 16-20 workshop, with additional virtual sessions scheduled throughout the year.
- Co-facilitate Taking the Stage workshop sessions with senior artist educators for WLH program participants who are leaders in reproductive health and other health-related fields. This five-day workshop will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2026 (exact dates to be determined).
- Participate in outcome assessment and evaluation activities in collaboration with the WLH program and Columbia Global.
Qualifications
- Prior experience in theater as an actor, teacher, or director
- Experience in improvisation, voice, text, and the work of community-based theater for social change (e.g., Theater of the Oppressed) preferred
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage non-actors in developing theater-based techniques to strengthen leadership capacity
- Ability to collaborate effectively with other artist educators
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Fluency in English, both written and spoken
Compensation
Theater artist educators will be hired as part-time consultants for this grant-funded initiative and compensated at an hourly rate. Columbia University will cover hotel accommodations, transportation, and meal costs related to participation in project-related activities.
Application Process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates are encouraged to apply promptly for consideration. Please send a detailed cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and C.V. to the following email address: [email protected]. Use the subject line: “Theater Artist Educator (Nairobi) – Taking the Stage position” and address your application to Columbia Global Center