Vacancy Alert: Theater Artist Educator
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, will implement an innovative theater-based leadership development workshop entitled “Taking the Stage” for alumnae of WomenLift Health’s (WLH) Leadership Journey program to enhance the leadership skills of participating mid-to senior-career women leaders in health in East and Sub-Saharan Africa and North America. Over 28 months, this program will reach 80 women leaders who will receive leadership development training grounded in five competencies: 1) creative insight and innovation, 2) authentic communication, 3) adaptability and resilience, 4) community building and collaboration, and 5) versatility in expression. Ultimately, WLH participants will learn to apply theater techniques in their everyday work to project confidence, communicate more effectively, and create a culture of trust and teamwork. The program 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 differing 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. The Taking the Stage workshops will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, for Women Lift Health program alumnae from East and Sub-Saharan Africa and in New York City for the organization’s North American cohort of program participants. The Nairobi Global Center will play a key role in supporting the implementation of Taking the Stage in Nairobi, and this 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 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.
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 be in a position to deliver this training to cohorts of WLH Leadership Journey program participants. As part of the training, the artist educator will participate in a 5-day Taking the Stage workshop, which seasoned artist educators will deliver to understand the approach and techniques to lead the workshop for others effectively. The workshop will be held from March 17 to March 21, 2025.
This is a grant-funded position for 24 months, starting March 1, 2025
- Participate in a 5-day Taking the Stage workshop with participants in WLH’s leadership development program as part of the facilitator training process. This session will take place on March 17 through March 23, 2025.
- Participate in training sessions with senior artist educators to prepare to lead the Taking the Stage workshop for WLH program participants. The first in-person training sessions will be held from March 17 through March 23 during the March 5-day Taking the Stage workshop session (see above). Additionally, artists educators will be expected to participate in ongoing virtual training sessions during the year.
- In partnership with senior artist educators, facilitate Taking the Stage workshop sessions for WLH program participants who are leaders in reproductive health and other health-related fields. These five-day workshop sessions will be held in October 2025 and October 2026 (dates to be determined).
- Participate in outcome assessment and evaluation activities in partnership with the WLH program and Columbia Global.
- 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 comfortable engaging with non-actors to support them in developing theater-based skills and techniques to enhance and strengthen their capacity to lead.
- Ability to work as part of a team with other artist educators.
- Excellent verbal communication skills • English fluency in writing and speaking
Theater artist educators will be hired as part-time consultants for this grant-funded initiative and receive an hourly rate. Columbia University will cover hotel accommodations, transportation, and meal costs related to participation in project-related activities.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for consideration. Please send a detailed cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and C.V. to the following email address: [email protected]. Put “Theater Artist Educator (Nairobi) – Taking The Stage position” in the subject line and address the email to Columbia Global Center.