Philadelphia, PA

DATE POSTED: September 17, 2018 

PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES

Partners for Sacred Places, founded in 1989, is the only national, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization focused on building the capacity of congregations of historic sacred places to better serve their communities as anchor institutions, nurturing transformation, and shaping vibrant, creative communities.

SCOPE:         

Partners for Sacred Places is collaborating with Philadelphia Contemporary and award-winning choreographer Reggie Wilson to present Grounds That Shout! (And Others Merely Shaking), a series of performances exploring relationships among religion, movement, race, and the body, with a focus on the African American religious experience and the specific context of Philadelphia’s historic sacred spaces. Wilson will curate performances by Philadelphia-based artists at religious sites along the Lombard Street corridor—host to a unique density of historic churches—highlighting both the broad narrative history of these spaces and their present-day status in a rapidly changing city. The project extends Wilson’s recent work with New York’s Danspace Project interrogating the history of St. Mark’s Church. Danspace’s Judy Hussie-Taylor will serve as a curatorial advisor to Wilson as he brings these concepts to Philadelphia. The series will conclude with a week-long residency by Wilson and his Fist and Heel Performance Group at the Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia.

We are looking for a Dramaturg to assist in collating and sythesizing research that has been conducted on each site under consideration for this project, including their religious and ethnographic histories, for use by the curator and choreographers in the development of their performances. The Dramaturg will compile research into an informative packet about each site that can inform the curator, performers, and production staff in the development of the performances. The Dramaturg will be a close collaborator in the process of translating written history into the movement of bodies in space. As production progresses, the Dramaturg will work closely with the Curator and the Production Manager to incorporate research into individual performances and the production as a whole. The Dramaturg will also assist in writing texts for the general public that provide necessary context for audience members attending each performance.   

This position will report directly to Philadelphia Contemporary staff and work in tandem with Partners for Sacred Places as well as Reggie Wilson of Fist and Heel Performance Group.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

●     Collect and synthesize historical and athropological research for use by choreographers and production staff. This work will require close collaboration with artists and other project staff, including researchers and producers.  

●     In conversation with Curator and Artistic Advisors, compile research into individual texts for each performance site and produce research packages for each choreographer as they develop their performances  

●     Keep research files updated and provide additional research to Curator and choreographers as requested

●     Advise Curator and choreographers on historical context for sites as they develop their performances 

●     Assist in writing and conceptualizing interpretive texts for the general public attending each performance, providing necessary context for the project 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Qualified applicants must have:

●     At least 2-3 years prior research experience, preferably in the fields of dance, performance studies, and/or anthropology

●     Prior dramaturgical experience is preferred

●     Must work independently, as well as a member of a team

●     Must communicate regularly with curator and producing partners

We ask that each candidate provide two writing samples, one for a scholarly audience and one oriented to the general public. 

COMPENSATION:

This position is being paid a total stipend of $11,000 with the understanding that collaboration will begin in Fall of 2018 and that work will extend until Spring of 2019.

Reimbursement available for travel and incidental expenses directly attributable to production fulfillments.

Partners for Sacred Places is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

To Apply

Email your resume and cover letter with three references and writing samples to Karen DiLossi at kdilossi@sacredplaces.org