After two years at the helm of Olympia Family Theater, Lily – our current Artistic Director – is moving on. Read her letter to the community below, then check out the job posting as we begin the search for our next creative leader.
Lily’s Letter to the Community
Dear OFT Friends & Colleagues,
I hope this finds you all enjoying these last precious days of summer and starting to look forward to sweaters, tea, and the coziness of fall. I’m writing to you today to share that I will be stepping away from OFT at the end of September 2023.
I started at OFT in September of 2021. At the time, we were still in the thick of the pandemic, the theater was closed, and like so many of us I was questioning my purpose (both in life and as an artist). When I started, my intention was to shepherd OFT through its reopening and to work alongside the community to dream up future possibilities for OFT as the company continues to grow and evolve.
I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past two years. Since reopening in March of 2022 OFT has developed and premiered 7 new plays with local and national playwrights (not counting the 6 plays we just featured at our 24-hour Play Festival), we produced a statewide tour promoting vaccine confidence in migrant communities, we’ve developed a close relationship with String & Shadow Puppet Theater as our first Company-in-Residence, we’ve expanded our physical footprint with the expansion into our OYAA studio space, and we’ve successfully piloted our ACCESS FOR ALL programming: providing sliding scale tickets and programming – starting at FREE – to anyone who walks through our doors. Although I’m naming these highlights, there are so many other successes. It’s been an honor to be part of it all and I am filled with gratitude that I have been able to form relationships in this community that I believe will last a lifetime.
That being said, I am still making the choice to move on. I hope to pursue my own writing goals, and to travel – far and wide. The pandemic made me realize how much more of the world I hope to see, and having my freedom and flexibility has become more valuable than anything.
I am so excited to meet the new leadership team that will be taking over this fall and to root for them at every opportunity. I’ll be staying in Olympia for the time being and fully expect to be on call whenever someone has a question or needs anything. This theater has left a permanent mark on my heart and I am looking forward to all that will come next. I hope you’ll help us share the job posting far and wide as we seek our next creative leader.
BIG LOVE,
Lily
Artistic Director Job Description
Olympia Family Theater is seeking an Artistic Director. Duties to include:
Artistic Leadership
- Plan a mission-aligned artistic season with a minimum of 4 productions
- Build relationships with local artists to feature in OFT’s creative work
- Ensure the artistic quality of each production in collaboration with visiting directors
- Collaborate with outstanding artists to position OFT as a home for new works development
- Directs one production in each season if desired
- Facilitates the development and management of production budgets
- Manages Production Manager to meet production and technical needs within production budgets
- Cultivates relationships in the local and national theater and arts community, is an active participant in the Olympia arts community.
Education
- Collaborate with Director of Programs to devise engaging content for K-12 students
- Collaborate with DP to develop new community relationships and programs
- Collaborate with DP to set department priorities and creative focus
Administrative Leadership
- Prioritize the work of the theater to become more anti-racist, including building room in budgets and schedules for anti-racism work at the board and staff level
- Collaborate on the development, passage, and administration of annual operating budget in collaboration with the staff and board
- Provide oversight and support to staff managing major OFT projects, i.e. building improvements, facility concerns etc…
Fundraising & Communications
- Collaborate with Staff & Board to ensure revenue goals are met, including but not limited to speaking at annual gala, taking donor and sponsor meetings etc.
- Collaborate with Staff on grant proposals
Community Collaboration
- Serve as leading representative of the theater, developing relationships with the artistic community, donors, audience, and enhancing the theater’s brand with the general public.
- Build community partnerships and relationships with an eye for collaborative programming opportunities
Skills & Qualifications
- At least 2-3 years of experience as a leader within a nonprofit or similar company
- Experience directing theater, and working knowledge of technical theater
- Share OFT’s commitment to an anti-racist and pro-justice practice
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to self-manage and work independently. We will provide support – but will also need you to be proactive about your own workload.
- Ability to talk to, and connect with, people from all walks of life
- (Desired) Experience with social justice and/or community organizing work
- (Desired) Experience developing new works
Compensation
This is a 20-hours per week position, paid at $28.00 hourly, We provide flexible working hours, and a generous vacation policy. We do not provide health benefits at this time.
To Apply:
Email the following documents to Keri Kellerman, Interim Executive Director: by Friday, Sept. 15 at 5:00pm PST.
- Short cover letter
- Resume
- Two personal or professional references
We are aiming for a start date of October 23, 2023. Candidates will have to pass a WA state background check.
We encourage applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), Women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. OFT is committed to being an antiracist organization and strives to remove barriers that might discourage any person from working here.
