Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (CMCH), and the Cultural Coalition (CC) are seeking a Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator to join CMCH at 15 hours per week and to serve as an engagement leader with a focus on connecting to folk and traditional artists and communities across eastern Connecticut. This position is designed to serve as a learning opportunity for an individual interested in exploring the work of a folklorist.

 

Folk & Traditional Arts as defined by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): The folk and traditional arts are rooted in and reflective of the cultural life of a community. Community members may share a common ethnic heritage, cultural mores, language, religion, occupation, or geographic region. These vital and constantly reinvigorated artistic traditions are shaped by values and standards of excellence that are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community, through demonstration, conversation, and practice. Genres of artistic activity include, but are not limited to, music, dance, crafts, and oral expression.

 

Impact Coordinator Overview

The Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator will work closely with CMCH, CC, and COA to identify various affiliation circles and creative networks in the region that are not being served at a high level and strategize innovative ways to support them, particularly in terms of supporting community and traditional/cultural heritage. They will become a cultural heritage bridge builder as we work to develop greater connectivity throughout eastern Connecticut. This opportunity is open to Connecticut residents of any age from 18 years and older. We welcome submissions from a range of perspectives and backgrounds, and we seek an enthusiastic community worker with a passion for field-based research.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Conduct fieldwork (ethnographic interviews, documentation, and contextual information)
• Do outreach to artists and cultural communities
• Organize community engagement events/sessions (both in-person and virtual)
• Data Collection / Asset Mapping
• Design effective ways to assess the needs of the region, demographics, creative communities and programmatic feedback.
• Look for opportunities to strengthen an inclusive network that considers all cultural heritage that promotes Connecticut’s cultural vibrancy
• The coordinator will report to the Director of Cultural Sustainability at the CMCH, and will work collaboratively with both CC and COA staff.

Qualifications/ Skills:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Community engagement and networking
• Ability to meet deadlines & Attention to detail
• Marketing and promotion (may include graphic design skills)
• Project Management
• Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Event Planning & Facilitation
• Proficiency in more than one language is preferred

Outcomes:

The project is flexible and will be responsive to the skillset of the individual selected to serve as the Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator. Individuals with a background in design, documentary film, any artistic discipline, curatorial, humanities, social work, and any other field that includes a people-centered focus with an understanding of the value of the arts may consider applying for this opportunity.

Fieldwork is at the core; therefore, the individual must be able to conduct in-person site visits (within COVID pandemic guidelines), travel throughout the designated region, and be willing to independently connect with artists of all backgrounds.

The Impact Coordinator may consider the following outcomes.

• Connect with roughly 25-40 artists throughout the contracted period and engage with a handful at a deeper level.

• Assist towards the development of a resource guide for the region.

• Highlight folk & traditional artists and grow audiences.

• Create documentation in various forms to advance this work (archival, marketing, etc.)

Terms of Service

Compensation and Schedule: The Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator is considered an independent contractor of CMCH and will receive compensation for services as noted below.

The anticipated schedule runs from September 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 for 15 hours per week, for 10 payments of $1,800 to be paid monthly ($18,000 total). 

Travel:

• The Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator is expected to travel throughout the eastern part of CC’s DRSO service region (totaling 42 municipalities in New London, Windham and Tolland counties). The monthly stipend is all-inclusive of travel related expenses. No additional compensation will be provided beyond the monthly stipend. Therefore, applicants from Eastern Connecticut will be favorably considered for this opportunity due to regional proximity.
• Candidates must have reliable transportation to commute to locations throughout Eastern Connecticut.

Location (duty station):

• There is no fixed “office” space to report to as part of this coordinator opportunity. Candidates must be able to work independently and arrange appointments in community locations.
• The coordinator may be asked to report to the Connecticut Museum in Hartford on occasion or to the Cultural Coalition office in Norwich.
• Computer/laptop equipment is not provided or accessible to the Impact Coordinator. However, field recording equipment may be available for archival documentation purposes.

How to Apply

Interested candidates must complete an online application on or before the Application Deadline: Monday, July 31, 2023.

 

Access the application at https://forms.office.com/r/c9ebxyrDF7.

 

Applicants requiring alternative formats should reach out to COA's Accessibility Coordinator, Tamara Dimitri by email at tamara.dimitri@ct.gov.

When completing your electronic submission, you will not be able to save and return later. You must be prepared to complete your application in its entirety once you begin.

A copy of the application questions is below. You may complete your application responses and copy and paste them into the online application found at the link above. Please be mindful of the suggested word count allowable for each response.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a virtual interview.

• Do you have previous experience working with folk & traditional artists? (yes/no)
  • If yes, briefly share recent activities. (up to 100 word count)
  • If no, indicate past work that prepares you for work with this community. (up to 100 word count)
    
    
• Do you have previous experience working with community outreach efforts? (yes/no)
  
  • If yes, briefly share recent activities. (up to 100 word count)
  • If no, indicate past work that prepares you for community outreach activities. (up to 100 word count)
    
    
• Do you have existing connections or knowledge of cultural groups in the eastern Connecticut region? (yes/no)
  • If yes, tell us about these connections and your thoughts on exploring new groups. (up to 100 word count)
  • If no, tell us about your interests and thoughts on developing connections. (up to 100 word count)

• Are you willing to travel throughout eastern Connecticut to uncover folk and traditional artists and able to work a flexible schedule that is considerate the artists schedules and events? (yes/no)
  • Yes
  • No
    
    
• Share a brief story about a meaningful experience you had exploring a cultural group? (up to 200 word count)

• Please email your resume as an attachment to kschramm@connecticutmuseum.org

Selection Process & Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by CMCH, COA, and CC staff. Outside reviewers may be consulted as part of the review.

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Commitment – interest in serving as a coordinator for the folk & traditional arts and interest in learning more about these types of art forms.
• Creativity – interest and willingness to learn from diverse cultural communities about how they wish to be served.
• Connectiveness – ability to thoughtfully and respectfully reach intended communities.
• Communication – ability to work remotely and keep CMCH and CC informed of progress.

Contact

For questions about the application process or about CMCH’s folk and traditional arts support activities, contact Kate Schramm, Director of Cultural Sustainability at the CMCH, at kschramm@connecticutmuseum.org.

 

Past Folk & Traditional Arts Impact Coordinators

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (CMCH), and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County (CAFC) previously selected Janet Evelyn of Norwalk to serve as the Folk & Traditional Arts Community Impact Coordinator. In this 30-week joint appointment, Janet serves as an engagement leader with a focus on connecting with folk and traditional artists and communities across the 15 towns of coastal Fairfield County served by CAFC.