The historic nonprofit Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Education and Community Engagement. This senior position supports the theater’s mission by presenting a range of educational and community programs for our region.

The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which manages the City- owned historic Carolina Theatre complex including the 1,100-seat historic Fletcher Hall and two cinemas which screen independent film, as well as festivals and retrospectives, 365 days per year. The organization presents more than 65 Star Series performances per year in Fletcher Hall and provides more than 35 educational performances for more than 15,000 school children from 13 counties in our Arts Discovery Educational Series. Fletcher Hall is also home to a number of performing arts resident companies and hosts a variety of non-profit and commercial events throughout the year.

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT VISION & GOALS

Our Vision

To cultivate a passion for the arts and foster inclusive connections within our diverse community through educational experiences that empower individuals of all ages to explore, appreciate, and participate in the arts, while promoting accessibility and engagement through innovative programming that reflects the unique voices and stories of our community.

K-12 Young Audiences, and Family Programming Goals

• Establish the Carolina Theatre as a leading field trip destination for performing arts experiences for young audiences and families.
• Engage young audiences through captivating on-stage performances (theatre, dance, music, poetry), film screenings, educational tours, and masterclass opportunities to foster learning and to introduce youth and their families to high quality, affordable arts performances through the Arts Discovery Educational Series, Family Saturday Series, and other events.
• Enhance teacher awareness of the arts as an effective medium for cultivating student appreciation of creative expression, academic learning, and artistic discipline.
• Develop funding models with key school district partners and internally to continue providing an affordable field trip destination for performing arts experiences that complement curriculum goals for schools and mission driven community organizations that serve children and families.

Community Engagement Programming Goals

• Provide accessible and engaging programming for individuals, groups, and families through the Sensory Friendly Film Series, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment for all participants.
• Enhance community awareness of the Carolina Theatre’s history exhibits, and the Confronting Change exhibit through film, informative guided tours and audio/visual tours that educate and inspire visitors.
• Engage with community partners to cultivate collaborative initiatives such as Community Film Screenings, Festivals, Workshops, and events that promote the arts as a vehicle for greater understanding and respect for all.
• Spearhead programs that welcome inclusivity, education, and collaboration to strengthen community ties.

CORE DUTIES:

Under the guidance of the CEO, the Senior Director of Education will provide strategic and visionary leadership and oversight of operational, marketing, development and fiscal aspects of arts education, family and community programs. This person will serve as a representative of Carolina Theatre programs at public events to develop relationships and partnerships with key organizations to foster connection with the Durham community and collaboration among its citizens and other key stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Curate programs and scheduling for young audiences and
• Develop relationships with Agents who represent performing artists for young
• Maintain strong partnerships with Durham Public School District, Durham Arts Council, Durham Performing Arts Center to meet programmatic goals and to ensure the broadest program visibility and attendance.
• Engage key stakeholders and generate widespread community support to strengthen and sustain
• Promote CTD’s role as an anchor cultural institution locally and an integral part of the arts education landscape for young audiences.
• Develop program models for arts education initiatives that respond to the need of the audiences we serve.
• Oversee budget, operations, accountability, and tracking of programs and
• Manage evaluation, reporting and quality control of programs through surveys, communication with schools and community partners.
• Develop arts education, family, and community programs marketing strategies and materials in collaboration with Marketing Department to help deepen audience engagement, build brand equity, increase attendance, and achieve revenue goals.
• Coordinate with Development Department to pursue grants and other funding opportunities to support programs to ensure ongoing and increased financial support through cultivation of private and public partners and strategic grant opportunities.
• Prepare and manage department budget with President/CEO and Chief of
• Attend all necessary meetings including staff, production, senior management team and Board of Director meetings.
• Prepare bi-monthly report for Board of Director
• Attend Durham Public School Arts Partners monthly
• Represent education programs at schools and all CTD programming at community/public
• Facilitate and organize collaboration among members of all CTD Education and Community Engagement Committees, specifically the Sensory Friendly Film Series Committee, CTD Civil Rights Committee, and CTD Education Committee, to enhance and support programming initiatives.
• Coordinate volunteers to assist in staffing booths and other promotional
• Serve as a leader among peers in the field and as a Senior representative of the Carolina Theatre in meetings with City and County officials, arts and civic organizations, community, and business
• Attend Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), Americans for the Arts, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), and NC Presenters Consortium Arts Market as needed.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experienced arts administrator with a focus on arts education.
• A record of senior-level management in complex environments, with knowledge of the nonprofit
• Experience curating arts programming, negotiating contracts, scheduling, and presenting performing artists.
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience in incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in all programming and programs and developing new programs to serve the breadth of our community.
• Strong intra/interpersonal skills and an authentic, collaborative approach to develop and maintain internal and external relationships.
• A proven innovator and visionary with the ability to lead and inspire staff, engage, and effectively utilize volunteers, and create a broad base of support for mission.
• Demonstrated commitment to arts education, cultural competency and learning to support Durham Public School district values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• Ability to be decisive in setting priorities, able to delegate responsibilities when the need arises, foster accountability and allocation of resources to ensure results.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking
• Ability to plan, organize, motivate, inspire, and supervise colleagues, contractors, volunteers, educators, performing artists and students.
• Capacity to manage and prioritize multi-dimensional tasks and responsibilities simultaneously, professionally, and efficiently.
• Strong work ethic and ability to strategize, plan, implement, manage, analyze, and report on tasks, programs, and events effectively and efficiently.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and an understanding of social media cross-promotion.
• A strong advocate for arts education and creating access for all to experience the
• A creative problem-solver with a positive “can do” mindset and a sense of
• A person of sound judgement and confidence, with humility and commitment to continuous personal and organizational improvement.