Date Posted: Nov 16, 2020
Application Deadline: Nov 30, 2020
Start Date: Jan 18, 2021

Salary From: 40K To 40K
Province: Ontario
Region: Metro Toronto Area
City: Toronto
Employee Benefits: N/A
Organization’s Field/Discipline: The Arts
Job’s focus: Administrative
Job Type: Contract
Career Level: Entry level/ intern

Organization Description

Toronto Biennial of Art
About TBA
The Toronto Biennial of Art’s (TBA) mission is to make contemporary art available to everyone. For 10 weeks every two years, local and international Biennial artists transform the city and surrounding regions with artworks, talks, and performances that reflect local contexts and pressing issues of our time. The Biennial’s free, citywide programming aims to inspire people, bridge communities, and contribute to global conversations.

Five years in the planning, the inaugural Toronto Biennial of Art launched in 2019, was a popular and critical success. The Biennial welcomed nearly 300,000 local and international visitors to 15 sites, featuring 161 artists and performers. The Biennial provided expanded views of contemporary art practice, including significant contributions by BIPOC artists and artworks, and established a legacy of free and accessible contemporary arts programming in Toronto, Mississauga, and the surrounding GTA.
For detailed information on the impact of the first Biennial, please read the 2019 Evaluation Report.

Job Description

Position Overview
Position: Full time, 40 hours/week
Dates: Jan 2021-Jan 2022
Annual Salary: $40,000
Pay: Bi-weekly
Application Deadline: November 30, 2020

The Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA) is currently seeking a Programs Coordinator. This position plays a vital role in the ongoing operations and event planning for the next edition of TBA in 2021. Over the course of the year, the Coordinator will work closely with the curatorial team (Candice Hopkins, Clare Butcher, Katie Lawson, Myung-Sun Kim, and Tairone Bastien), with a focus on public and learning programs. They will experience on-the-job training in all aspects of curatorial planning, development and execution of the Biennial’s programs. The Programs Coordinator will be of integral importance in the daily work of the Public Programming and Learning (PPL) department, reporting to a curator in PPL and acting as an advocate for the organization in the city. TBA is committed to developing a range of skills in relation to programming and learning activities associated with a contemporary art biennial, within a framework of close mentorship that creates future leadership opportunities in the arts.
This position is ideal for candidates with some arts administrative experiences, who wish to expand their practice within a professional contemporary arts context. Alongside cross-departmental exposure to all aspects of the Biennial, including logistics, production, publications, finance, communication, partnerships, and fundraising, TBA will provide further training and mentorship for the successful candidate through a range of tasks and opportunities for skills development outlined below.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supporting the PPL team in all aspects of programming, including: research, liaising with collaborating organizations/participants/teammates, production, implementation, scheduling, administrative, and production tasks as the projects develop.
• Support the TBA Residency program, Rabbit Hole, an exploratory residency framework, examining the practices and protocols for collectivity. Tasks will be related to administration, communication, daily upkeep, event coordination, guest services (travel, accommodations, itinerary, and more), tech support, and other tasks as they arise
• Support PPL administration and managing of daily tasks as they arise, such as minute-taking, receipt organization and processing, organization of filing systems, etc.
• Coordinate and maintain contributor/artist folders and information packs via Milanote
• Coordinate Programs contributor research, production, transportation, and presentation processes
• Support in coordinating all aspects of TBA events including preparation, setup, take-down, post-event reports, and documentation when possible.
• Support the coordination and creation of marketing communications materials for TBA programs and events – including event announcements, text drafts, images and captions, and contributor bios – across the Biennial website, social media pages, and other digital publication platforms
• Support publication projects through research, collating materials, coordinating copyright and image permissions, and communicating with contributors
• Coordinate PPL archiving, research, and assist with the evaluation process (participant surveys, collating feedback, etc.)
• Act as an advocate for the Biennial as needed
• Participate in numerous training and learning opportunities with the PPL team, as well as with the broader TBA team.

Requirements:

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 2 years of related working experience
• Completed a degree, or equivalent experience in: arts administration, curatorial, museum studies, or related fields
• Demonstrated organization and project coordination skills
• Highly organized and detail oriented
• Highly developed writing and communication skills
• Ability to work well in a fast-paced organization, is committed to deadlines, and able to work independently
• Employ tact, discretion, and responsibility in all areas
• Strong familiarity with Microsoft Office, Dropbox, and Mac iOS; working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and G-Suite desirable
• Experience in supporting accessibility needs for event production
• Assets: AV tech familiarity or experience; online programs experience; audio-video editing experience; languages spoken other than English; graphic design, communications experience (online and print); publications and editorial experience; ability to manage engaging editorial and visual content for digital platforms, including websites, video and social media; Milanote; G/G2-level driver’s licence

How to Apply:

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to info@torontobiennial.org with the subject line “Programs Coordinator position” by November 30, 2020. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Toronto Biennial of Art is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all of our work. We work proactively to be fair and equitable in practice and welcome applications from all qualified individuals. We encourage those who identify as women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons, persons of colour, individuals of non-conforming gender and sexual orientations, and all groups protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code to apply. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, accommodation will be provided at any point throughout the hiring process, provided the candidate makes their accommodation needs known to Toronto Biennial of Art.