Call for Applications: Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP)

Deadline to Apply: Friday, October 11th, 2024 at 5pm EST

As part of our second Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP) project, Continuum is seeking a passionate, imaginative, and collaborative early-career artist to join our team as Artistic Producer through the 24-25 and 25-26 Seasons.

To fill this role, we are seeking an early-career musician with a strong interest in chamber music; the applicant may perform as a soloist or act as leader of an existing duo, trio or quartet. Through this program, the producer will develop a concert program that integrates their own or their ensemble’s performance practice alongside Continuum core ensemble members (in full or in part) in the 25-26 Season.

The project will explore a collaborative approach to curation and programming. Over two seasons, the producer will learn about Continuum’s processes and engage in ongoing conversations informed by their interests, questions, and perspectives on the evolving practice of contemporary chamber music today. Through this exchange of ideas, the producer will work toward the goal of developing a program curated with input from Continuum staff that represents both interests of the producer and Continuum’s mandate.

The selected applicant will receive a fee of $2000 ($1000 per season), access to a full concert budget, and ongoing support from Continuum’s Artistic Director and Operations Manager.

Goals

The Artistic Producer position aims to provide leadership opportunities within the Toronto contemporary chamber music community, offering both professional programming and arts management experience within a supportive environment. Designed with a collaborative approach in mind, the goal is also to create a space for an exchange of ideas and expand artistic perspectives.

What to Expect

The Artistic Producer will:

Develop a concert program to be presented in the 25-26 Season;
Engage in regular meetings (Zoom and/or in person) to discuss ongoing program development and gain familiarity with Continuum’s processes. These meetings will be adapted to address the questions and areas of interest of the successful candidates;
Work with Continuum’s Artistic Director on artistic elements of the concert, including contracting musicians and scheduling;
Work with Continuum’s Operations Manager on production elements of the concert, including budgeting, grant-writing, logistics, and marketing;
Attend Continuum rehearsals and concerts as available;
Interview programmed artists for features to be included in Continuum’s Press Play online series.

Eligibility

The Artistic Producer role is designed for early-career musicians seeking leadership opportunities within the context of contemporary chamber music. This role is ideal for those who:

have an existing performance practice within the context of contemporary chamber music;
wish to gain experience in concert programming, production, and project management in support of their artistic practice and/or professional development;
are currently considering or developing an approach to artistic programming;
would benefit from working directly with Continuum’s Artistic Director and Operations Manager to gain a deeper understanding of the day-to-day work of an arts organization.

The jury seeks candidates with varied practices and perspectives who also demonstrate an openness to working with and learning from others.

Selection Process and Timeline

A jury will review the submitted applications and determine a shortlist of candidates to be contacted for a Zoom interview.

October 11: Applications Close

October 21-25: Interviews with short-listed candidates via Zoom

November 1: Notification of Results

Application Guidelines

As program development will be a part of the role, we ask that candidates do not submit completed programming proposals. Instead, candidates will be asked to submit a C.V., audio or video demonstrating their performance practice, and a statement of interest.

C.V. : 2 page max., PDF

Highlight your leadership roles within the arts (notable performances, professional or volunteer experience in concert/event production, arts administration, curation, etc.) as well as your artistic practice.

Support Material

Provide links to two audio or video links to performances that represent you or your ensemble’s practice (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)

Statement of Interest: 2500 character/500 word max.

Please address the following:

What interests you musically, particularly in the area of contemporary chamber music? What informs your curatorial practices or themes?
Tell us about your experience in programming or project management (This can include your own artistic practice and projects). What skills, knowledge, or lived experience would you wish to share in the Artistic Producer role?
What aspects of programming, production, or arts administration would you be most interested in learning more about? Speak to any specific personal, artistic, and professional goals that you would like to work towards in this role.
What are the questions, conversations, and launching off-points you wish to further explore through this program? In what ways do these play a role in the practice of contemporary chamber music today?

Continuum shares responsibility in fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive contemporary music community. We encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity. Please be in touch if you wish to discuss possible program adaptations that would remove barriers to applying or participating in this opportunity.

Should you have questions related to the program, please email Operations Manager Christina Volpini at christina@continuummusic.ca