AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

SPEECH AND DRAMA ADJUDICATOR IN ZIMBABWE

Are you looking for a life-changing adventure? Looking to travel internationally (Africa)? Looking for a way to give back using your art? Looking to work with an engaged, motivated, and open-hearted group of drama and speech students? Then think Zimbabwe in Africa!

The Attic Theatre Conservatory, Inc., a Los Angeles based non-profit, in cooperation with the Zimbabwe National Institute of Allied Arts (http://www.alliedartszim.org/) is looking for an American speech and drama or film professional to serve as the Festival Adjudicator for the 2013 Speech and Drama Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, in south-eastern Africa.

The NIAA is the leading arts organization in Zimbabwe presenting annually 4 Festivals in Music, Drama, Visual Arts, and Literature. The organization is over 97 years old and is entirely run by volunteers who believe the arts are an important way to further educate and uplift the students of Zimbabwe.

The NIAA Speech and Drama Festival runs annually in June. It covers six disciplines under the banner of Speech and Drama: Poetry Prose, including Choral Speech; Mime; Shakespeare; Drama; Original work, including poetry and drama; and Improvisation. The Festival is open to candidates from below 7 years old. There is no senior age limit. However, it is primarily focused on school children. There are three major age categories: Junior – Grade 0 – 6; Intermediate – Grade 7 to Form 3; Senior – Form 4 to 6 and over.

The Festival runs for 14 days including a two and a half day mini-Festival held in Gweru, Zimbabwe for candidates from other Provinces to save on travel. Adjudicators work from 8.30 am to 5 pm on full Festival days, including two 30-minute tea breaks and a one-hour lunch break. On average, adjudication sessions run for 40 – 45 minutes, including the adjudication. Each candidate is given a written and signed adjudication and the session is given a short (5 – 10 minutes) overall adjudication, where individual comments may also be made.

The Adjudicator is given an honorarium for each full day they adjudicate (equal to about 100 US cash). Accommodation, local transport and all meals are organized and provided by the Festival staff. A safari in Zimbabwe, or a trip to Victoria Falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world (the level of the trip is dependent on sponsorship) is also offered as a gratitude gift to the adjudicator.

The winning candidate must be a professional speech and drama practitioner with an MFA in Theatre or Film and/or extensive professional experience, must have some experience working with children of all ages, have a valid passport, have an open and generous spirit, and be in good health. Zimbabwe is a 3rd world country with some political unrest, and daily power shortages. It will be winter there in June, and living conditions can be primitive compared to America. However, it is also one of the most beautiful countries in southern Africa with a warm and generous people who work every day to provide a better life for themselves and their children.

The Festival staff handles all administrative issues. The adjudicator will have an assistant during the day who will organize all adjudicator sheets, timing, prompting, collating of grades and communication with the administration desk. A balance is always sought with the classes and disciplines presented; for example, Mime performances are grouped together, Poetry grouped together.

The NIAA is trying to arrange transportation from LA to Harare, and back. They are asking the US Embassy in Harare to help defray the entire cost or partial cost of the air flight (which can run 1300+ round-trip). However, the winning candidate may have to pay for some or all of their travel expenses to Harare and back.

This is the 2nd year that an American will be invited to be part of the Festival. In 2012, the Adjudicator did have to pay for their flight, but the Honorarium pretty much covered the complete cost of the trip. With the cost of accommodation and food covered while there, the cost is almost nothing.

To apply for this position or to get more information, please send an email with ZIM NIAA in the logline to attictheatre1@yahoo.com. All applications for this position should include cover letter explaining what about this job interests you, a complete vita of experience, 3 professional recommendations, and be able to present a scan of your passport at hiring proving passport valid through August 2013. Send this information care of James Carey atattictheatre1@yahoo.com.

(The Attic Theatre Conservatory, Inc. is not the employer here. We are just volunteering to help this sister organization in Zimbabwe to find qualified professional personnel here in the USA. The employer of record would be NIAA in Harare, Zimbabwe.)

from LA Culture Net