The Ardea Arts internship will give the right candidate hands-on experience with a small non-profit performing arts organization. You will be an integral part of the organization and work side-by-side with the creative team, staff, and artists who are creating new opera for new audiences.
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION
Ardea Arts creates and produces provocative new works of opera and music-theater to entertain, challenge, and inspire today’s global community, uplift the human spirit, and encourage new ways of seeing our world. Help us this spring to bring our newest work, BOUNCE The Basketball Opera, to life on the basketball court, with unique opportunities to work with arts and NBA professionals!
The internship is unpaid, and will run the length of a given semester’s term (about 4 months, depending on school). The internship will require a minimum time commitment of 21 hours (about 3 days) per week. Successful candidate’s working schedule will be determined upon hiring.
Travel STIPEND: 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard (or equivalent cash value, currently $127.00) each month, starting the second month if one month successfully completed. We will offer any amount of college credits allowed if your school accepts it, but is not mandatory.
REQUIREMENTS
The right candidate will be organized, able to multitask, and complete jobs with a high degree of excellence—an excellent writer, a good communicator, team player, detail-oriented, self-starter, and ready to pitch in with whatever is needed. The candidate must also stay professional in all written and verbal correspondence, as they will be a point of contact for well-known figures in the arts and the NBA.
Must be a full- or part-time student enrolled at a college or university; any other candidate must apply as a volunteer (option in application below).
Proficiency in Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides (or Microsoft Office) and macOS REQUIRED.
Proficiency in database management a major plus.
Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) experience a major plus.
Ability to read music or understand basic musical concepts a plus.
Knowledge of theater, music theater, opera, and family programming a plus.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Administrative (& Development) Tasks:
Assist the Managing & Media Director in organization of files, bills, artist travel booking, and studio maintenance with contractors.
Maintain and amend databases of artists, presenters, and donors; organize office facilities and archival material.
Prepare paperwork, packets, and flyers; run errands and send mailings.
Perform foundation research and donor correspondence: prepare donor packets and updates.
Production (& Marketing) Tasks:
Assist the Executive & Artistic Director with grant preparation, scheduling, and travel arrangements for their busy schedule.
Prepare and send newsletters, invites, and project updates to email lists.
Assist with event planning and production, event management, cleanup, and post-event organization (occasional evening and weekend hours as needed).
Maintain social media presence, including Facebook, Instagram, and e-blasts via email lists.
Miscellaneous Tasks:
Ability to lift heavy or bulky objects (props, equipment, furniture, etc.) up to 50 lb (23 kg).
Various other tasks and duties within reason, as needed.
Testimonials
The Spring 2019 interns pose for a quick photo while listening to an important webinar to support our Summer and Fall BOUNCE NYC Courts Tour community program.
Our Summer 2018 interns, the staff, and representatives from Each One Teach One—our Harlem community partner—pose for a group photo on June 2, 2018 after auditioning basketball players for BOUNCE.
Our Summer 2017 interns took a break from writing and applying for the annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and OPERA America grants to catch the first total solar eclipse in over 40 years!
Our Summer 2016 interns pose for a photo in the studio after a long summer’s hard work, having helped present three workshops of BOUNCE in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, in its first appearance on an actual basketball court.
– Summer 2019
“My summer at Ardea Arts was incredibly rewarding and exciting. As an Administrative & Production intern, I was exposed to several aspects of non-profit management, arts production and arts administration. I had the opportunity to work on BOUNCE: The Basketball Opera with a passionate group of people. I gained many new practical skills such as fundraising, graphic design, videography and communications. I also had the opportunity to engage with New York City with the Ardea team during the rehearsals and performances. I am thankful for this opportunity at Ardea Arts, and for the amazing team that values the interns’ input.”
Yagmur Unal
Administrative & Production Intern
Fall 2018
“My time interning at Ardea Arts has given me experience with media and print production, which are essential for both my personal and my professional endeavors. I have also gained many administrative and fundraising skills that are always good to have at one’s disposal. The team at Ardea Arts is warm, welcoming, and kind. They truly take the time to get to know you and help you acclimate to an office environment. It has been an honor to work with such an outstanding team of creative individuals to combine my passions for art, musical theater, and community outreach. Ardea Arts is a truly special organization and I am so grateful to have been a part of the work done here.”
Kayla Alarcon
Administrative & Design Intern
“During my experience as an Administrative and Production Intern at Ardea Arts, I had the unique opportunity to observe how a small, indie opera company functions. From simple day-to-day administrative tasks, to the long-term planning of partnerships with other opera companies and organizations, grant writing, and event planning, I was able to get my hands dirty, so to speak, in many different projects. Being a small company, Ardea does not have a continuous season/production schedule, and my only disappointment while interning at Ardea was that I was unable to work on any live productions. However, I quickly became an integral part of the team as everyone is incredibly kind, helpful, and constantly teaching through entrusting their interns with vital projects.”
Sophie Quay-de la Vallee
Administrative & Production Intern
Summer 2018
“As an intern at Ardea Arts I had the opportunity to have hands-on experience in the field of production and arts administration, in addition to learning the great wonders of New York City. The staff at Ardea Arts really allowed the interns to go out on their own, learn, make mistakes, and grow from those mistakes. As a Production & Administrative intern, I coordinated and scheduled meetings, assisted with grant preparation, and prepared and sent packets to donors. Since working Ardea Arts as a summer intern, I have gained communication skills, connections, and management skills in order to advance my career path. I am thankful for my experience at Ardea Arts and all of the staff members who helped guide me.”
Madison Herley
Administrative & Production Intern
“My time at Ardea Arts has been invaluable to me, helping me to grow in both my professional and personal pursuits in the world of art and arts management. The constant guidance and trust that was shown to me by the Ardea Team helped me to foster new skills, constantly exposing me to new ideas and ways of approaching problems. Working on larger projects and day to day tasks was always full of excitement, learning, and often laughs, and I am truly grateful to have had an opportunity to work with such passionate people on the three things that interest me most: music, art, and community engagement. Ardea Arts is a place like no other, and I am happy to have been a part of it.”
Nicholas Loud
Administrative & Production Intern
“When I was looking for a summer internship I was looking for something different, something that would take me out of my comfort zone. I am currently on a music and entertainment business pre-law track with no background in opera or theater in particular. I have had past experience in all other forms of entertainment and felt that this was a good opportunity for me to learn new things. Everything I was looking to attain from this internship was fulfilled—and then some. Working as a Production and Administrative intern was perfect for what I am trying to accomplish down the line in my career. I was able to learn new skills and form connections that will carry throughout the rest of my life. Working with a small team as well allows you to really connect with the people you are working with, and I was given personal attention and advice from my co-workers that I feel will give me a competitive edge down the line. I enjoyed every day of the internship because I knew I was going to learn something useful and different that I would be able to apply to many other things in my life.”
Evan Schuval
Administrative & Production Intern
Fall 2017
“The Ardea Arts team welcomed me with open arms and their passion for the arts is wonderfully contagious. I was thrown into many hands-on jobs that were unique to this company such as decorating for the Holiday party, rounding up basketball equipment for BOUNCE, and managing the Ardea Arts social media accounts. Growing alongside BOUNCE as it premiered in Kentucky truly made this internship worthwhile. I gained so much appreciation and love for the background work of opera and musicals that I never thought about prior. Watching BOUNCE come to life from an Excel sheet to the court was immensely fulfilling. I have also learned a great amount of office structural work such as budgeting for a production, effectively asking for donations, organizing the server, and displaying a friendly and professional stature to potential donors and board members. I am sincerely blessed to be a part of Ardea Arts this semester and will forever cherish this opportunity.”
Sierra Elis Adams
Administrative & Production Intern
“My main job as an Administrative and Production intern was to help create the poster design for the New York showing in March, create our 2017 Christmas slideshow, edit and create an audio piece which was featured in the Kentucky premiere, and update Ardea’s server and database. I learned how to use Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and Illustrator which are three programs I had never worked with before. Since Ardea is a small company, there are more jobs to be done as an intern, and you learn how to multitask and adapt to new jobs given to you. I am proud of how much I have accomplished this semester and Ardea has prepared me for future internship and job opportunities.”
Meredith Beisel
Administrative & Development Intern
Summer 2017
“Working with Ardea Arts served as a fantastic introduction to the world of arts administration in general and opera in particular. I gained useful knowledge of and hands-on experience with many useful programs and databases, as well as with the complex processes of grant-writing and large-scale fundraising. I also assisted in the organization of a developmental reading of BOUNCE, a fascinating window into the process of script development as well as into the logistical concerns that often arise during event planning. Interning here was definitely a great and productive way to spend my summer!”
Ilana Rothman
Administrative & Development Intern
“Interning with Ardea Arts has gracefully opened my eyes to both the nonprofit and opera word. Initially I lacked a complete understanding in the two areas, but I was driven to learn more because of Grethe’s passion for the company and BOUNCE. Over the course of 8 months I gained an immense amount of hands on experience in marketing, production, event planning and crowd funding; more than I could imagine. I was taught to work with software that I had little to no knowledge of; such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Premiere Pro. Being in a smaller office gave me the chance to learn directly from my superiors everyday. Whether the team was working out of the office or on site at a show, working for Ardea Arts was a great time.”
Rachel Andrade
Administrative & Marketing Intern (Spring & Summer 2017)
“Interning at Ardea Arts has provided me with experience in a music genre that was completely foreign to me. As someone who wants to work in the entertainment industry, it’s best to gain experience wherever I can, and Ardea Arts has given me exactly that. Updating the Artist E-Card and creating a pitch for One Christmas Long Ago specifically has taught me more about outreach marketing. I also gained more hands-on experience in production through BOUNCE readings and workshops. The Ardea Arts team welcomed me with open arms, and served as great mentors. This internship was one to remember, and an experience I will always bring up to future employers.”
Genevieve Domingo
Administrative & Development Intern
Summer 2016
“In the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to intern at Ardea Arts. Throughout the 7 or so weeks I interned there, I gained vast knowledge on how to prepare and run a workshop production of a musical. At the time we were working on BOUNCE The Basketball Opera. For the show, I was able to use my knowledge of Photoshop and InDesign to produce a program, app and other graphics needed for the show. I was also put in charge of props during the actual performances. During this opportunity I never felt alone. I worked with four other interns as well as producers, other employees, musicians and the cast of the show. Working at Ardea Arts has prepared me to work with other theatre companies.”
Jennifer Sacks
Administrative & Production Intern
“As an administration and development intern, I worked on BOUNCE The Basketball Opera this summer. It was interesting to learn how a workshop production comes together and the level of preparation needed beforehand. I have had a primary involvement in theatre, but never from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, so it was great to understand that side. I developed hands-on experience of different administrative positions in a theatre/opera company and made many useful connections. I’m thankful to the Ardea Arts team for being so welcoming.”
Tara Mulligan
Administrative & Development Intern
“As an intern at Ardea Arts I gained a broad range of new experiences. I had never worked on the administrative side of a business, so I learned more about how an office operates on a day-to-day basis and what an intensive marketing period looks like. I had also never been around a professional theater production, so it was exciting to see it come together as I learned about the different roles. Finally, I had very little graphic design experience, so it was cool to discover how much I enjoyed it as I gained a great deal of practice with different Adobe programs.”
Anne Leonardo
Administrative & Graphic Design Intern
Summer 2015
“My experience working with Ardea Arts was the first real stepping stone I had into the world of arts administration. As the Artistic Administrative Intern I coordinated appointments, participated in company meetings, and worked closely to maintain databases. Additionally, I helped create a social media campaign for the company and produced visual and written content representing Ardea. One of the most important skills I gained through Ardea was participating in the editing of grant proposals. Since working with Ardea Arts I have been qualified for working with other performing art production teams, and have made many networking connections in the industry.”
Caroline Lim
Administrative & Development Intern