2. Blackbird is a great place for undergraduate and graduate students
to gain practical experience in an array of areas of study. We have
worked successfully with a variety of institutions to create internships
that fit the needs of their students on both short and long term basis,
as well as allowing interns to receive class credit for their work here at
Blackbird. Possible internship opportunities include:
Blackbird Academy of Arts began
in 2009 with the main goal of
providing quality, affordable arts
education opportunities to Conway
and the surrounding rural areas.
From day one, we have worked to
make the arts available to anyone
with a true desire to pursue them,
regardless of their financial status,
age, background, or prior education.
We currently have approximately 350
students enrolled in weekly classes,
with dozens of others attending
workshops, master classes, summer
camps and intensives. Encompassing
both performing and visual arts, our
programs include pre-professional
dance, creative writing, visual arts,
theatre, sewing, music, and film, as
well as a Homeschool Arts Program
and a Mother’s Day Out Arts
Enrichment. Our annual calendar
of events has expanded to include a
full length ballet production, theatre
show, music recital, visual art show,
two homeschool showcases, a free
community dance performance
in our local park, and two inter-
disciplinary student performances.
In addition, our staff and students
participate in a variety of community
-- Dance Pedagogy
-- Theatre Instruction
-- Stage Management
-- Costume Design/ Creation
-- Set Design/ Creation
-- Visual Arts Instruction
-- Marketing and/or Advertising
-- Event Planning
-- Non-Profit Management
-- Early Childhood Education
-- Creative Writing Instruction
-- Music Instruction
What is Blackbird?
Internships
events throughout the year.
3. While most of our paid teaching positions are designed to run for a full school
term, we welcome resumes and job inquiries year round. Requirements for
each department vary, but we do seek instructors that either have a degree in
their specified area and/or years of practical, professional experience. We look
for passionate, motivated instructors able to bring technical skills, creative
encouragement and discipline to the classroom. Teaching positions include:
- Dance Instructors (Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop)
- Visual Arts Instructors (All mediums)
- Theatre Instructors
- Sewing Instructors (Basics through costume/clothing construction and design)
- General Music Instructors (For preschool-secondary education levels)
- Private Music Instructors (All instruments)
- Creative Writing Instructors (For elementary, secondary, and adult levels)
Job Opportunities
To find out more
about internship or
job opportunities,
or to submit your
resume, contact:
Cecelia Cecil,
Operations Director
cecelia@blackbirdacademy.org
4. “The internship program at Blackbird, in my
opinion, is one of the best kept secrets for arts
training in the central Arkansas area. It provides
a unique experience for dedicated artists to hone
and perfect their craft while simultaneously giving
them the tools and experience necessary to make
a career—not just in the arts, which is currently
one of the toughest fields to seek employment,
but in any field of work. In my case, the tools and
skills were invaluable to me as I pursued my post
graduate career and I attribute my success in landing a Big 4
accounting position to the skills and lessons I learned while
interning/working for Blackbird.”
“As a volunteer and later as an instructor at
Blackbird Academy, I experienced a close-knit,
almost familial bond between the other artists
on the faculty that allowed me to learn a great
deal about teaching my craft to others while
still exploring my own artistic capabilities. If
it is true that there is no way to truly study the
art of education except through teaching more,
I would say that Blackbird Academy doubles
as an excellent arts school for the community
and as a professional training ground for both emerging
and established arts educators. I cannot recommend
the experience I had in my two years as music faculty at
Blackbird highly enough.”
Todd Richard
Jennifer Nulsen
www.blackbirdacademy.org
501-336-8200
1058 Front St., Suite 102
Conway, Arkansas 72032
Contact us for more information!
