DIGITAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Digital Internship Program
The Davis Shakespeare Festival Digital Internship Program aims to foster arts leaders and fortify cultural community. By educating, training, and inspiring the next generation of arts leaders, DSF is able to expand its reach and increase its impact on the immediate community of Davis and beyond, while providing meaningful and practical hands-on experiences for aspiring leaders.
The Digital Internship Program operates 100% virtually and allows participants from any geographic location to apply. It is designed to give participants a survey of various elements of arts administration and theatre production and culminates in a final project.
Participants on the east coast tend to meet more often in the evening and those more west tend to meet early afternoon or early evening. When necessary, meetings can be held on weekends.
Internship Pod Rotations
Program participants will rotate through each of the following pods before beginning work on the culminating project:
- Arts Administration
Community engagement; fundraising; front of house operations; grant writing; development and donor relations; ethical considerations in the arts; marketing/communications: press releases, website management, social media - Theatre-Making
Theatre and society; modes of theatre operation; arts collaboration and the community; Other possibilities: directing; stage management; production management; musical direction; scenic design; costume design; sound design; lighting design - Literary
Dramaturgy and research; new works management
Weekly Town Hall
In addition to working in their individual “pods,” participants meet weekly as a group in a Town Hall setting to engage with literature as well as participate in workshops and discussions on myriad topics: leadership theory, decolonization in leadership and the arts, equity and social justice in the arts, theories of nonprofit existence, structural operations of arts nonprofits, and more. Throughout the week, they also participate in a discussion board to debate and explore ethical considerations in the arts as well as examine current arts leadership challenges.
The internship program culminates in a participant-led production of a virtual theatre festival.
Lastly, aside from the rich experiences in the above disciplines, participants are given opportunities to sharpen their presentation skills by navigating different virtual platforms like Zoom, PowerPoint, Google Suite, and more.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, DSF will host participants on a volunteer basis and can work with academic institutions in providing college credit for the learning experience. DSF can also participate in Federal Work Study programs. Participants will work, on average, 8-10 hours per week in a mix of synchronous and asynchronous modes. The total of internship hours is flexible and can be considered on a case-by-case standard.
Spring 2021 cohort: 2/8/21 – 5/2/21
Recruitment Timeline:
The submission deadline for Spring 2021 is Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 @ 5pm Pacific Time.
Invitations to interviews will be sent by Thursday, 1/14/21.
Interviews will be held during the week of 1/18.
Position offers will be sent the week of 1/25.
For questions about the Digital Internship Program, please contact Tom Abruzzo at tom@shakespearedavis.org
DSF is committed to encouraging a love of theater by creating opportunities for all regardless of age, race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, cultural background, ability, economic status, or any of the myriad characteristics that make our world unique and robust. We strive to be a model for the industry in inclusion and celebration of all community members. We practice this inclusion in both our community outreach and our hiring and casting practices. For us, it is crucial to create an environment that reflects our values.