Job description
Summary/Objective
About the BSO
Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) mission of bringing world class orchestral and popular music performances to local, regional, and international audiences remains unchanged. Over the past few years, the BSO’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) has evolved from an organic approach of creating spaces for diverse artistic expression to a deliberate effort to addressing the structural and societal barriers to allowing for a convergence of artistic expression within broad historical, economic, social, and cultural contexts.
About the Role
The BSO appreciates that the future is plural and is enthusiastic about attracting audiences that reflect this diverse future. In order to create a throughline between its rich history and its promising future, the BSO seeks an Institutional EDI Curator who will unearth, catalog, and codify the BSO’s wide-ranging relationship with EDI.
Additionally, the Institutional EDI Curator will help shape the institution’s EDI narrative by helping the BSO better understand the arc of its EDI journey so far, including how the narrative positions the BSO to be an EDI leader in the orchestra ecosystem in the United States.
This is a full-time, one-year research contract.
Job Description
About the Successful Candidate
Reporting to the VP of Talent and Equity, with a dotted line report to the Co-Chairs of the BOS’s Board Committee, the candidate will use research, archiving, and curating methodologies to actualize the BSO goal of documenting its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion history at the artistic level.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative, self-directed, and forward thinker with substantive experience in curation. The candidate will create approaches to access artifact, archival, and digital collections within the BSO and beyond.
The successful candidate is a compelling narrator, an outstanding researcher, an able administrator, and a strong advocate for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The candidate will have a personal drive and institutional passion for understanding how Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has shaped the BSO identity and narrative within the Symphony Hall, at Tanglewood, and across the city of Boston.
Key Responsibilities
Research
- Initiate, develop, and conduct research projects pertaining to EDI artists, programs, Board, and community engagement at the BSO throughout its 120 year history.
- Access and process manuscript, photograph, audio-visual, oral histories, electronic records, and other research materials in accordance with standard and local principles and practices.
- Conduct research that results in publications and exhibitions that make authoritative and original contribution to the BSO’s rich history
Collections Management
- Appraise records and items, within the BSO collection and beyond, for appropriate levels of arrangement and description, and physical/digital. housing needs based on the project plan.
- Create a content standard descriptive metadata for the collection and enter it into a project spreadsheet on a rolling basis.
- Maintain an accurate and complete collection description and inventory.
- Coordinate all aspects of collections management activities including acquisitions, loans, storage, security, documentation, conservation, inventory, installation/deinstallation, and digitization.
- Develop one exhibition (temporary, digital and/or traveling) that tells a complete story of EDI at the BSO.
- Participate in programs for the BSO audience and the public to share findings related to EDI at the BSO.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in history or related field; including American Studies, African American or Africana studies, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, History, Public Humanities, etc.
- Five years of collection development experience, a special collection, or archival setting focused on public history or cultural heritage project.
- Demonstrated progressive experience managing the implementation of initiatives that further equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice programming.
- Proven record of initiating, curating, and delivering well received exhibitions and programs.
Additional Qualifications
- Understanding of classical music or orchestral environments preferred
- Understanding of visitor-centered approaches to content development.
- Highly developed research, writing, and oral communication skills
- Presence and credibility to serve as an effective BSO representative with outside communities and supporters of the BSO.
- Demonstrated experience working with individuals, communities, and organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to work productively, both independently and collaboratively, in a highly collegial and team-based environment.
- Excellent organizational skills, including experience with budget and records management
- Excellent interpersonal skills and professionalism to interact with a wide range of people at different levels of the organization and the public
- Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships both internally and externally
- Ability to advocate for organizational goals
- Demonstrated experience and background in research and writing that establishes expertise in an area of study
- Exceptional verbal and written communication demonstrated presentation skills.
- Advanced technology skills including social media, Google Docs, One Drive, and database management applications
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities effectively and efficiently
- Demonstrated project management skills
Required Education and Experience
Application Requirements
Interested parties, please submit the following:
- Cover letter stating an expression of interest
- Statement demonstrating experience with or passion for EDI
learninglandscape.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, learninglandscape.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, learninglandscape.com is the ideal place to find your next job.