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Internships and Apprenticeships
 
The Choral Arts Society of Washington is pleased to offer hands-on internships and apprenticeships in arts administration to students throughout the year.  Part-time internships are 15-30 hours/week.  Full-time positions are 30-40 hours/week. 

Interns and Staff Backstage at A Capitol Fourth
 

About Arts Administration:

Arts Administration (or Arts Management): the managing and direction of non-profit artistic organizations, such as choirs, symphonies, bands, theaters, museums, or public radio stations.  Arts administrators can work in a variety of fields, such as artistic and production, public relations, community outreach, education, or development (fundraising).
A career in arts management combines the tools of business with the tools of community building to provide cultural experiences to a wide variety of audiences. 
 

Internships:

  • Undergraduate and Graduate Students
  • Full- or Part-Time
  • Available in all Departments
Every effort is made to custom design a program that fits both the needs of the intern and our organization.  While they mainly work with one or two departments, interns at Choral Arts acquire valuable knowledge from all departments and leave with a real-world perspective of arts management.  A number of our past interns have completed master theses in conjunction with their internships.
 
 
 
 

Requirements:

Interns and Apprentices will complete a mutually agreed upon work plan with their supervisor(s) and are asked to compile a work sample portfolio.  All interns will complete weekly journal entries reflecting upon their internship, an evaluation of their program, and an exit survey.  Interns will also meet with their supervisor(s) for no-pressure midterm and final reviews where they will discuss their likes/dislikes, challenges/successes, and overall experiences.

Program Benefits:

  • Stipend
  • On-the-job training
  • Admission to CASW concerts and events
  • Networking events
  • Backstage venue tours
  • College credit if applicable
  • Job references
  • Résumé coaching
  • Departmental seminars
  • Excellent working environment

Summer 2010 Interns Backstage at Strathmore

Why Choral Arts?

Here is what our intern alumni are saying:
 
“I originally was chosen as an intern at [a large arts organization] ...and I was intending to go there.  However, I applied to CASW also, and after talking to John Chappell [former Director of Development], it was clear that CASW was the better choice.  At Choral Arts, I got the chance to really make a difference for the organization.  Because the staff was small, I was allowed to really take ownership of projects, and as a result I learned a lot more.  Also, the opportunity to interact with all the staff as well as the Board of Directors was invaluable to me as a nonprofit administrator.  Being a CASW intern was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

“The CASW environment is comfortable and inviting and makes for an amazing learning and growing experience. The CASW staff is readily available and is always willing to answer questions no matter how big or small. The Choral Arts internship is perfect for students who are curious about arts administration and would like to further their knowledge of the field.”
 
“An internship at Choral Arts provides a great introduction into the arts administration field in a small, supportive, unintimidating environment.”
 

Areas of Focus:

All interns and apprentices are assigned (based on intern preference and skills and organization needs) to one or more departments for the course of their internship/apprenticeship.  All interns and apprentices are responsible for answering phones, selling concert tickets and other general office tasks.
 
Intern/apprenticeship projects and study areas by department are:

Artistic and Production:

  • Chorus development
  • Artist relations
  • Library management
  • Special events and trip planning
  • Concert and backstage management

Education and Community Programs:

  • Program planning and management
  • Program evaluation
  • Curriculum development
  • Event preparation and management
  • Strategic planning
  • Community relations

 Development (Fundraising):

  • Grant research and writing
  • Annual fund
  • Special event planning
  • Donor relations
  • Program development

Marketing and Public Relations:

  • Media relations
  • Publications development, planning, and execution
  • Website development
  • Group sales
  • Box office and audience services

Quotes from Intern Alumni:

“Choral Arts is a great place to get hands on experience working and dealing with the non-profit arts world.”

“As a CASW intern I felt like I was part of the team, as opposed to fulfilling the typical gopher role.”
 
“I liked having ownership over my own projects.”

  “If you are at all interested in a career in either the non-profit world or the performing arts world, this is an excellent internship to have.”

“The Choral Arts Internship opened my eyes to other facets of the music business that I knew little about.  The internship allowed me to explore the administrative side of a business that I had looked at solely from an artistic point of view.”

“I greatly appreciated the weekly arts administration learning sessions with each department.”
 


To Apply:

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year; however we recommend that application materials be received by the following dates:
 
Fall Internship         July 15 
Spring Internship     November 15
Summer Internship   March 15
 
E-mail, mail, or fax a resume, cover letter expressing your interest in one or more of the departments listed above, writing sample, and the names and phone numbers of two references to:

Internship and Apprenticeship Program
The Choral Arts Society of Washington
5225 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 603
Washington, DC 20015-2024
phone 202.244.3669 x101
fax 202.244.4244
 education@choralarts.org