Student Artistic Programming Assistant

The University of Kansas; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 17,047 - 24,280; Part time

Job summary

The University of Kansas Department of Theatre & Dance is seeking a small cohort of motivated, organized, and thoughtful students to serve as Assistants to the Artistic Director for Fall 2026. This paid student hourly position offers hands-on experience in artistic programming, production support, script evaluation, and the broader work of artistic leadership within a university theatre department.

Students will participate in conversations about the contemporary theatre field, season planning,

Qualifications

• Interest in theatre, performance, artistic leadership, arts administration, dramaturgy, directing, or related areas.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to the Artistic Director, including scheduling, correspondence, document preparation, and organization of materials.
• Help coordinate meetings, events, and departmental initiatives as needed.
• Assist with artistic programming and production logistics.

Skills

Interest in theatre

Spreadsheets

Databases

Shared documents

Reading plays

Tools

Spreadsheets

Databases

Shared documents

Job description

Position Overview

The University of Kansas Department of Theatre & Dance is seeking a small cohort of motivated, organized, and thoughtful students to serve as Assistants to the Artistic Director for Fall 2026, with possible continuation into future semesters. This paid student hourly position offers hands‑on experience in artistic programming, production support, script evaluation, and the broader work of artistic leadership within a university theatre department.

Students in this cohort will contribute to the work of the Artistic Director’s office while also participating in regular conversations about the contemporary theatre field, artistic process, season planning, and institutional theatre‑making. This position is designed for students who are interested not only in supporting productions and programming, but also in gaining a deeper understanding of how artistic and organizational decisions are made.

Job Description

100% - Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to the Artistic Director, including scheduling, correspondence, document preparation, and organization of materials.
• Help coordinate meetings, events, and departmental initiatives as needed.
• Assist with artistic programming and production logistics.

Required Qualifications

1. Interest in theatre, performance, artistic leadership, arts administration, dramaturgy, directing, or related areas, as indicated in application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Prior experience with theatre production, stage management, dramaturgy, directing, arts administration, literary management, or event support, as indicated in application materials.
2. Experience with proofreading, note‑taking, or administrative support, as indicated in application materials.
3. Comfort working with spreadsheets, databases, and shared documents, as indicated in application materials.
4. Experience reading plays and offering thoughtful feedback, as indicated in application materials.
5. Interest in season planning, new work development, and artistic programming, as indicated in application materials.

Position Requirements

1. Availability for regular cohort meetings on Mondays from 2:00–3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
2. During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre‑enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).

Employment Conditions

(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.

(2) This is an hourly/non‑exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non‑exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.

Additional Candidate Instructions

• Resume/ CV
• Cover letter that addresses the required and preferred qualifications, briefly describes your interest (one to two paragraphs), and confirms your general availability on Mondays and Fridays.

To ensure consideration, apply before the application review date, May 15th, 2026. A review of applications will continue until a qualified pool of applicants has been identified. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Contact Information

Markus Potter
[e-mail]

Other Details

Advertised Salary Range: $15.00
Anticipated Start Date: Monday August 24, 2026