Open Call for Teaching Artists

Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) is hiring a versatile set of Brooklyn-based Teaching Artists (TA’s) for residency opportunities in K-12 classrooms and Older Adult Centers across Brooklyn in 2026-2027!

BAC pairs Teaching Artists with residencies in a variety of disciplines at schools and older adult centers throughout Brooklyn. Residencies are approximately 10-14 weeks and will take place between January and June 2027. BAC TA’s have access to professional development opportunities, and through BAC and Arts in Education Roundtable and Materials for the Arts.

They are primarily seeking applications for the following programs:
-In-School Residencies (K-12 in-school and afterschool residencies)
-Creative Aging: SU- CASA (older adult center residencies)
-Performing Groups/Assemblies (performing groups with assemblies prepared in theatre and global or cultural music or dance)
-Arts in Community (artmaking workshops for intergenerational audiences in community settings like libraries and community gardens)

Info Sessions & Workshops
Please join for any of the following Prospective TA events. RSVP is required to attend, please see more information and RSVP for all events here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/brooklyn-arts-council-2291806125

In Person Info Sessions
-Saturday, August 22nd, 11am-1pm, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce in Sunset Park
-Tuesday, August 25th, 6pm-9pm, Lefferts Historic House

Curriculum & Lesson Planning Workshop
-Thursday, August 27th, 3pm-5pm, Brooklyn Public Library - Stone Ave Branch

Digital Office Hours
-Tuesday, September 8th, 11am-1pm
-Thursday, September 10th, 4pm-6pm

Youth Programs
Youth residency programs foster creativity and artistic expression for K–12 students, their supporters, and other community members through a broad range of disciplines that represent Brooklyn’s diversity and excellence.
Run approximately 10-14 weeks (with exceptions) from January-June 2026.
In school (usually two consecutive class periods during 8am-2:30pm) and afterschool (usually 90minute session during 2pm-5:30pm)

Pay Rate: $85/hr + stipends for planning, travel and professional development

Creative Aging Programs
Our Creative Aging programs provide opportunities for seniors to actively express themselves creatively, socialize with a culturally engaged collective of senior citizens, engage in cultural performances, and master techniques in a variety of arts disciplines.

Requirement of 20 teaching hours on a flexible, TA-determined schedule created in collaboration with the OAC
Programming must take place between March and June 2027

Pay Rate: $6,000 fee (inclusive of travel, planning, and PD) + a $2,000 materials budget
Applicants for this program must have experience working with older adult (60+ years old) learners
Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States
W2 part time employment

Performing Groups/Assemblies:
Theatre, dance, music, and performance assemblies and workshops in school settings.

Global Rhythms
Mini-residency program aimed at deepening students’ cultural understanding through the exploration of diverse music and dance traditions. Two pre-performance workshops with students, a participatory assembly and 15-minute post show talk back with students and families.

Brooklyn Stories
Mini-residency program of youth orientated theatre performances
Aimed at helping students unpack the themes of the performance, teaching them about the style of theater that’s been introduced, and introducing them to how they might use theater as a tool for self-expression
Participatory assembly followed by workshops with classes of students

Pay Rate: Journey’s are generally compensated at $85/ teaching hour, $1,500/assembly + travel/prep fees.
Brooklyn Stories performance fees will vary depending on production. Teaching hours are $85/hr + travel and prep.

Applicants must be the lead artist or a member of a performing group with established assembly programming.
Performance Groups are generally contracted on a 1099 and are responsible applicable taxes and for paying their performing artists from the performance fee provided.

Performance Groups applications will be considered separately from roster selection. Applicants do NOT need to apply for or be selected for our Teaching Artist roster to be considered for this opportunity

Arts in Community:
At BAC we are always envisioning what additional programs we can offer to empower our Brooklyn communities in and outside the classroom. We are looking to identify teaching artists that might be a good fit for additional Arts in Community programs as they arise. This might look like an afternoon art making workshop in a park or library. We’re seeking proposals from artists with experience working in community settings who have a ready-to go workshop they’d like to propose.

Pay Rate and structure will vary depending on opportunity.

Teaching Artists selected for our roster may be preferenced, however you do NOT need to apply to our Youth or Creative Aging Programs to be considered for community programs.

Requirements

• Applicants for this program must have experience working with youth in K-12 schools
• Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States
• W2 part time employment

Desired Applicants are TAs that are:

Multi-Lingual: Can teach in English AND another language, particularly Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin AND Cantonese), and Polish, as well as Russian, Ukrainian, and Arabic.

Experienced in the following pedagogies and frameworks: Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Responsive Education, Trauma Informed Teaching, and Abolitionist Focused Education, STEAM education practices.

Experienced in working with the following demographics:NYC public school students (Pre K -8)* English language learners, neurodiverse, disabled, and D75 cohorts, and older adults. While we do teach K-12 the bulk of our programs are for students K-8.

Experienced teaching the historical and cultural background of their art forms

Can apply their art forms through a social justice lens and/or towards community building work.

Available for School/OAC schedules:
Monday’s - Fridays, Jan-June, for in school (8am-2:30pm) and/or after school (2pm-5:30pm), and/or availability March-June for OAC programming Monday-Friday (10am-4pm).

Representative of the populations of students that we are serving: We serve students of the following identities and seek to add TA’s to our roster that identify similarly: Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, LGBTQ+ students, immigrant students, disabled and neurodiverse students

Can teach one or multiple arts mediums and/or can teach the following subjects: Hip hop & street dance, global/cultural dance forms, musical theatre, theatre design, puppetry (construction & performance), songwriting, mural, maker’s space (engineering concepts, not robotics), and digital filmmaking/documentary filmmaking.

These art high demand mediums but all teaching artists of all disciplines are welcome to apply. They offer programs in Theater & Performance, Music, General Dance, Global Dance, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, and Digital Media

Application Instructions

Please see the Application Guidelines before applying: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHRoBPa2QU/5RKBBO82f7gevlfYn3fxCg/edit

Please apply here: https://brooklynartscouncil.submittable.com/submit

Applications OPEN August 17, 2026
Applications CLOSE September 13, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

Please see our FAQ for questions, email creativelearning@brooklynartscouncil.org with any additional questions