Recruiting
Recruiting Ethnoarts People
What are they like? An arts specialist is someone who has curiosity about culture, a commitment to serious research, artistic skills and sensibilities, and a drive to see others create. They won't be teaching the arts they already know, but learning other people's.
Where can you find an arts specialist? Potential arts specialists can be found in a wide range of academic disciplines, including ethnomusicology, anthropology, music, drama, folklore, and storytelling. Many people in unrelated jobs – in information technology or teaching, for example – are also passionate and competent arts advocates.
Do you have stories of what arts people actually do? Yes we do. You can browse the videos at our "What We Do" page. Or you can go directly to some key videos from here: Arts Consultants At Work: La Chorale Ayo, Arts Consultant: Understanding (Spanish, French, and Korean), Sparking Creativity (Korean), and One Student's Journey.
Who can I contact to learn about particular contexts for arts work on the field? Contact a person or people on the "Who We Are" page. Because of ethnoarts' relative newness, many entities have only vague ideas of the benefits of inviting people for arts roles. Our arts leaders are usually happy to help bridge that gap when possible.
What arts roles are there? Arts personnel normally fill one of three roles in SIL (explore Insite for fuller descriptions):
Arts Worker: Designed primarily for people already on the field, who have some skills and interest in the arts. Fewer training requirements.
Arts Specialist: Entry level position, after about one to one and 1/2 year’s training
Arts Consultant: Wider responsibilities and skills than Arts Specialist, the natural progression with time and experience
Training for arts roles. We will keep the most current training requirements at www.sil.org/training/arts-and-ethnomusicology.
Can you provide short—one month to one year—internships for people who aren't ready to make a long-term commitment? Not usually. Though the number is growing, we have relatively few senior ethnoarts field personnel who can oversee such an exploratory excursion. Our friends at the International Council of Ethnodoxologists (GEN) are a network of people and organizations who sometimes offer short-term internships. We suggest that a representative of your recruiting team join GEN so you have access to these networks. We also recommend that people exploring the possibility of working in ethnoarts attend an Arts for a Better Future (ABF) workshop. ABF immerses participants in ethnoarts field work in a way that gives them the data they need to decide whether the work is for them or not.