Spiral Q
Spiral Q is a West Philly based non-profit who uses the power of art to connect people, actions, neighborhoods, organizations and movements to each other to unleash their collective creative force for change. We use accessible art forms to build strong and equitable communities characterized by creativity, joy, can-do attitudes, and the courage to act on their convictions. We imagine a city whose streets reflect the full spectrum of its residents’ creativity. We see a responsive and engaged society that rallies consistently to overcome the challenges of discrimination and oppression. We envision a world of abundance that mobilizes its resources to nurture shared vitality.
Active at the intersection of arts and social justice, Spiral Q’s apprenticeship program provides a unique experience to persons who align with our mission, vision and values. Our program provides training, supervision and exposure to all facets of a non-profit organization. We offer flexibility and intention in the projects assigned to our interns; as they are tailored specifically to each intern based on their skills and interests. Our intern’s talents and aspirations are recognized and cultivated, allowing each individual to grow in capacity and take on responsibility.
Possible projects and areas of focus are:
- Archiving Spiral Q History: Archiving photos, videos, and documents from Spiral Q's backlog
- Archiving Spiral Q’s Puppet Collection: Organizing current puppet collection archive, and expanding upon it
- Arts Education and Community engagement: Assist in creating curriculum and workshops for community events and classrooms throughout Philadelphia
- Art-making & Studio Maintenance: Learn how to resource recycled and found materials, help maintain a professional art studio, and learn how to make puppets, masks and public art to be used for activism
- Communications & Administrative Work: Be a part of the day to day operations of a mid-size non-profit organization, assist with social media marketing, and get to know Philadelphia with community outreach
Our studio is located in Philadelphia at 4247 W Stiles St. Interns are able to work a combination of in person and hybrid hours. We require Interns to work in person, at our studio, in order to familiarize themselves with our work and community. The rate at which an intern would work Hybrid depends on the specific project that they have been assigned to or propose.
Responsibilities:
- Support Spiral Q artists at schools, social service agencies and other sites programming as needed - interacting with youth, activists, and neighbors to create art out of accessible materials.
- Work with staff, guest artists, and community members on planning and creative projects
- Help maintain studio and office space and preparing materials for events
- Other responsibilities as needed
Qualifications:
- Commitment to Spiral Q's mission, vision and values (please see website: sprialq.org)
- Advocate of social, racial, and economic justice
- Desire to work with, and sensitive to, diverse communities
- Self-motivated, self-directed, discreet with a willingness to learn, willingness to teach, and a sense of humor
- Available for occasional weekend and evening events
- Comfort with public speaking, presentation and performance
- Excellent communication, organization, problem-solving, and collaborative skills
- Computer literacy, data entry, and office skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
- Ability to work independently and think creatively
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and details in fast paced environment
- Must be able to work in non-air-conditioned spaces
- Must be able to walk over steps, our space is unfortunately not ADA accessible
- Per Pennsylvania state law, all employees must provide criminal background and child abuse clearance checks upon hire
Application Procedure
To apply for this or any of the SHIP internships, please follow the instructions at the Summer Humanities Internship Program homepage.