Vice President, Arts Education & Community Engagement

Peace Center for the Performing Arts

http://www.peacecenter.org/

For over three decades, the Peace Center has been at the heart of transforming Greenville, South Carolina, into a thriving community with a bustling downtown centered around arts and entertainment. The Peace Center is currently transforming its campus by renovating several historic properties, installing significant technical enhancements in existing spaces, and creating new spaces for audience engagement. The Peace Center’s re- imagined 6-acre, multi-venue arts and entertainment campus is set to open in October 2025.

With an annual operating budget of $34 million, the Peace Center presents a robust mix of Broadway, music, dance, film, comedy, and more. With an unwavering commitment to bringing the best of world-class artists to the region, the Peace Center’s new performance and event spaces will offer even more varied experiences and continue to broaden audiences. The Peace Center’s Arts Education and Community Engagement initiatives seek to tell stories, amplify voices, educate and inspire through the arts. Through proactive partnerships with schools and other community organizations, the Peace Center seeks to increase accessibility to programming and be a welcoming space for all to experience performing arts.

Key programs include:

• Peace Center Student Matinees invite young learners in an active exploration of music, dance, and theater. By learning in class and through live performances, students cultivate new perspectives that nurture empathy and understanding.
• The Artist Residency Program provides students with instruction and mentorship from world-class artists in dance, jazz, and classical music, with the goal of signif icantly enhancing their confidence and achievement as young artists.
• Master classes provide coaching and mentoring to assist young artists in reaching their artistic and professional goals. Cultural master classes and workshops are f ree for ticket holders of the accompanying performances. Participants grow from personal feedback while observers gain a unique insight into the mind of a professional musician and the mastery necessary to achieve a high-quality performance.
• Spoken word programs, teacher open houses, and pre/post -performance talkbacks invite young learners to become global citizens in an active exploration of world music, dance, film, and theater. The STEM programs unravel the mysteries of the universe through interactive performances that merge science and the arts. Students cultivate a global perspective that nurtures empathy and understanding by learning about the richness of cultural traditions, scientific discoveries, and works of art.

Scope and Responsibilities

The VP of Arts Education and Community Engagement (VP) is charged with evaluating and building upon key programs for which the Peace Center is known, creating a rich environment for learning, self -exploration, and audience engagement, and continuing to build partnerships with schools and community groups by understanding and developing strategic programs in response to community needs. Through these programs, the VP will continue to strengthen the brand and influence of the Peace Center in Greenville and
throughout the country.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Evaluate and assess the Peace Center’s current and past programs and develop a comprehensive strategic plan for arts education that is integrated with the Center’s overall vision, strategies and programming.
• Engage young audiences through captivating on-stage performances (theatre, dance, music, poetry),  film screenings, educational tours, and masterclass opportunities to foster learning and to introduce youth and their families to highquality, affordable arts performances through the Center’s key programs and other events.
• Establish the Peace Center as a leading field trip destination for performing arts experiences for young audiences and families. Curate programs and schedule productions aimed at student f ield trips, including booking 4-6 productions each year for student matinee performances.
• Develop or engage outside partners to create study guides for student field trip productions.
• Develop relationships with Agents who represent performing artists for young audiences.
• Maintain a database of teachers, schools, and principals and proactively market the Peace Center’s arts education programs, including school field trips. Develop relationships with schools to foster and grow attendance at student matinee performances.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Department to help deepen audience engagement, build brand equity, increase attendance, and achieve revenue goals.
• Establish meaningful partnerships with the Greenville County school district.
• Develop evaluation criteria to track the short - and long-term success of arts education programs. Utilize data and assessments to refine strategies, build upon past achievements, and address lessons learned.
• Develop evaluation criteria to track the short - and long-term success of arts education programs. Utilize data andassessments to refine strategies, build upon past achievements, and address lessons learned.
• Develop recommendations for hiring members of the team, and mentor, train, and encourage department staff and volunteers.
• With the President & CEO and Vice President of Development, participate in major gift solicitation and seeking grants from local and national foundations and corporations.
• Represent the Peace Center in the community, along with Peace Center partners, and at national and regional conferences, consortia, and discussion groups concerned about community engagement in the arts.

Key Selection Criteria

The ideal candidate will have signif icant experience as a leader in performing arts education and community
engagement, including the creation and management of new and existing programs with a level of complexity and budget size similar to the Peace Center.

In addition, the ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• An affinity for all the arts, and a demonstrated personal passion in one or more art forms.
• Strong strategic planning, people management, and program evaluation skills.
• Analytical approach to program creation and evaluation and a keen ability to articulate reasons for and advantages of new or revised program strategies.
• A personal presence and communication style that allows them to represent the Peace Center to a range of audiences including professional artists, ticket buyers, donors, educators, other arts and civic leaders, government representatives, volunteers, parents and teachers, and children.
• Energy, enthusiasm, a willingness to experiment, a penchant for creativity and a desire to seek personal growth and professional fulfillment.
• Thought leadership in the field, recognized for her/his ideas and accomplishments in the broader f ield of community engagement, specif ically in the arts.
• Personal commitment to the values of the Peace Center: excellence, high ethical standards, mutual respect, inclusiveness, diversity, and generosity of spirit.

About Peace Center for the Performing Arts

The Peace Center is a performing arts center located in Greenville, South Carolina. It is composed of a concert hall, theater, and amphitheatre. Located adjacent to Falls Park, the center hosts over 300 events each year, including classical music, Broadway shows, pop stars, and magic shows including David Copperfield

Connections working at Peace Center for the Performing Arts