VOLUNTEER

Individual Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers at Inner-City Arts take on a variety of important roles across campus. Read below to learn more about each form of support.

STUDIO VOLUNTEERISM

Studio volunteers work alongside teaching artists to support K-12 students as they explore their own creativity in one of our seven studios: Visual Arts, Ceramics, Creativity Lab, Media Arts, Drama, Dance, and Music. Studio volunteerism requires a once-per-week, two-hour commitment for the duration of a session: 3 – 10 weeks total, depending on the program. In order to be eligible for studio volunteerism, you must participate in a one-on-one interview and orientation. Additionally, all studio volunteers are required to sign a background check consent prior to serving in the studios with students.

LEARNING AND ACHIEVING THROUGH THE ARTS (LATA) serves elementary and middle school students from the Los Angeles Unified School District and local charter schools. Twice a week, for seven- or eight-week sessions, students and their classroom teachers are brought to the Inner-City Arts campus for experiential instruction in the visual and performing arts during the school day. LATA studio volunteers support by assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions, motivating students to engage in the creative process, and sometimes participating in projects and exercises alongside students. LATA studio volunteers support periods 1 -3 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and periods 1-2 on Tuesday and Thursday in the following volunteer shifts:

Period 1: 8:30 am - 10:30 am

Period 2:10:15 am - 12:15 pm

Period 3: 12:15 pm - 2:15 pm

THE VISUAL, MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTES offer self-select, after-school and weekend workshops to middle and high school students, once weekly across ten weeks during Fall and Spring sessions and twice weekly across five weeks over summer. Institutes volunteers support teaching artists and students by lending their expertise in a specific medium and assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions. Volunteer shifts vary from workshop to workshop.

ARTISTS IN THE MIDDLE (AIM) is Inner-City Arts' summer programming for incoming 6th - 8th grade students, during which students have the opportunity to hone their skills in four different art forms during one of two three-week sessions. AIM studio volunteers support by assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions, motivating students to engage in the creative process, and sometimes participating in projects and exercises alongside students. AIM studio volunteers support periods 1 -2 Monday – Friday in the following volunteer shifts:

Period 1: 8:30 am - 10:30 am

Period 2:10:15 am - 12:15 pm

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Each year, Inner-City Arts hosts a variety of fundraising and community outreach events in order to more deeply engage our constituents and sustain our programs.

SUMMER ON SEVENTH is our annual music, art, and dance party! One Saturday each summer, over 1,000 Angelenos converge at the corner of 7th and Kohler to celebrate the work of Inner-City Arts by enjoying live music on our rooftop, gourmet food trucks, drinks, open studios, art installations and more. Volunteers support this event by assisting with set-up, greeting, check-in, traffic flow management, food/drink ticket sales, open studio oversight and tear-down.

IMAGINE AWARDS is Inner-City Arts’ signature fundraising event held each Fall, during which we pay tribute to an individual and/or group of individuals, whose extraordinary support enables Inner-City Arts to fulfill its mission. From registration to production to hospitality, volunteers are integral to making this event a success.

THEATER ASSISTANCE

Rosenthal Theater volunteers are utilized for our on-campus community outreach productions such as The Big Orange Door series, Inner-City Arts Repertory Dance Company performances, Youth Performance Ensemble shows, and more. Theater volunteers support by assisting with event set-up, workshop facilitation, backstage support, and ushering.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Administrative volunteers support Inner-City Arts’ behind-the-scenes needs! Opportunities of this type span from providing phone coverage for our Administrative Associate to assembling folders for Professional Development to providing data entry assistance for the volunteer program.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE

Professional guidance opportunities are available through Work of Art, a career and college exploration program for Inner-City Arts Institutes students. Each year, Work of Art offers it participants access to a variety of college and career preparedness seminars, which benefit from the support of volunteers in the creative economy.

THE CREATIVE CAREER FAIR, which takes place each fall, plays host to a variety of professionals from within the creative sector who visit the Inner-City Arts campus to discuss their work with interested middle school and high school Institutes students. Participation in this event requires setting up a “booth” on campus, distributing a mock itinerary of a typical day in your profession or any other helpful handouts, and answering student questions about your profession.

CAREER SHADOW DAYS take place annually during LAUSD spring break to provide Work of Art students with the opportunity to preview professions that pique their interest. Participation in Career Shadow Days entails hosting at least one student for a full work day at your workplace in addition to providing them with informational interview opportunities.