APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED: Interviews in progress
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INTRODUCING THE PLANET EARTH POETRY
VOLUNTEER-INTERNSHIP!
Beginning August 2024!
Would you like to learn everything you need to know to run a literary reading series?
Planet Earth Poetry will be entering its 29th season in September 2024, under the artistic direction of award-winning poet, Kyeren Regehr.
During the 29th season we’re offering a 10 month, flexible and volunteer-based internship as Assistant to the Artistic Director. The internship will run from August 2024 to June 2025 (the series breaks in December). The internship can begin online, but the intern would ideally be in Victoria BC for the first live event on Friday Sept 6th, 2024. Although we’re offering many and varied learning opportunities, the intern need not participate in all of them—we want this to remain a joyful and exciting experience throughout the months we work together. :)
However, this is a HUGE opportunity, and a resumé gem! Read on to learn more and to apply!
EQUITY: Planet Earth Poetry is committed to offering space for Indigenous, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, neurodivergent and disabled poets: we are excited to receive applications for this internship from historically underrepresented communities. EVERYONE is welcome to apply.
HOW WE OPERATE:
Planet Earth Poetry is a volunteer-run literary reading series, and a charitable society with a full board of directors. PEP hosts over fifty events, and at least that many literary poets from across Canada each season, and is proud to offer industry-standard honoraria. Besides our staple Friday night readings at Russell Books Victoria, we also host monthly afternoon poetry events at New Horizons James Bay, as well as monthly online Writing Practice, two workshops, and a summer retreat. All of our readings are free and accessible, and our workshops and retreat offer four sliding-scale seats and two fully-funded indigenous bursaries. All of our work is funded by grants and donations. Although we’re community focused, we’ve been serving and supporting the provincial and national poetry communities for twenty-eight years.
Planet Earth Poetry began in 1996, and has been thus far steered by five artistic directors who’ve had the support of the PEP BEES. The BEES are volunteers (mostly published poets) who meet every three months or so at a downtown cafe, and who help run this iconic reading series. The BEES organize and run online Writing Practice, Workshops, the Summer Retreat, Poetry Contests, guest-host our main events, create weekly event posters, manage the website and YouTube and Facebook Events, manage event set-up and break-down, write our monthly “Unpacking the Poem” column, manage our Little Free Poetry Library, take photos at events, and more. They step in when the Artistic Director needs help, and also offer ideas, help brainstorm ideas, and help bring those ideas to fruition. Anyone is welcome to volunteer and support the work of Planet Earth Poetry.
THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER-INTERN (Assistant to the Artistic Director)
The volunteer-intern (Assistant to the Artistic Director) and the Artistic Director will meet in August to establish the best ways for the intern to begin. Shadowing opportunities will be offered, and the final duties of the volunteer-intern determined and selected to suit everyone—the intern would ideally be ready to begin in late August. The Artistic Director will offer the intern rich and rewarding learning opportunities (as well as many extras!) and ideally the intern will help Planet Earth Poetry by taking on most of the volunteer duties listed below—this will depend on the intern’s abilities and availability (to be discussed with the Artistic Director).
WE are looking for a person who
is passionate about Canadian Literature and equity in the arts
has a strong and creative command of the English language
is organized, detail-orientated, and thrives both as part of a team and independently
has a good understanding of social media and would enjoy making posts and keeping everything updated (approximately 2-3 hours a week, much less if already skilled)
would like to correspond with esteemed and emerging Canadian poets each week—using gmail and google drive templates (approximately 30 mins per week)
would enjoy attending most of Planet Earth Poetry’s Friday evening events at Russell Books Victoria (6:45pm-9:15pm) (the intern will be given the option to learn all the duties associated with this event)
would enjoy attending most of Planet Earth Poetry’s monthly Friday afternoon events at James Bay New Horizons (1:30-3:30pm—this is the event that the intern will learn to host)
would like to learn to write professional ALT text and add links to the weekly newsletter (approximately 30 mins per week)
would like to help download and label the promo materials from poets and publishers as they arrive and add them to our google drive
would like to help curate literary events by researching forthcoming books and suggesting poets to the Artistic Director—discussions and further contribution will be made available when/if time allows
would enjoy attending the BEES meetings and contributing to the lively discussion and plan-making
EXTRAS:
Free attendance at Planet Earth Poetry’s event at the Victoria Festival of Authors.
Free attendance as a participant at both of Planet Earth Poetry’s workshops during the 29th season (learning from esteemed poet-facilitators).
Attendance at Planet Earth Poetry’s online Writing Practice with Guest-Poets (this is a free one-hour monthly event, and the intern may wish to learn how to use the Zoom platform for an event of this nature, as well as attend the events and personally work with the guest-poets).
Planet Earth Poetry will purchase 1-2 books a month from a Featured Poet for the intern (intern’s choice!)
The opportunity to socialize with visiting poets after the Friday events (usually spontaneous and irregular, but fabulous when it happens!)
A generous letter of recommendation when the internship is complete (reflecting the duties and excellence of the intern).
If interested, the intern may sit in on the occasional grant-writing and project-meetings with Planet Earth Poetry’s skilled and successful grant writers. This education will not only offer the intern grant-writing insight (and offer the secrets of the trade), but if there is skill and desire, the intern could potentially be assigned small portions of grant-writing duties, and contribute to Planet Earth Poetry’s applications. This is excellent and sought-after resume-building experience.
It’s an advantage if candidates:
have already attended at least one of Planet Earth Poetry’s Friday night events
enjoy working as part of a community, and delight in the fruits of teamwork
have a keen interest in poetry
enjoy social media and social events
have time to spare in their lives
We suggest that candidates subscribe to the Planet Earth Poetry weekly newsletter and peruse our website.
We also suggest they attend one of Planet Earth Poetry’s in-person events (or attend our Friday livestream, at the very least).
NOTE: This role would likely best suit a student enrolled in Creative Writing, English, Arts Management, or an emerging poet/writer who has time to volunteer with this iconic reading series.
BUT this role would likely NOT suit a full time student who also holds down a time-consuming job, or anyone who is struggling in their life in some way—we want all of our volunteers to feel joyful and at ease with regards to the hours they offer to Planet Earth Poetry. If you are unable to offer approximately 5 hours a week, but you’d like to learn about Planet Earth Poetry and be involved in a smaller way, then we warmly invite you to inquire about joining the PEP BEES. :)
Please email Kyeren with your application here
Your application should include:
a cover letter explaining why you would be an amazing volunteer-intern (Assistant to the Artistic Director)
a well-written and well-organized, easy-to-read resume
your social media link/s
a letter of recommendation from a literary arts professional or teacher/mentor/employer in a similar field
two references, contactable by email or phone (and if possible, with social media links)
APPLICATIONS OPEN June 15th and CLOSE July 15th
INTERVIEWS will take place online via Zoom in late July and early August
PLEASE NOTE: interviews may begin before the application period closes, and if a suitable candidate is found, the search may conclude before the application deadline
Applicants must be over 18 years of age
WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR APPLICATION!