The Philadelphia Orchestra – Saratoga Performing Arts Center Photo: Ch
Renowned for its distinctive sound, desired for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivaled legacy of “firsts” in music-making, The Philadelphia Orchestra remains one of the preeminent orchestras in the world.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director Photo: Chris Lee
The Volunteer Committees for The Philadelphia Orchestra are comprised of dynamic and devoted Orchestra enthusiasts who are dedicated to supporting the Orchestra in such areas as audience development, educational programs, fundraising, community relations, and special events. Volunteers have sponsored concerts, provided financial support to encourage young artists, raised funds to purchase tickets for students, and established funds for solo performances by the concertmaster and first-chair members of the Orchestra. Volunteers have also contributed to the expansion of the orchestral repertoire by underwriting several commissions of new works for the Orchestra throughout the years.
Want to learn more about volunteer opportunities? Fill out this form and click here.
The mission of The Village of Arts and Humanities is to support the voices and aspirations of the community through providing opportunities for self-expression rooted in art and culture. The Village inspires people to be agents of positive change through programs that encompass arts and culture, engage youth, revitalize community, preserve heritage and respect the environment.
From the Village of Arts and Humanities website:
“As an organization and as individuals:
We value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement and unwavering mutual respect.
We regard all the North Philadelphia community as our neighbors, partners, friends and colleagues.
We are committed to improving the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the people and the community as a whole.
We value art as a vehicle to create place, build self-esteem, and engender mutual respect. Art encompasses both the visual and performing arts as well as creativity in thinking, methodology and implementation.
We are committed to preserving the social and cultural heritage of the African American community in which we reside, while simultaneously fostering a sense of multiculturalism that reflects the needs of today’s culturally diverse community.
We embrace what society disdains and throws away, creating a new sense of possibility and hope in the community.
We believe that the strongest leadership is found within the community. Therefore, our programming supports and grows youth and adult residents into community leaders.”
Volunteering
Volunteers are integral to The Village’s programs. The Village of Arts and Humanities would love to hear from creative and reliable individuals who would like to serve as mentors to our teens, host workshops, visit as guest speakers or help staff events at The Village. To find out how you can get involved, visit http://barefootartists.org/projects/village/.
Overlooking one of the nation’s most culturally vibrant cities, the Philadelphia Museum of Art welcomes nearly a million visitors each year, encouraging them to embark upon a walk through time that extends across two millennia and six continents. As one of the largest museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites visitors from around the world to explore its renowned collections, acclaimed special exhibitions, and enriching programs, both in person and online.
The Museum has a strong tradition of support from volunteers of all ages. Currently, there are approximately 500 volunteers from all over the community working in nearly every department at the Museum, providing services to visitors and assisting the professional staff behind the scenes. It is an ideal way to make new friends while getting to know the inner workings of one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Museum Guide Program
Serve as a vital source of information on the Museum’s rich collections.
Park and House Guide Program Increase awareness of the historical treasures of the Park Houses while educating guests about early Pennsylvania history.
Departmental Volunteer Program
Assist administrative and curatorial departments with assignments that range from research and cataloging to clerical work.
The Write Club students reading National Geographic Kids’ Weird But True book together.
PhillySpells runs the Spells Writing Lab, a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that develops the creative and expository writing abilities of school-age children through free, fun, and imaginative writing programs and teacher development opportunities. From the PhillySpells website:
“At Spells, we believe that literacy is a cornerstone for future success, and that personalized attention and unconventional learning opportunities can inspire students to greater triumphs, both in the classroom and in life. To further these ends, we offer the following programs:
after-school drop-in tutoring
weekend writing workshops
in-school assistance with student publications
partnerships with non-profits
professional development opportunities for teachers
All of our programs are free, and many incorporate other artistic disciplines such as music, film, or the visual arts to inspire young writers.”
The cast and crew of Monster Madness, one of three silent films made during the summer writing camp.
—-Volunteer Opportunities—-
Whether you’re interested in becoming a tutor, a workshop leader, a lab assistant, or another kind of helper, the process begins when you submit our online volunteer application. On the form, be sure to indicate which volunteer orientation you’d like to attend. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted to confirm your orientation session.
Once you’re a trained Spells volunteer, you’ll recieve occasional emails letting you know what’s been going on at the lab, giving you additional training support, and listing upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Are you a graphic designer, artist, copyeditor, or publishing professional? Volunteer to help out with PhillySpells publications!
Spells Writing Lab offers in-school assistance for newspapers and literary magazines, which includes copyediting and layout. They also produce end-of-semester writing collections with tutoring students and occasionally need illustration or design expertise for writing workshops. (There are also opportunities for designers who would like to create promotional materials such as bookmarks, posters, and brochures.)
Whether you’ve been in the business for years, or are still in art school, you can use your art to make a difference. Sign up to be a Spells volunteer today!
EVENT PLANNERS & GRANT WRITERS
Do you absolutely love event planning? Are you interested in helping out during a fundraiser? Want to earn money for PhillySpells programs with your grant writing prowess? Spells could definitely use your help! Simply indicate your interest on our volunteer application or email fundraising@phillyspells.org.
Visiting the Insectarium for monster writing inspiration
For college students who would like to turn their volunteering into an educational experience and can commit at least 5–10 hours per week to our organization, we offer the Spells Writing Lab Internship.
As a Spells Writing Lab Program Intern, you will work one-on-one with young authors, guiding them through the writing process and helping them realize their full creative potential. Additional responsibilities include providing homework support to students in our after-school program, developing and presenting writing workshops or other educational programming, and assisting with volunteer management, community outreach, fundraising, or other areas of running a non-profit.
Design Interns will work closely with our programming director to help students with digital media projects such as animations, short films, and visual novels; manage the creation of chapbooks and other final projects during our writing workshops; capture and edit photos and video from our programs; and work with our staff to produce flyers, newsletters, event materials, and promotional materials as needed.
First Person Arts transforms the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experiences. We believe that everyone has a story to tell, and that sharing our stories connects us with each other and the world.
The Annual First Person Arts Festival is the only festival of its kind in the world, dedicated to memoir and documentary writing. Occurring in November, it features powerful personal stories from leading national artists and everyday people, as well as food programs, workshops, tours and panels. Volunteers help before the festival to get the word out, and during the festival with ushering, ticket sales and production.
Volunteers and interns are essential members of the First Person Arts community. Throughout the year, they help with marketing, development, programming, and other First Person Arts needs.
The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania believes in the power of art and artists to inform and inspire. The ICA is free for all to engage and connect with the art of our time.
Former BMC students have interned at ICA, which offers internships in several departments including Curatorial, Business Office, Development, Marketing and Communications, Programming and Technical.
The Curatorial department at ICA researches and organizes upcoming exhibitions; produces exhibition catalogues; manages the travel of exhibitions; and collaborates with other departments on developing public programming and press materials. Curatorial interns will gain valuable experience with the workings of a contemporary art institution by assisting the department with a variety of tasks that include: research exhibition themes and artist’s bibliographies; maintain curatorial databases and archives; sending out exhibition publications; assisting with artist submissions; managing ICA’s library; and responding to inquiries about past exhibitions. Experience with Photoshop is a plus.
Musicopia is a nonprofit organization that works with approximately 100 of the Philadelphia region’s professional musicians to present a wealth of music education programs. Musicopia is also the leading advocate for restoring and improving in-school music instruction throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.
Musicopia has a variety of volunteer opportunities, including:
