Education at The Works - PAID SUMMER Internships
Works to Work Summer Internship
The Works Art & Design Festival’s Works to Work (W2W) Program accepts applications from students and emerging professionals looking for positions in the art and design field. Combining in class and hands-on mentorship, Works to Work interns are directly involved in the delivery of The Works Art & Design Festival presentations. On this page, find current openings, program information, and application instructions.
Applications are now open for The Works to Work paid summer internship—a one-of-a-kind leadership and professional development program for emerging arts professionals.
To submit an application, complete the application form here.
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Students and graduates of visual art and design programs, marketing, communications, public relations, and arts and cultural management programs.
Students in related fields (museums, theatre production, heritage, recreation, etc.).
Emerging artists interested in building and expanding their careers.
Tradespeople with carpentry experience seeking creative settings to apply their skills.
Persons considering a career in arts and culture.
Persons committed to learning with a desire to share and develop their skills in art preparation, event coordination, program delivery, marketing and communications, and/or festival production.
Works to Work participants may apply to return summer after summer, moving from Assistant > Coordinator > Supervisor > Lead Supervisor levels in their department, gaining additional responsibilities and leadership skills along the way.
As a work-education program, training, team-building, and mentoring sessions are a part of the internship to support capacity building and skill development. We follow a “popular education” approach, where the skills and experiences of participants inform our learning as a team. Teachers and learners aren’t two distinct groups – instead, we all enter the space open to learning and prepared to contribute.
If you are a student seeking a spring/summer practicum and have questions about whether the Works to Work Summer Internship may be a good match for your program requirements, send inquiries to education@theworks.ab.ca -
Bring artists’ visions to life! Working in a team, undertake the physical aspects of public exhibits and installations including venue preparation, artwork handling, install & dismantle, basic construction techniques, resource management, inventories, and special projects. Assist with daily site operations and maintenance and engage patrons as a public face of the festival during peak programming.
Familiarity with hand tools, power tools, and basic construction are considered assets. Carpentry experience is considered a strong asset. The ability to conduct physically demanding labour is required for this role, including but not limited to lifting and moving objects, using hand and power tools, painting walls, and using ladders.
Full-time (30-40 hrs/week), in-person work from May to August.
Flexible schedule required to respond to program requirements, including some evening and weekend work.
Hourly wage: $17/hr
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Develop and implement public and media outreach strategies including: publicity, communications, social media, and professional writing responsibilities. Collect and compile metrics for organizational reporting and assist with events coordination.
Strong professional writing skills and comfort in communication are necessary in this role. Experience in graphic design, photography, and video editing are considered strong assets.
Full-time (30-40 hrs/week), in-person work from May to August.
Flexible schedule required to respond to program requirements, including some evening and weekend work.
Hourly wage: $17/hr
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Assist with the design of marketing collateral, using technical and aesthetic skills to effectively apply a festival campaign to various print and web outputs. The Designer may work closely with the Marketing Team to design social media content, festival and exhibit signage, and other festival communication and scheduling documents.
Graphic design and technical skills with Adobe Creative Suite are necessary in this role. Photography, video editing, and web design skills are considered strong assets.
Full-time (30-40 hrs/week), in-person work from May to August.
Flexible schedule required to respond to program requirements, including some evening and weekend work.
Hourly wage: $17/hr
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Administer and document festival presentations including contracts, insurance, communications, registration, reporting, and archiving. Additional Curatorial responsibilities include research, exhibit interpretation, audience development, and artwork handling.
Strong professional writing skills are necessary in this role. Ideal applicants will have strong skills in written and verbal communication, organization, and time management. Skills with Office 365 (especially Microsoft Excel) and experience with Squarespace and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) are considered assets. Experience in artwork handling, administration, and grant reporting are considered assets. Working closely with the Production Team to install and dismantle exhibits, this role can involve physical labour including but not limited to lifting and moving objects, using hand and power tools, painting walls, and using ladders.
Full-time (30-40 hrs/week), in-person work from May to August.
Flexible schedule required to respond to program requirements, including some evening and weekend work.
Hourly wage: $17/hr
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Recruit, orient, schedule, and develop event and appreciation programs for volunteers of The Works Art & Design Festival. Maintain up-to-date databases of contacts and professional communication with donors, recruitment sources, and volunteers. The Volunteer Team ensures the smooth running of volunteer headquarters during the festival.
The Volunteer Administration Assistant works in a dynamic team environment where interpersonal skills, cooperation, and communication are imperative. Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills are required for this role. Time management, scheduling, and conflict resolution skills are considered strong assets. Demonstrated commitment to volunteering and previous management experience are considered assets.
Full-time (30-40 hrs/week), in-person work from May to August.
Flexible schedule required to respond to program requirements, including some evening and weekend work.
Hourly wage: $17/hr
For further information OR QUESTIONS, contact education@theworks.ab.ca
Photo: W2W Production Interns assisting artist Blaine Campbell with the installation of Transcendence Engine 2021-a for The Works: Activated presentation in Churchill Square.
The Places Internship Program
The Art & Design in Public Places program offers positions ranging from three months to a full year. Open to any student or recent graduate of an arts & design education program, The Places Internships use on-the-job training, mentoring, and hands-on experience to help the intern develop critical business and arts administration skills such as: project management, administration, event management, marketing, and audience development.
Past Places interns have worked with professional and emerging artists, designers and architects as well as government and corporate sponsors to stage permanent artworks throughout Edmonton, including graffiti murals, large-scale sculptures, interactive kinetic sculptures, mosaic murals, and sculptural banners. Participating in The Places’ collaborations between artists, community, government and corporations prepares the intern for a successful career in Canada’s thriving arts and cultural management field.
Learn More about the Works to work experience on The Works Blog:
Participants can choose their own paths through the text-based program, which alternates between critical exploration of the world of art writing, opportunities for writing practice and reading other participants’ responses, and more traditional role-playing game elements (drawing parallels between outlet malls and art institutions). The program also features video contributions by artists and writers Sanaa Humayun and Preston Pavlis reading selections from their writing and sharing advice.