Department of Theatre, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design, York University (Toronto)
Indigenous Theatre and Performance Studies

Deadline: October 1, 2018

The Department of Theatre in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) invites applications for a tenure-track professorial-stream appointment in Indigenous Theatre and Performance Studies at the Assistant Professor level from outstanding Aboriginal (Indigenous) candidates (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit). The position will commence July 1, 2019. All positions at York University are subject to budgetary approval. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

One of North America’s leading schools for the arts, AMPD offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Art History and Visual Culture, Cinema and Media Arts Dance, Design, Digital Media, Music, Theatre, Theatre and Performance Studies, and Visual Arts. http://ampd.yorku.ca/ 

The successful candidate will be a scholar and/or artist-scholar with an original, innovative, and high quality research program with an emphasis on Indigenous/First Nations/First Peoples Theatre and Performance Studies, with the capacity to contribute to the development of the University’s academic and research programs. The successful candidate will hold a PhD (or near completion) or PhD equivalent (typically an MFA/MA with a substantial record of professional experience in theatre and performance studies). Candidates should show excellence or the promise of excellence in teaching at the college or university level and in scholarly research and publication in the area of performance and Indigenous/First Nations/First Peoples Theatre and Performance Studies. We are especially eager to attract candidates conversant in the performance histories of Indigenous peoples in Turtle Island (North America) with close ties to, and experience in, working with Indigenous communities. We also welcome applications from candidates with research expertise in Indigenous performance across the Americas and in other global contexts. Areas of research, creation, and teaching may include one or more of the following: Indigenous Performance Practices; Indigenous Theatre/Performance and Decolonization; Indigenous Storytelling; Theatre and Performance Creation (including Devised Theatre) Hemispheric/Global Indigenous Performance Cultures; The Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Critical Pedagogy/Applied Theatre/Ethnography, and Indigenous Communities; Indigenous Activism and Protest. 

The candidate must be suitable for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to teach core (lecture) and elective (seminar) courses in the history and practice of theatre and/or performance studies at the undergraduate and graduate level, to develop new curriculum in the area of Indigenous theatre and/or performance, and to participate actively in the department’s research culture. The candidate should demonstrate the potential for research excellence through top tier publications and research funding. Candidates with experience in practice-based, interdisciplinary, and/or ethnographic research are strongly encouraged to apply. Pedagogical innovation in high priority areas such as experiential education and technology enhanced learning is an asset. 

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 280 leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 

York University is situated on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation; the University also acknowledges other Indigenous nations who have longstanding relationships with this territory, such as the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis nations. York is committed to fostering understanding and respect for and connections with Indigenous communities; and the University is working to support the recruitment and success of Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students, the integration of Indigenous cultures, approaches and perspectives into curricular offerings and research, collaboration with Indigenous communities, and recruitment and retention of Indigenous faculty and staff.

York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community. The AA program, which applies to Aboriginal people, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and women, can be found at http://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/ or by calling the AA office at 416-736-5713. 

Consistent with its fundamental commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to promote the recruitment and appointment of Indigenous faculty members and librarians to tenure stream positions, the University invites applications from qualified Indigenous candidates for this position. 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents and Indigenous peoples in Canada will be given priority.

The deadline for the receipt of completed applications is October 1, 2018. Applicants should submit their application package including a letter of application, a detailed CV, a statement of contribution to research and teaching, links to scholarly and/or creative work, and three letters of reference via email to Mary Pecchia at mpecchia@yorku.caApplicants wishing to self-identify can do so by downloading, completing and submitting the form found at: http://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/ .