Tacoma Arts Live

Lead Box Office Representative

November 2021 • Tacoma, WA

What I liked

Tacoma Arts Live is an amazing workplace. Everyone is incredibly friendly and kind, and better yet, extremely skilled and knowledgeable in their professions. It is a great foot in the door for understanding what an office environment is like, yet still being able to interact with patrons and help folks out. There is always a new event or show going on, so the work never becomes dull. There are always interesting problems to tackle or fun experiences to be had. Even when things are hectic, the people that work here are communicative, helpful, and know how to ease tense situations. I deeply appreciate everyone. Also, putting on shows inside historic buildings such as the Tacoma Armory and Pantages theatre is pretty cool too.

What I wish was different

I wish we had an even greater variety of shows so that I could work at them more and get that show night interaction!

Advice

Your coworkers are ready to communicate and work with you, so do not be afraid to ask for help! Everyone is trying to complete the same goal of putting on amazing shows, making patron's happy, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Someone will always be there to help and be eager to do so. Know that you are never on your own at this organization.

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Arts Education Intern

July 2020 • Tacoma, WA

What I liked

I liked working with creative and energetic kids every day, gaining more depth in my own knowledge about the performing arts, and customizing my experience to my skill set and interests. The staff who hired me are very caring people who cultivate a friendly and supportive environment.

What I wish was different

I would not make a change to the program itself, but because of COVID the role was mostly limited to virtual capabilities, with few opportunities to work onsite. Obviously, in normal circumstances, I would have loved to engage with the students in person, and provide support for projects around the office and theater.

Advice

My strongest piece of advice would be: Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Even in creative fields, we can get bogged down trying to maintain practices that are traditionally done because they seem effective. I have learned, especially as we worked to make digital learning as engaging as possible, is that your own creativity and resourcefulness is needed. Kids learn in many different ways, and your own unique approach will probably be more exciting and relevant than the tried-and-true methods. If you have an original idea, as silly as it may seem, it's worth talking about it with your coworkers or researching on your own to develop a new activity to bring into the classroom.

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