Alex Ates

Director of Pre-K-12 Visual and Performing Arts

Westtown School | 2022-current  

(West Chester, PA)

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• David Mallery Fellow, devising podcast on the intersection of Quakerism and Arts

• Supervises 18 full-time and part-time Arts faculty members in the following programs: visual arts, dance, theater, theater design, instrumental music, choral music, woodworking, ceramics, digital art, digital music, advanced tutorials, and independent studies

• Created and coordinates Multidisciplinary Arts Deep Dive program 

• Created and coordinates spring Arts trip to Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. that engaged local artists and arts institutions  

• Devised off-campus immersion trip of the American South

• Oversees curriculum review process for Pre-K-12 Arts program 

• Implemented student opinion surveys for all upper school Arts courses

• Designed and implemented Safety and Supervision plan for arts facilities

• Developed theater-based EJB professional development opportunities

• Commissioned the development and incubation of four original plays by BIPOC playwrights 

  • The Caretakers by Noelle Viñas

  • Ellsworth by James Bartelle and Ayla Miller

  • Twelfth Night adaptation by James Bartelle

  • Most Fast and Break Things by Mark Gallarrita 

• Commissioned the guest artist residency of artist-educators from Teachers College, Columbia University and New York University

• Developed Cookbook of Theater Activities for virtual arts education

• Developed Story Slam program in Lower School

• Developed Storytelling and Performance course in Upper School

• Oversaw review of middle school grading procedures 

• Oversaw the acquisition of blanket music licensing for entire school 

• Supervised 15+ guest artist residencies

• Managed ~$120,000 in materials and guest artist/speaker budget 

• Collaborates with Advancement for Center for Living Arts phase three renovations

• Collaborates with Admissions for special Arts events for prospective students and families 

• Coordinated the donation of materials and ceramics arts to school’s permanent collection

• Commissioned and curated original exhibits celebrating school’s intersection of the arts and Quakerism (Art & Faith [2022] and Artists Teaching Kids / Kids Teaching Artists [2023])

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Director of Theater

Westtown School | 2020-current  

(West Chester, PA)

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• Teacher:

  • 2021-2022 Academic Year

    • Program Bulletin​

    • Elements of Theater

      • Elements of Theater I (syllabus)​

      • Elements of Theater II (syllabus)

    • Advanced Tutorial (syllabus)​

    • Creative Process

    • Acting

  • 2020-2021 Academic Year

    • Advanced Theater Topics​ 

      • Performing Society (syllabus)​

    • Elements of Theater 

      • Elements I (syllabus)​

      • Elements II (syllabus)

    • Acting Workshop (syllabus)

    • Creative Process

• Designer of Deep Dive in Multidisciplinary Arts

• Director

  • Productions listed below in Educational Production Directing Resumè

• Commissioned the new play The Caretakers by Noelle Viñas

  • Interview with Viñas in school newspaper​, The Brown and White

  • Process photos

  • Production photos

• Commissioned the new musical Ellsworth by James Bartelle and Ayla Miller
• based on the book by Jon Agee
  • Production photos
  • Process photos​

• Spiritual Life Committee, Senior Essay Committee, Nominating Committee

• Dorm affiliate

• Conceiver of Cookbook of Online Theater-Making

• Producer of Special Events:

  • You Can't Unring the Bell with The Verbatim Performance Lab at NYU ​

  • Healthful Narratives lecture with Shanaé Burch

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Education & Engagement Director

The NOLA Project  | 2014-2017  

(New Orleans, LA)

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• Director of The NOLA Project High School Intensive

• Director of Winter Intensive

• Facilitator and designer of audience education initiatives 

• Formed community collaborations with local schools, colleges, and centers

• Director

  • Productions listed below in Educational Production Directing Resumè

Theater Teacher

Lusher School | 2014-2017  

(New Orleans, LA)

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• Designing and implementing theater curriculum for 700+ students

• Mentor for new faculty members

• Arts-integration coaching cohort. 

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Graduate Teaching Assistant

The University of Alabama | 2017-2019 

(Tuscaloosa, AL)

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• Professor of Record: 

  • Introduction to Theater​ (syllabus)

  • Teaching Theater Performance (syllabus)

  • Beginning Directing (syllabus)

• Featured on Teaching Hub:

  • "Insights from Around the Nation"​

  • "Talking about Gender?"