Call for Artists: Creative Writer & Mentor
Juthoor: Roots Growing Voices, An Al-Bustan After School Program
About the Program
Juthoor: Roots Growing Voices is a new after-school program for high school students in Philadelphia rooted in the belief that place is a teacher. Named for the Arabic word for “roots,” Juthoor is part of Al-Bustan (“the garden”) and is built on the idea that young people grow strongest when they understand what they’re rooted in: land, lineage, language, and community. We are looking for a creative writer whose work and scholarship is grounded in Arab cultural ecology, broadly defined. We are looking for someone who has reflected on modern Arab identity at home or abroad, or who is well-versed in classic or contemporary Arab literary production, or who has any experience working with Arab literary forms and structures.
This is not a class on the Arabic language, or that is exclusive for Arabs or by Arabs. It’s a practice of cultural fusion: to incorporate Arab arts and culture into artistic production in the U.S., executed here with high school students in Philadelphia. We want a creative writer who can guide students in finding their own voice: how to name an idea and how to describe it in the written form.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a creative writer who has experience in creative writing:
For either academic or public readership.
That is published in academic, or journalistic, or blogging platforms.
Who have reflected on Arab experiences or utilized Arab literary forms. Artists should be able to bring that context into the room as a living reference point for students, not a historical footnote.
Experience working with teenagers is valued but not required. What matters most is curiosity, patience, and a genuine desire to mentor, to let students find their own questions rather than handing them answers.
Culminating Event
At the close of the academic year, Juthoor students will present a final performance and exhibition at each school, created in collaboration with three other artist mentors working in different disciplines. This teaching artist will help shape how Arab-infused, environmental, place-based work developed over the year comes together with movement, sound, writing, or performance from the other mentors’ practices into a single shared showing for family, faculty, and community.
Responsibilities
Co-design and lead a sequence of after-school sessions (20 sessions) that introduce students to creative writing and the power of the written forms.
Bring your own practice into the room: students should see how you think, observe, and make.
Take students outdoors when possible; treat the surrounding neighborhood, park, garden, or waterway as a working environment.
Mentor students individually as they develop their own idea and produce it in writing.
Collaborate with the three other artist mentors (across disciplines) to plan and stage a culminating performance/exhibition at each school at the close of the academic year.
Support students in producing work for that culminating showing.
Collaborate with program staff on curriculum, logistics, and student support.
Maintain a safe, welcoming, and low-pressure creative environment.
Qualifications
Demonstrated record or scholarship of creative writing and production.
Familiarity with contemporary Arab world art and culture.
Comfort working with high school–aged students (14–18).
Willingness to teach both indoor and outdoor sessions.
Alignment with Juthoor’s values: curiosity, care for land and community, and art as a form of attention.
Deadline to apply: October 30th, 2026
Program dates: November 9, 2026 – May 10, 2027, (teaching lessons); May 24, 2027 – May, 31 2027 (exhibition production/ presentation)
Location: On-site at partner schools, Philadelphia, PA
Compensation: $5800 ($240 per session plus $750 presentation honorarium) paid in monthly installments @ the hourly rate of $160.-
Time commitment: 20 sessions plus exhibition/ performance prep and presentation at two schools
How to Apply
Please send the following to jobs@albustanseeds.org :
A short letter (1 page or less) describing your own work and why this program interests you.
A resume featuring relevant experience in creative writing.
Relevant teaching, mentorship, or community experience.
We especially welcome applicants who are local to Philadelphia and/or hold cultural or ancestral ties to the land where the program takes place, as well as artists with roots in or deep connection to the Arab world.
Questions? Reach out to Education Manager, Ahmad Al-Sholi, ahmad@albustanseeds.org
Juthoor: Roots Growing Voices is committed to building a program that reflects the diversity of the community it serves. Artists of all backgrounds, disciplines, and experience levels are encouraged to appl