Yes. Although it seems like quite a bit of work, your profiles as Artist and Educator each serve a unique function on CommonTime. Many Educators are also great teaching Artists and vice versa, but whether you are looking to hire an Artist or be hired as an Artist depends on the account you use to book a session. Please note that you cannot use the same email to register multiple CommonTime accounts. If you would like to make multiple CommonTime accounts, you will need multiple email addresses.

Yes. Artists vetted on the website are either very established, are becoming established, or are in the first prominent stages of their careers. An Artist needs to have experience working with students and Educators. The Artist must be highly organized, articulate and easy to work with.

Registering with CommonTime is free and easy. On our home page click on “Artist” at the top of the page or on the Artist image. Please fill in all fields carefully. If you don't want to register all at once, you can return to the registration process anytime. The registration autosaves after each full page has been completed. Your profile picture, videos, CV, and references should be current and up to date. Please see the tutorial provided on our home page.

The registration autosaves after each full page has been completed. When you return to the platform you will be redirected automatically to complete your registration. You must complete all steps of the registration process to become discoverable.

CommonTime staff reviews each applicant and the information they have provided and contacts references. The vetting process occurs only when your registration is complete. If your registration is complete but some of the content doesn't showcase your talent and expertise, then CommonTime will notify you with a suggestion to improve your profile as part of the Acceptance Policy.

CommonTime aims to vett Artists within 48 hours. The process may take longer should a reference not respond within that time frame. When you have been accepted, you will receive a notification and your profile will become active.

The cancellation policy for Artists and Educators is a minimum 48 hours notice. Cancellation requires that the Artist and Educator attempt to reschedule with one another. In the event that the Artist in question is not available at another time or date, the Educator may schedule a different Artist. The original Artist may refer another Artist. Please see the cancellation policy here.

In order to receive payment, you will need to have a Stripe or Paypal account. CommonTime uses Stripe and PayPal for payment transfers. You can manage your payments through the My Account page.

CommonTime's standard booking fee is 15% of the lesson price. Please take this into account when setting your rates. Artists can reduce their booking fees through our referral program. When you use a referral code to register with CommonTime as an artist, the booking fee for your first lesson is 10% of your lesson price. As a registered artist, each time someone uses your referral code to sign up with CommonTime the booking fee for your next lesson is reduced to 7.5% of your lesson price.

If the Educator did not cancel within 48 hours of the lesson, the Artist will still be paid. It is recommended that the Artist contact the Educator and request CommonTime's support if the scheduled lesson is not attended, or technical issues interfere with the scheduled session. Please contact CommonTime at support@commontime.online.

If the Artist has not rescheduled a lesson, and does not appear for the scheduled session, please contact CommonTime at support@commontime.online. We will facilitate a rescheduling of the session.

As part of the registration process, you can set your own prices for the sessions you will provide. You can change your lesson prices at any time in the Rates & Offers tab in My Account.

Yes. If you feel that the prices you have listed are either too high or too low for a specific session, you may negotiate a price that is agreeable to both parties.

All parties want the students to have a great learning experience. You accept an offer if it is a good fit.

Registration is free for all users.

Your profile is created during the registration process. Once registration is complete, you can change or update your profile through the My Account page.

If the Educator hasn't responded, try sending a follow-up message. If a response is needed urgently, such as before an upcoming session, please notify us at support@commontime.online.

You may contact us with the note “specialization not listed” and we can add it to our list. Please contact us at support@commontime.online.

Your lesson may only be recorded if you have given your consent to be recorded in your agreement with the Educator. If you did not click the box labelled “I consent to have the lesson recorded,” any recording is in direct violation of CommonTime's Privacy Policy.

You can give your consent to the Educator that they may record the session. If you wish to record the lesson for your own purpose, both parties must be in agreement by clicking on the box labelled “I consent to have the lesson recorded.”

The information that you want to show on your Profile page should be reflected in your SHORT and concise video. We recommend that it be between 30 seconds and 3 minutes in length. Make it your Elevator Pitch. Your opening statement. Your WOW factor. Additional suggestions:

• Record yourself in a great space
• Your full body and face should be clearly seen
• If you are a Visual Artist, your exhibition/art works should be clearly displayed
• Have excellent lighting
• Look professional and fabulous!
• Introduce yourself, what you do, and where you are
• Demonstrate all of the languages you speak
• List all of your specializations
• Give your Artist statement
• Close with an engaging statement

Registering with CommonTime is free and easy. On our home page click on “Educator” at the top of the page or on the Educator image. Please fill in all fields carefully. If you don't want to register all at once, you can return to the registration process anytime. The registration autosaves after each full page has been completed. Your profile picture, videos, CV, and references should be current and up to date. You must complete the registration before you can chat with Artists on the platform. Please see the tutorial provided on our home page.

An Educator can register on behalf of their classroom, but not on behalf of their school. If you want to register an entire school you will need to sign up for an Educational Institution Membership. With an Educational Institution Membership, up to 20 Educators can use a login code to book sessions for their classes and students. School memberships offer substantial savings and benefits. Please see our Membership section for more information.

Up to 20 Educators can be part of an Educational Institution Membership. Please see our Membership section for more information.

Please refer to our Membership section.

Registering with CommonTime is free and easy. On our home page click on “Arts Organization” at the top of the page or on the Arts Organization image. Please fill in all fields carefully. If you don't want to register all at once, you can return to the registration process anytime. The registration autosaves after each full page has been completed. Your logo, videos, and events should be current and up to date. You must complete the registration before you can chat with Artists on the platform. Through CommonTime, an Arts Organization can search for Artists for outreach sessions as well as sell events. Please see the tutorial provided on our home page.

A Virtual Subscription series is the virtual outreach programming from an Arts Organization. Students watch a video of a performance or presentation that is based on the Organization's programming. Students, Educators, and outreach staff meet in an interactive workshop for one or more sessions. Outreach staff instruct students in skills and concepts related to the performance or presentation.

Performances and presentations may be Livestreamed or Pre-recorded, and workshop classrooms may be Fully Virtual or Semi Virtual. See below for more information.

Video types: Livestream or Pre-recorded

Livestream Performance: Broadcast live from the venue in real time, at a scheduled date and time.

Example: Watching a live opera from the Metropolitan Opera in real time.

Pre-recorded: Can be watched at any time, or within a given time frame as specified by the Arts Organization.

Example: Watching a recorded performance of The Nutcracker from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Workshop types: Fully Virtual or Semi Virtual

Fully Virtual: All students, Educator(s), and outreach staff meet virtually.

Example: A workshop teaches students acting, lip synching, and using your video camera and room as a stage.

Semi Virtual: All students are in the physical classroom with the Educator(s), and outreach staff present virtually.

Example: A two-lesson workshop involves costuming for dancers.

After booking, you will receive a link to your CommonTime message inbox and email. The link will only activate at the time and date of the booked session. The Artist initiates the lesson as the host, and the link will deactivate 15 minutes after the booked lesson has ended. There is extra time included in the lesson for all parties to make sure the link is working properly.

In a fully virtual session, with all participants online, the videos of up to 16 participants are visible at once. In sessions of more than 16 participants, any participants that are not currently visible will appear as icons at the bottom of the window. When a participant speaks, their video will become visible. For the best experience, we recommend that no more than 16 participants have their video and audio enabled simultaneously. A text-based chat feature is also available during the session. In a semi-virtual session, the presentation can be displayed to a classroom via SmartBoard or other presentation device.

Visiting Artist Classroom

A Visiting Artist Classroom lesson is an opportunity for a group of students to work with an artist for 1 to 5 hours. For educators in a physical classroom with a Smartboard, the suggested class size for this type of lesson is 20 students or fewer. For classes that are fully online, a maximum of 8 students is optimal for CommonTime’s gallery view. Lessons can be booked in a continuous block of time or can be separated into shorter time blocks that add up to the chosen length. The artist and educator can use the CommonTime chat feature to discuss curricular plans for their session.

Example: A Tabla Artist from India works with International Baccalaureate Diploma students on meter and rhythm analysis and performance, with a middle school grade 7 music class on the classifications and timbres of percussion drums, and with elementary music students on the different types of drums played across the world.

Master Class

A master class is an intensive lesson between an artist and a small group of up to 8 advanced students or emerging professionals. The goal of a master class is to work learners through the technique, presentation, or analysis of a craft, and engage deeply in the mastery of an art form. A master class is 3 hours; we recommend that this time block be divided into two sessions. The first lesson is a 2-hour master class between the learners and the artist. The second session, 1 to 2 weeks later, is a 1-hour follow-up in which the learners and the artist meet again to see how the participants have applied the guidance and feedback.

Example: A wax encaustic Visual Artist works with an emerging professional on a body of work, providing guidance and feedback and ensuring that the professional's technique is correct. The Artist checks in within 2 weeks to see how the emerging professional has applied the feedback and critique to their work.

Private Lesson

A private lesson is a 30- to 90-minute lesson between an artist and 1 to 2 learners, in which the artist teaches the technique of a craft.

Example: A lighting designer works directly with a single student on the use of gels.

Meet and Greet

A meet and greet is a short introductory lesson with an artist to help you decide if they are a good fit for you and your learners. This lesson type can also be used to familiarize yourself with our lesson interface.

We use Vonage for our video capabilities.

We use Vonage for our video capabilities because our platform depends on the best video and audio quality, most stable connection, and fastest streaming. We feel that Vonage is the safest and most secure platform for this purpose. Vonage is used by many Fortune 500 companies such as Allstate, Farmers, Firefly, and Gatehouse Media. For more information about Vonage, please visit www.vonage.com.

Vonage has 99.9% “uptime reliability.” “Building on our standard always-on encryption and GDPR-compliance capabilities, we offer a very broad range of advanced security, firewall-control, regional isolation, and compliance certification options.” -- www.vonage.com.

Go to search, find an Artist that fits your class, check their availability, and contact them. You may complete the booking after you have contacted the Artist. Should the Artist not be available at your desired time or date, choose another time or date, or another Artist will be suggested to you.

The time and date of a booked lesson can only change if all parties have agreed to the change.

You can do this by going to the My Account page and messaging the person directly.

If you are the Educator making the change, and the booked Artist can't accommodate your schedule change, you may select another Artist for that time/date. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy and Terms and Conditions.

Your video link includes extra time before your lesson for testing, as well as extra time after your lesson for wrap-up and to accomodate any technical issues. The Artist/Arts Organization and Educator should test the lesson link at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. If you need to test your link on a day outside of your scheduled session, please let us know by sending an email to support@commontime.online.

You may record the sessions or performances if both parties have consented to the recording. This must be done prior to the session. Educators should review their school's policy toward recording students before giving their consent. Recorded sessions are stored on the platform. You will receive the link after the completion of your session.

Please refer to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Should CommonTime use any recorded sessions it will be for marketing purposes with the consent of all parties involved.

For general questions and feedback: info@commontime.online

For technical support: support@commontime.online

For Membership and package questions: membership@commontime.online

For marketing and sales questions: marketing@commontime.online

There are different referral programs for Artists and Educators. Please see our Referral Program Policy here.

ARTIST:

• When MY referral code is used = 50% off booking fee
• When I use SOMEONE ELSE'S referral code to sign up = 10% off 1st booking fee

EDUCATOR:

• When MY referral code is used = 10% off future booking
• When I use SOMEONE ELSE'S referral code to sign up = 5% off future booking (1st booking full price) • one code per booking

ARTS ORGANIZATION:

• When MY referral code is used = 10% off booking fee
• When I use SOMEONE ELSE'S referral code to sign up = 5% off future booking (1st booking full price) • one code per booking

Referral codes can be used one time per user.

Becoming a Member, as an individual or institution, offers great discounts for booking single sessions and packages, as well as access to special promotions, webinars, and professional development.

Membership Benefits

• “Member since” feature on your profile
• Social media spotlight (on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) featuring pictures and videos of student interaction
• Members-only recognition program with access to special offers and promotions
• Substantial discounts on Artist fees and package deals
• Participation in webinars, workshops, and professional development

Non-members can receive discounts on packages, but will save less than a Member would.

Individuals - $100/year

Institution Membership (up to 20 Educators per Membership) - $350/year

Corporation (up to 100 Members) - $1000/year

A package is 3 or more sessions booked together. Packaged sessions can involve one classroom for one day, or multiple classrooms on different days.

Booking a package allows for diversity in your programming. You can easily book a single Artist for different classes, or you can book multiple Artists at once. When booking a package you get a discount.

Non-members can receive discounts on packages, but will save less than a member would.

Package savings for Members and non-members:

Members

• Save 10% on the cost of 3-5 sessions
• Save 15% on the cost of 5 or more sessions

Non-members

• Save 5% on the cost of 3-5 sessions
• Save 10% on the cost of 5 or more sessions

Yes. Once you have selected one Artist, you can save them to your cart and continue searching for and adding other Artists.

You can mix and match any of the lesson types in a package. A package can include three of the same lesson or a combination of different sessions.

Your payment, as well as your payment details, are secure through SSL data encryption and authentication.

Educator payment.

The Educator pays for the session. CommonTime holds the amount until both parties have agreed to the lesson time and date. Upon confirmation, the payment is made.

Artist payment.

The Artist is paid within 7 days upon successful completion of the session. Payments are processed through Stripe and Paypal.

If you have more than one account on CommonTime (Artist and Educator) please ensure you are signing into the correct account. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset your password and we'll send a link to your registered email. For further queries, please contact us at support@commontime.online.

If you are unable to chat with the Artist through your account, please contact support@commontime.online.

Artists are encouraged to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours. If you have not heard from the Artist within that time frame, you may opt to send them another chat or search for a different Artist.

Within your registration ensure you have chosen your time zone. When you are booking an Artist, the Artist's schedule is automatically converted to your time zone. If you have questions about scheduling an Artist, please contact us at info@commontime.online.

You can view our terms and conditions here.

We understand that technology doesn't always work perfectly. If you encounter technical issues while using CommonTime, you may reschedule your sessions without penalty. For more information, please review our cancellation and refund policy.