Sidmouth Volunteer Teams 2024
Admin: Admin Office
28th July – 3rd Aug
Or 2nd Aug- 9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
A small team who work with the Festival General Manager to
provide accurate and timely financial data before and during the Festival.
Liaise with all areas of the Festival via Team Leaders and Deputies. For this
role, experienced Sidmouth Festival-goers are desirable. Experience in
banking/accountancy/mathematics plus a sense of humour and a willingness to be
flexible around the needs of the job is helpful.
Venue: All Saints and St Teresa’s Church Halls
3rd -9th Aug
Approx. 18 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
These are indoor venues close together within the town,
mainly dance workshops, evening dances and some evening family events. Team member’s tasks include staffing fire
exits, cleaning between events, checking and selling tickets. Experience – Good
customer skills and a happy disposition.
Venue: Anchor Gardens
2nd-9th Aug
Approx. 7 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Anchor team consists of one venue manager who is on call
throughout the week as well as having scheduled shifts, and 6 stage managers.
It is an outdoor venue that has a capacity on 550 customers. Stage managers are
required to keep all fire exits clear, assist bands entrance and exit to the
venue and stage, introduce bands, deliver health and safety announcements, time
management to ensure bands are on and off stage on time, run interference for
the sound team, move chairs/tables/benches between events, check attendee
numbers, collecting donations. The venue manager has the same responsibilities
along with liaising with the pub staff and security, making the ‘tough calls’,
organising changes/replacements to the line-up.
Artist Housekeeping
2nd -10th Aug
Approx. 4 Volunteers Required (Priority given to
returning/regular volunteers and chosen by Tash Daly)
Variable Hours see below
4 volunteers are required to help facilitate the
self-catering accommodation for artists by making beds and delivering towels at
the beginning of the week and collecting bedding and towels on Friday 9th and
Saturday 10th Aug. Some bed changes may also be needed mid-week. Own
transport an advantage as accommodation is often out of town.
Artists Liaison
1st -9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required (Priority given to
returning/regular volunteers. New volunteers to this team to be confirmed by
Tash Daly)
Minimum Hours 35+
The Artist Liaison Team is responsible for keeping the
programme running as planned and on time and making sure the artists are looked
after, where they should be and generally happy. Part of the team roves all the
concert and ceilidh venues checking all is well, passing on information and
dealing with artists’ needs including drinks, food and general assistance.
There are also team members at the Bulverton and the Ham Marquee working
alongside the technical and venue management teams and the MCs to keep the
events running smoothly. All Artist Liaison members work closely with the
Artistic Administrator and the Artistic Director. The role gives the
opportunity to work at the artistic centre of the festival and requires good
people skills, a reasonable knowledge of the folk scene and preferably of
Sidmouth Folk Festival. Hours are variable and negotiable, usually confirmed at
the start of the festival.
Admin: Artists Reception
30th July-9th Aug
Approx. 15 Volunteers Required (Priority given to returning/regular
volunteers. New volunteers to this team to be confirmed by Tash Daly)
Minimum Hours 35
This team is based at the festival’s admin centre at
Sidmouth Primary School and is responsible for meeting and greeting artists as
they arrive at the festival and dealing with their queries through the week.
This involves dealing with festival passes, camping wristbands, meal vouchers,
and vehicle passes etc. and generally helping the artists navigate the
festival. There will be three team leaders drawn from more experienced members
of the team and all will be supported by the festival’s Artistic administrator.
Artists arrive from Wednesday 31st July, most shifts are from
Thursday 1st Aug onwards. The artist Reception is open from 9am to
10pm each day(with an early finish Friday 9th)
Admin: Artistic Pre-Festival Admin
29th July- 2nd Aug
Approx. 3 Volunteers Required (Priority given to
returning/regular volunteers. New volunteers to this team to be confirmed by
Tash Daly)
Minimum Hours 35
A small team who work to help set up the Artist Reception,
tickets and associated photocopying and signage that needs to be done before
the festival, usually on the Monday 29th July and Tuesday 30th
July, as well as assist on Artist Reception from Wednesday 31st
July.
Artists Liaison Transport
2th -9th Aug
Approx. 6 Volunteers Required (Priority given to
returning/regular volunteers. New volunteers to this team to be confirmed by
Keith Budd or Tash Daly)
Minimum Hours 35
This team operates as part of the Artists Liaison across all
venues within the festival. Responsible for collecting and returning artists
from station or airport and between their accommodation and the venue that they
are performing, and assisting the accommodation team with moving linen and
towels around the town. There are no fixed hours to the work, however the team
members can expect to work an average of 4 hours a day (some days could be
more). Hours are variable and negotiable, usually confirmed at the start of the
Festival when artist travel plans are fixed.
The vehicles used are a minibus and team members own
vehicles. Experience required for Transport Team – for those driving the
minibus – a clean driving licence with D1 category. For those driving their own
vehicle, they should have insurance enabling them to drive for business
purposes.
Venue: Betsy’s Lounge
2th -9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
6 x 4 hour shifts (23:30-03:30)
Total of 24 hours
Betsy’s Lounge is attached to the Bulverton marquee. After
the last band has finished, it changes into the late-night chill-out area where
acoustic music can be played.
This volunteer role is aimed at anyone who wants to do their
shifts later each evening so allowing them to enjoy the festival during the
day/evening. It requires the volunteers
to take over from the Bulverton team, work on fire doors/exits and litter pick
within the venue.
Volunteers are only required to do 24hours in return for a
week’s festival pass or one day pass for each shift.
This role also entitles volunteers to a free festival bus
pass
Blackmore/Bulverton Bar
2nd -10th Aug
Approx. 50 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Blackmore/Bulverton Bar – Set up, run and dismantle bar in
Blackmore/Bulverton Marquee. (Volunteers are specifically chosen by bar Manager
– do not apply for this role unless you know you are part of this specific
team)
Venue: Blackmore Dance Marquee & Gardens
3rd -9th Aug
Approx. 20 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
This area has a Marquee venue within the gardens and is
situated in the centre of town, and has dance workshops, displays and
ceilidhs. Team members’ tasks include
Staffing fire exits, cleaning between events, checking and selling tickets, The
role also includes supervising events and gates in the gardens themselves.
Experience – Good customer skills, venue and crowd management
Venue: Bulverton Venue
2nd -10th Aug
Approx. 30 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
This is a late-night venue and can be very busy at times due
to the calibre of bands performing. During the day it is predominately a
workshop venue. Responsibilities are with the day to day running of the venue
including car park. Car park duties are directing and parking cars, greeting
people, selling car parking tickets and bus passes, handling money. This is an
indoor/outdoor role. The venue roles vary from being responsible for fire exits
and backstage gates. Front of house on the door involves checking ticket,
selling tickets, and counting members of the public in and out. Roaming
stewards in the venue are responsible for overseeing generally and reporting
any issues to team leaders. All stewards are expected to tidy the venue before
and after events. Stewards may be
required to use a radio. NB Very late-night shifts have been removed from this
team and the last shift now finishes at midnight.
This role includes a free bus pass.
Bulverton Car Park
31st July -9th Aug
Approx. 8 Volunteer Team Leaders Required
Minimum 17.5 hours
Bulverton Car Park – Dedicated Car Park Team Leaders to
manage the car park, the volunteers and the customers. It will be an outside
position based in the festival car park in the field next to the Bulverton
Marquee, so appropriate clothing will be required. Tickets and floats to be
collected from the Bulverton before the start of the morning shift and returned
to the Bulverton Manager at the end of the day. For additional support please
liaise with the Bulverton Manager.
This role includes a free bus pass.
Campsite Box Office
30th July-9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Campsite Box office involves checking pre-booked ticket
confirmations & issuing the correct Festival passes & wristbands. We also take cash payments for Festival
passes, camping, programmes etc. and deal with ticketing enquiries. We are very busy from the Wednesday before
the festival starts until the Sunday after which time it generally gets
quieter. There are usually 4 people
working at busy times reducing to 2 as required.
This role entitles volunteers to a free festival bus pass.
Venue: Children’s Festival
3rd -9th Aug
Approx. 30 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Volunteers will join a team which supports events for
children and families. They will not be required to deliver workshops or events
but to support the artists and workshop leaders who have been booked for this.
Tasks are varied although generally volunteers work within the same venue (the
Children’s Festival has several) and the same time slots each day throughout
the week. The Children’s Festival programme events run morning, afternoon, and
early evening. Volunteers who work within the Children’s Festival are expected
to relate well to children but equally so with adults/parents/carers. They need
to be flexible and have a ‘can do approach’. Another very important area of
Volunteering in the Children’s Festival is having people who are happy to be
out in Peacock Lawn talking with families and most importantly collecting. Most
Children’s Festival Volunteers also help out with the Children’s Festival
during the Torchlight Procession.
Collections
2nd – 9th Aug
Approx. 20 Volunteers Required.
Minimum Hours 28
The volunteer collections team members provide a vital role
in helping to boost festival income. Collectors visit several locations in the
town including Blackmore Gardens, the Anchor Garden, Market Square and the
Esplanade, collecting donations from visitors and festival goers at free
events, processions, informal events including street theatre and music
performances, dance displays and outdoor ceilidhs. Collectors are mobile and go
where things are happening! It’s a great way of finding out what’s happening
around the festival. Some collectors work in tandem. There are morning,
afternoon and tea-time shifts, and some volunteers run the office. We avoid
early starts and late finishes. Collecting starts on Saturday, although if some
volunteers can start on Friday, that would be great! All collectors get the
opportunity to be a part of the last night Torchlight Procession. This is a
friendly team, whose members’ contributions are very much valued.
Festival Box Office
29th July-9th Aug
Approx. 15 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
This role involves checking pre-booked ticket confirmations
and issuing the correct Festival Passes and event tickets. We also sell
Festival passes, event tickets, camping, programmes etc. and deal with
ticketing and other enquiries. The festival Box Office is open 11 hours each
day and has different peaks and troughs throughout the two-week period.
Desired skills – Excellent customer facing skills, a good
knowledge of the town and festival, working within a team and answering phone
enquiries. At peak times a calm, level head is required as it can be very busy.
Festival Campsite
30th July-11th Aug
Approx. 35 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
The festival campsite is situated just out of town. During
the folk week it is serviced by a circular bus route to the town centre. The
campsite team welcome and site campers into the right areas of the campsite
(general, campervans/caravan, accessible etc) Check wristbands and passes on
the gates, make sure fire lanes are kept clear. Answer any customer questions
and manage any problems that arise appropriately, calling for help if required.
It is a very friendly team with campsite managers on hand at all times.
This role entitles volunteers to a free festival bus pass
Venue: Kennaway Cellar
2nd-9th Aug
Approx. 20 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
The volunteer team assist in managing queues, ticket
checking, setting the room, both afternoons and evenings, moving chairs and
tables plus liaising with the festival technical team and Kennaway manager and
staff. Kennaway is a small venue and can be very popular so keeping track of
queue numbers is important to minimise customer disappointment if a ‘full house’
has to be called.
Venue: Manor Pavilion & Arts Centre
3rd-9th Aug
Approx. 20 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
This is a venue with several rooms within it and has
concerts in the theatre, and a variety of events in the arts centre. There are
also workshops and sessions within the building. Experience required checking
tickets, selling tickets, managing the queues including managing sold-out
events, setting up the rooms, cleaning between events, greeting performers and
MCs and being aware of health and safety requirements.
Merchandise
2th -9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Merchandise Team – To sell official Folk Festival
Merchandise. Looking after 2 outlets (Blackmore
Gardens and The Ham) Friday to Friday inclusive. To interact with the public
and potential customers visiting the stand. To take an active interest in the
merchandise, upsell wherever possible, take a pride in the display of goods.
Accurate record keeping of sales and handling of money. Reliability and
honesty. Pleasant friendly welcoming disposition.
Venue: Methodist Complex
2nd -9th Aug
Approx. 25 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Managing up to 4 simultaneous events within the Methodist
Complex. Events include dance, performance, youth events and workshops. Main
duties: greeting/helping customers and checking/selling tickets; ensuring
bands, workshop leaders and performers have everything they need; operating
lift and stair lifts, clearing up after events and ensuring the building is
secure, in co-operation with Church members.
May include moving chairs, tables, as needed.
Venue: Mixed Smaller Venues
3rd – 9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Including Stowford Rise, Con Club, Unitarian Church
(Dissenters), Upstairs at Costa Coffee & Trumps Court. These are indoor
venues within the town, mainly dances & workshops, storytelling, and
acoustic concerts. Team member’s tasks
include staffing fire exits, cleaning between events, checking and selling
tickets. Experience – Good customer skills and a happy disposition.
Costa Coffee has no wheelchair access. If selecting this
role, you may be asked to make up hours required for a full week pass by
helping out at other areas/venues during the week.
Venue: Rugby Club
2nd -9th Aug
Approx. 15 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
The venue requires that chairs and/or tables are set out for
the morning workshops. Checking season tickets and selling workshop or
individual tickets is a key part of each event. As the venue is on the 1st
floor, some assistance is sometimes required to help attendees up the stairs
with large instruments. A disabled chair lift is also available on the
emergency stairs. These stairs are staffed during the performances. At the end
of each event the venue is tidied ready for the next session. The programme comprises
workshops, mainly instrumental and some dance, singing sessions and evening
sessions.
Venue: Shooting Roots Youth Workshops
3rd – 9th Aug
Approx. 8 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
Based indoors at the All Saints Church complex. There are
usually 3 or 4 workshops each day and the volunteer role consists of collecting
tickets from Admin office, checking tickets and or selling tickets on the door.
Volunteers are not required to work evenings and would finish approx.
18:00/19:00. If selecting this role, you may be asked to make up hours required
for a full week pass by helping out at other areas/venues during the week.
Venue: Sidmouth C of E Primary School Rooms (Workshops)
3rd-10th Aug
Approx. 6 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
There are two rooms used for workshops, The Classroom and
The School Hall. There are usually 5 or 6 workshops each day spread between the
two rooms and the volunteer role consists of helping the workshop leader set
the room depending on the type of workshop (Music or dance), collecting tickets
from Admin office, checking tickets and or selling tickets on the door.
Volunteers are not required to work evenings and would finish approx.
18:00/19:00. If selecting this role, you may be asked to make up hours required
for a full week pass by helping out at other areas/venues during the week.
Signage & Site Decoration
28th July – 3rd Aug
Approx. 3 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
A small team to help put up banners, signage and other
decorations to help create a great festival atmosphere. If you are interested
in getting involved in creating decorations in advance please contact Tash Daly
– tash@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk
Tech Operations Team
2nd-19th Aug
Approx. 10 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 40+
This will be part of Doug Bailey’s ‘tech support team’ and
will require approx. 10 people to provide the technical support (sound,
lighting and stage management) for the Manor Pavilion and other venues around
town. The team requires experienced sound engineers familiar with digital desks
and lighting people with some experience of stage lighting. Team members also
need to be familiar with the use of different microphones and plugging up a
stage at sound check time ready for a performance. The team members will be
working with the artists to provide their technical requirements for the
performance. We do have a very limited number of spaces for younger engineers
who might not have all the skills we require but have some background and
training in sound engineering.
Venue: The Ham
1st-91th Aug
Approx. 40 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 45+
This is the festival’s main concert venue, seating 1200 and
running 3 concerts a day but as a team we also manage the food court and the
performers parking area that are both attached to the venue. There are various roles within the team,
which include working both indoors and outdoors, litter picking, cleaning
tables, managing parking, checking tickets, and monitoring doors to both public
and backstage areas. All roles can be
trained on the job but any experience of working in a Festival concert venue would
be an advantage.
Venue: Woodlands Hotel
3rd – 9th Aug
Approx. 12 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
The Woodlands venue is the conservatory at the back of the
hotel. It’s an acoustic covered venue
with a capacity of approx. 120. Experience required for the venue is of running
a folk club or concerts, both as front-of-house (checking tickets, selling
tickets, managing the queues including having to turn customers away from
sold-out events) and behind the scenes (setting up the room for each event and
cleaning it between events, greeting performers and MCs), and being aware of
health and safety requirements. The Woodlands is a low-key venue with a
programme of acoustic traditional performances, storytelling, and ballads.
Year-Round Marketing & Distribution
Approx. 3 Volunteers Required
Minimum Hours 35
A small team with good local knowledge and/or who attend
lots of nationwide folk events to distribute leaflets, posters &
banners.
Suits an outgoing, friendly personalities who are
enthusiastic about the festival – for
more information contact Tash Daly – tash@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk
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