About the role
We are looking for an enthusiastic Volunteer and Venue Coordinator to work at the upcoming LIFT 2024 festival, taking place from the 5th – 23rd June 2024 & 12th-26th Jul 2024. This role covers the June dates; see below for further schedule information.
Working with the LIFT team, you will oversee the festival’s volunteer programme and our presence at festival venues. You will recruit and manage schedules for our 20-50 festival volunteers and coordinate LIFT’s front-of-house presence at each of our partner venues. You’ll report to and work closest with LIFT’s General Manager and have close working links with our Creative Producer, Head of Communications and Audiences and Development and Marketing Assistant. LIFT is a team effort, and you’ll also collaborate with LIFT’s Artistic Director/CEO, Executive Director, Production Manager, Head of Development, and members of our freelance team.
Like all festivals, volunteers are a key part of LIFT’s community. Volunteers are the face of the festival. They communicate with audiences on festival sites, provide stewardship and front of house support. We know that volunteering can be a valuable and rewarding opportunity. Whether from a desire to connect with and get behind a major arts festival like ours, to find a place to meet new people, to combat loneliness, gain transferable skills or work experience, volunteers come to LIFT for all kinds of reasons.
As Volunteers and Venue Coordinator, you manage how volunteers engage with the festival and the public. This role is aimed at an early or mid-career professional who wants to be on the ground and working with the people and places that power LIFT.
Role title: Volunteer and Venue Coordinator LIFT 2024
Reports to: General Manager
Contract: 37 days at £125.00 daily rate.
Flexible schedule to be agreed with candidate on appointment – see bottom of page for specifics.
Fee: Total fee is £4,625.00 to be invoiced in monthly instalments.
Other benefits: Tickets to all LIFT 2024 festival events, unless working.
LIFT Base: Toynbee Studios, E1 6AB (working from home negotiable).
The building and office are fully accessible to wheelchair users.
Application deadline: Sunday 3rd March 2024
Anticipated start date: Late March 2024
Job Description
Role Responsibilities:
- Volunteers
- Identify volunteer needs with LIFT team and make a recruitment pack and plan for LIFT 24 Festival.
- Under the line manager’s direction, lead the volunteer recruitment process for sufficient and appropriate recruitment of 20-50 festival volunteers as required.
- Lead on the volunteer outreach programme need by organising briefings in universities, building local networks across LIFT 24 venues, volunteer organisations, and other suitable channels.
- Draw up daily volunteer rotas and schedules to match the needs of LIFT 24 programme.
- Under the direction of the line manager, develop a volunteer benefit programme to ensure bespoke volunteer care is implemented.
- Set up and deliver volunteer welcome briefings with the LIFT team.
- Communicate with volunteers and manage the volunteer email inbox.
- Liaise with the LIFT Producing Team across all volunteer related shows and activities programmed around them.
- Liaise with LIFT Communications and Audiences Team to ensure that LIFT branding is appropriately implemented in the venues by volunteers.
- Liaise with Audience Survey Co-Ordinator to ensure that the audience surveys are appropriately filled by the targeted number and demographic audiences across all LIFT shows.
- Ensure all relevant Equal Opportunities Data is collected from all recruited volunteers and ensure the Safeguarding policy is adhered to when dealing with Young People and Vulnerable Adults.
- Manage WhatsApp groups and other suitable communication tools.
- Manage cancellations and substitutions of volunteer roles.
- Update and support public communications regarding new volunteer opportunities.
- Liaise between LIFT and venue FOH management to ensure LIFT volunteers are properly briefed and the venues’ needs are met.
Venues
- Distribute flyers/banners, dress venue spaces as and when required.
- Work with LIFT team to ensure venues look to festival standard and LIFT materials are set up, stored and taken down in a timely manner.
- Attend and minute all production meetings and the final Festival Debrief meeting.
- Arrange flowers & First Night Cards as and when required.
Person Specification
Essential skills, experience and attributes
- Experience leading people (i.e. coaching, providing instructions, sharing information, explaining how something works, giving presentations).
- Computer literate across Microsoft office programs.
- Confident using your own initiative to problem solve and get the tasks delivered on time.
- Good spoken and written communication skills.
- Able to work to, and manage a budget.
- Good knowledge of London and getting around it safely.
- The ability to work well within a team.
- Attention to detail.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Passionate about developing a career in the performing arts.
- Passionate about inclusivity and representation in the performing arts.
Desirable skills, experience and attributes
- Experience of working with volunteers, placements and early career arts professionals.
- Experience of scheduling workloads and managing rotas for shift work patterns.
- Experience working with a diversity of colleagues and audiences. Ability to ask for support and help when in need.
- Knowledge of additional languages.
- Emotional intelligence and the ability to self-reflect.
LIFT 2024 takes place between 5th June – 23rd June & 12th-26th Jul 2024, although you will only be contracted until the end of June. You are likely to be required to work evenings/weekends during the June festival period.
Proposed work schedule
March – April – 8 days
Preparing the volunteer pack, volunteer schedule calendar, volunteer outreach and recruitment strategy.
May – 8 days
In-person volunteer outreach at universities and other spaces, recruitment and scheduling.
June – 20 days to include every day 5-23 June (excl 10th, 16th)
Scheduling, on-the-ground support, preparing and delivering briefings, managing communications and attendance.
Wrap Up – 1 day
Evaluation and tying up loose ends – volunteer benefit payments, survey collation, volunteer feedback.
How to Apply
To apply for the post, please use our application form to submit:
- an up-to-date CV
- a cover letter addressing the selection criteria, or a 2-minute video
- a completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
Timeline
Application deadline: Sunday 3 March 2024
Interviews: Monday 11 March 2024, Toynbee Studios
Anticipated start date: As soon as available
Each application will be judged specifically against the essential and desirable criteria; please ensure you address all of the mentioned points to give yourself the best chance of progression.
If you would like to have an informal, confidential conversation about aspects of the role, please contact recruitment@liftfestival.com to arrange a phone call.
LIFT is committed to being a truly inclusive organisation – from our Trustees and team members to our audience and participants. We treat all job applications equally, regardless of race, age, disability, gender identity or gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other equality characteristic. We particularly encourage applications from groups who are underrepresented in the cultural sector including working class people, disabled people, and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
As a disability confident employer, LIFT will offer an interview to all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria.
Our offices are wheelchair-accessible; please contact recruitment@liftfestival.com or 0207 968 6800 if you wish to discuss any access requirements ahead of making an application.
LIFT will reimburse travel expenses up to £25 for in-person interviews for all candidates. If your travel is likely to cost more than this, please contact recruitment@liftfestival.com to discuss options.
This position does not meet the eligibility criteria for the sponsorship of international workers looking to travel to the UK. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.
As a freelancer, we will expect you to have a personal laptop to work from, whether from home or in the office.
