Greetings and thanks for visiting the Vancouver Folk Music Festival website! We are well underway in our preparations for our upcoming 33rd Annual Festival and are now accepting volunteer applications from NEW and RETURNING volunteers. The deadline veteran volunteer applications is May 31st.
We appreciate your interest in volunteering. Our volunteers are an essential component to what makes this festival such a success year after year. Festival volunteering is an experience like no other-you get to be part of a team of 1400+, hang out in one of the most beautiful parks in Vancouver, listen to music with artists from all over the world, eat great food with other volunteers, staff and musicians, plus, plus, plus!
As a prospective volunteer, please read the Vancouver Folk Music Festival’s Volunteer Policy before submitting a Volunteer Application form online. We want to be certain that the exchange between the Festival and our volunteers is clearly defined for you.
Indemnity Clause: Volunteers do not incur any personal civil liability in relation to any act or omission done or made by the volunteer in good faith when Volunteering for Vancouver Folk Music Festival work. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival will maintain adequate insurance and will retain legal representation for any charges of criminal or civil liability. You are not covered if you are involved in a criminal act, intoxicated (any level of alcohol) at the time, fail to exercise due care and skill when doing the work.
Proceed to Volunteer Application
About Volunteering at the Festival
Where is the Festival?
The Festival takes place at Jericho Beach Park, in Vancouver, on West 4th Avenue, four blocks west of Alma Street. Maps and driving directions are here.
What is the best way to get there?
Public Transit! Contact Translink (www.translink.bc.ca or 604.953.333) for information on how to take the bus to the Festival. Cycling is another great option. There is a lighted, supervised Bicycle Parking area at the East Gate off West 4th Avenue.
Information for parking a car is available here. Volunteers attending meetings on the park must pay to park in the lot near the Jericho Concession at the end of Point Grey Road.
What is the Festival format?
The Festival gates open at 4:00 pm on Friday night with a concert on the Evening Concert Stage starting at 5:00pm. There are usually 6 or 7 performers throughout the evening, each playing a 50 to 70 minute set. The concert ends at 11:00 pm.
On Saturday and Sunday, the gates open at 9 am, and all six of the daytime stages start “workshops” (mini-concerts featuring various performers) at 10 am. These stages run concurrently until 5 pm. The Evening Concert Stage runs from 5 pm to 11 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Any time volunteers are not on shift, they are welcome to watch music on any of the stages, or hang out in the Backstage area behind the Evening Concert Stage (excluding the Evening Stage green room).
Who runs the Festival?
The Festival’s affairs are ultimately the responsibility of our office staff, a group of professionals who work year-round with the Society’s membership and Board of Directors to put all the pieces in place for the summer production.
Who is in charge of the volunteers?
The Volunteer Coordinator is the direct link to the Festival Administration for all volunteers, and works closely with Committee Leaders throughout the summer to insure all questions are answered and everyone knows what they are supposed to do. She will assign all volunteers to committees, facilitate the Volunteer Open House, and attend all Committee Orientation meetings. She is also available all Festival weekend at Jericho Beach Park to answer questions and assist with any problems that should arise.
What is the total volunteer commitment?
Volunteer commitments vary depending on when and where you are assigned. Pre-festival volunteers are required to work 20 to 24 hours. Volunteers who are scheduled during the festival weekend are required to work a minimum of 13 hours.
What is a Committee?
A committee is a group of people who operate a specific area during the Festival. A committee can range in size from 3 to 180 people. The committees carry out a myriad of activities. Information about each committee is available on the Committee Descriptions page.
Who runs the Committee?
The Committee Leader is in charge of all aspects of the Committee. The Leader is a volunteer, usually someone who has been volunteering for a number of years. There are some committees that have two or more Co-Leaders, and sometimes there are also Team or Crew Leaders. The Leader is the volunteer’s best source of information about the committee, and, very often, the Festival itself.
What is a Veteran Volunteer?
Veteran volunteers are any volunteers that are returning to volunteer to the Festival Because of their working knowledge of the Festival and Committee operations, veteran volunteers have priority for placement on their previous committee. We have several volunteers who have volunteered at every Festival, and many more who have volunteered at most of the 32 Festivals we have produced. These volunteers are a wonderful source of information about all the little details that the Staff and Committee Leaders sometimes forget to mention.
How many new volunteers are accepted each year?
The average number of first-time volunteers is about 400. Most committees have a high return rate of veteran volunteers, but every year spots open up on almost all committees, creating opportunities for new volunteers. There are several committees that are in high demand that have very few open positions every year, which is why we ask for 3 committee preferences on the application form. The more choices we have for placement, the higher the probability that new volunteers will be placed. Priority for placement is given to new volunteers who attend the Volunteer Open House and Committee Orientation Meetings.
Are people accepted as volunteers if they live out of town?
Anyone can apply to volunteer, but priority for placement will be given to New volunteers who attend the Volunteer Open House and Committee Orientation meetings.
What is the acceptance process?
Prospective volunteers who are accepted will be assigned to a committee and Committee Leaders will contact volunteers by the end of June with information about the first Orientation Meeting. Volunteers must make sure that they have a reliable system for collecting email and telephone messages. Because Committee Leaders are volunteers themselves, they do not have much time to spend chasing volunteers down. When volunteers receive a message that they have been assigned to a committee and invited to a Committee meeting, they must reply to that message so the Committee Leader knows that the volunteer received the message(s). If a Committee Leader does not get confirmation that a message was received, they will request a replacement volunteer for their committee.
When are Committee Orientation Meetings?
Committee Leaders will provide all the details about where and when their committee meeting will be. Most meetings take place in June, usually on a weekday evening, and run about an hour. Volunteers should bring a notebook and a pen to their orientation.
What happens if a volunteer does not attend the Committee Orientation Meeting?
Volunteers who do not attend Committee Orientation Meetings may be removed from the volunteer roster. The information handed out and discussed at these meetings is crucial to each volunteer’s full Festival experience.
Who does the scheduling?
The Committee Leader does the scheduling for each committee. Any scheduling restrictions that volunteers have must be discussed with the Committee Leader well in advance of the Festival. Most Committee Leaders begin the scheduling process at the Committee Orientation meeting, so volunteers who have specific scheduling requirements should attend that meeting to insure that they have an opportunity to discuss those requirements with the Committee Leader before the scheduling is complete.
Is there one volunteer schedule for the whole Festival?
No. Each committee runs on its own timetable, so volunteers need to discuss scheduling with their Committee Leader(s).
Can volunteers request certain shifts?
“Flexibility and team work, flexibility and team work, flexibility and teamwork” is our motto. Our volunteer coordinators work diligently towards ensuring all shifts are covered. They will work with each member of their team to schedule shifts that work for both the individual volunteer and their committee. This may mean receiving all the shifts you requested or being asked to work shifts that are not ideal. We ask that you understand and respect this policy.
Can volunteers’ children or friends accompany them on shift?
Unfortunately, no. It is really important that all volunteers are focused first on the work they are doing for the Festival. We request that you make childcare arrangements for the times you will be on shift, and that your friends and family respect the job that you are doing by visiting with you when you are off shift.
How early/late do volunteers have to work?
Most committees start working at 4 pm on Friday and 8 am on Saturday and Sunday. Shifts generally end around midnight on all three nights. There are a lot of variations here, so it’s important for volunteers to discuss the operating hours of the committee to which they are assigned as soon as they confirm participation with the Committee Leader.
When do volunteers get their work schedule?
Volunteers will receive their work schedule at their On-site Orientation meeting at the very latest. This meeting usually happens at Jericho Beach Park within a couple of days of the Festival. If the volunteer needs to have more notice of scheduled shifts, they should talk to their Committee Leader.
What is an On-Site Orientation meeting?
This meeting is the opportunity for volunteers to meet with their Committee on the Festival site just before the Festival starts so they can see where they will be working and what the Site will look like. Volunteers will receive their volunteer identification, schedules and any last minute committee updates at this meeting, so attendance is required. Volunteers are expected to make time to attend this meeting, and they will get the details of the time and date of this meeting at their Orientations in June.
What if a volunteer’s availability changes?
If a volunteer suddenly finds him/herself unable to do some or all of the assigned shifts, they must contact their Committee Leader or the Volunteer Coordinator right away. Messages can be left on the Festival voice-mail anytime before or during the Festival.
Do volunteers get any perks?
In addition to becoming members of the Folk Music Festival Family, over our Festival weekend, volunteers receive free lunch and dinner, toonie breakfasts, free entry to both volunteer parties, and free entry to the most exciting and inclusive festivals in Vancouver.
What is the Festival Kitchen?
The Festival Kitchen is in that big white tent in the Performer’s Area behind the Evening Concert Stage. The Festival Kitchen is where volunteers, performers and staff are fed dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. We serve dinner from 5:30 to 7:30pm, and lunch from 12:30 to 2:00pm. Volunteers are entitled to all meals whether they are on shift or not. More details will be available at Committee Orientation Meetings. Breakfast is available for $2 for those that arrive early on Saturday and Sunday.
What is a Buddy Ticket?
Buddy Tickets are discounted tickets available for purchase and are offered only to veteran volunteers. Each veteran volunteer is eligible to purchase one Adult Advance Weekend or two Adult day tickets for half-price. This means two Saturdays or two Sundays (or one of each) for half-price OR one half price weekend pass for a friend or family member who has never been to the Festival before. It is a great way to help introduce new audience members to a wonderful event. The Buddy ticket applies to Adult Advance ticket prices only and is based on availability of tickets. Veteran volunteers must purchase the tickets in person at the office (no exceptions). On-sale date and end of sales date will be announced during the Volunteer Meetings. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more details.
How do volunteers contact the Festival?
Email or call volunteers@thefestival.bc.ca or 604.602.9798.
Share your Volunteer stories!
http://thefestival.bc.ca/stories
If you are volunteering this year, then signup and blog about your Volunteer stories on the Folk Festival site.
We are building a History of the VFMF Volunteers – so we want to hear from you!
What’s your story?
Share photos, videos, or podscasts!
Be interviewed by one of the VSS team during the Festival!
