ADMINISTRATION
The administration crew is the Festival office on site. We are a group of “hot shot” administrators who handle administrative “stuff”, artists and artists’ problems. There are 15 of us who return again and again. First time Festival volunteers will not ordinarily be assigned to this Committee. New volunteers assigned to this committee are hand-picked by the Leaders to meet the specialized demands of this committee.
ARTISAN MARKET/COMMUNITY BOOTHS
This committee is responsible for setting up, maintaining and taking down the many booths inside the festival. The artisan market is made up of booths selling the best local art, clothing, hammocks and knick-knacks Vancouver has to offer. The community booths showcase a wide variety of organizations, movements and causes, both local and global in scope. Approximately 11 volunteers are needed during the days leading up to the festival and during the festival itself. Some lifting may be required, but everyone is welcome.
BEER GARDEN
This area is a fun, fast paced environment. Responsibilities include serving beer, cider and wine to beer garden patrons, bussing tables, and creating a safe, friendly environment for our patrons to enjoy a beverage while they listen to some music. A serving it right certificate is not necessary to work in this area but is highly recommended.
BIKE LOCK-UP
This committee is responsible for storage and guardianship of the hundreds of bicycles that show up during the weekend. No bikes are allowed on site in the park. There are a dozen volunteers on this committee, with room for two or three new people each year.
BOX OFFICE
Box Office sells tickets at the East [4th Avenue] Gates and makes sure everything runs smoothly. The committee numbers about 35 with turnover varying from year to year. People with cashiering and organizational skills appreciated.
CD TENT
Formerly part of the Festival Booth, the CD tent is the place where music and merchandise of Festival performers is sold. This committee is made up of 30 enthusiastic volunteers. If you like working with the public and talking about music, this committee’s for you! Volunteers with experience in customer service and cash handling are encouraged to apply.
COMMUNITY
The Community committee is the first committee that Festival-goers meet. We are the committee responsible for minimizing the impact of the Festival on our neighbours who live around Jericho Beach Park. We look for people who can deal with the public and neighbours in a way they themselves would like to be dealt with.
DISABLED ACCESS
We are a determined group whose main aim is to create an easily accessible Festival site for those who might otherwise find the outdoor beach location difficult to negotiate. We provide assistance, information, and a variety of services to facilitate our patrons with usual physical or other disabilities. We work hard and have fun. Each year we have a few openings for committed enthusiastic volunteers with relevant experience (although it is not a prerequisite for joining us).
ENVIRONMENT
The environment crew is in charge of keeping the site clean and working with recycling. There are 90 people on the committee with about 70% returning. We need strong people who work well on their own and who care about the Festival site and the environment.
FESTIVAL BOOTH
Festival Booth has 35-40 volunteers, and it is responsible for selling Festival merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, Festival gear and backrests. Volunteers should be cheerful folks who like to sell, folks who are efficient and calm cashiers, folks who like to fetch & carry, organize stock and artistic types for display. The work can be high pressure at times. Opportunities for getting on this committee vary from year to year.
FOOD AREA (CONCESSIONS)
The food area committee is responsible for working with the food vendors on site. As a result, this group is the best-fed volunteer committee! Food area volunteers, numbering about 10, check off and admit workers to the food area.
GATE
The gate committee is responsible for the operation of the two public entrance gates to the Festival site. The East Gate is on the 4th Avenue side of the park, near Wallace Street, and the West Gate is on the North-West corner of the site, on the beach. There are about 60 members of this committee. We exchange tickets for wristbands and we sell programs. It’s our job to make the transition from the so-called “real” world to the Folk Music Festival as smooth and as pleasant as possible.
HOTEL HOSPITALITY
We look after the musicians up at the hotel during the Festival. We staff a hospitality suite from 8am Friday to 4pm Monday. We are there to make the musicians’ stay as pleasant as possible. Language skills, public relations, patience and understanding are all assets. The best kept secret of the Festival: some of the best music of the Festival happens up at the hotel!
INFORMATION
This is a happy band of about 20 Know-It-Alls who answer questions about the festival and our city. We operate lost & found, a public bag check, complaint department and message centre. Volunteers on this committee are good listeners and efficient problem solvers. Turnover is low but if you enjoy public relations, give us a try!
INSTRUMENT STORAGE
This committee is responsible for the check-in and storage of performers’ equipment and personal items, and the check-in and storage of volunteers’ personal items. We have 12 volunteers including specialists who look after instrument and electronic repairs. As some lifting may be required, a good back is recommended.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is THE social event of all committees. Besides work, work, work, it’s fun, fun, fun! You chop, you slice, you dice, and yes, you do dishes. But you also make friends, exchange lies, husk corn in the sun and eat, eat, eat! This is a very large committee with approximately a 30% chance of getting on.
LABOUR POOL
The Labour Pool is a group of volunteers who work together with Administration to fill gaps during the weekend, to take care of odd jobs, errands and important things that must be dealt with. This committee requires people who are willing to do something new at the drop of a hat, and to wait patiently while they are on duty.
LANTERNS
We need committed, fun-loving, and creative people who have time both before and during the Festival to dedicate to the maintenance and creation of our lantern collection. Knowledge of lantern making not necessary! If you enjoy playing with tissue paper and glue and don’t mind missing the last few sets each night to help the patrons off the site by lighting their way with our lanterns, this committee may be for you! Committee starts meeting in late May.
LITTLE FOLKS
Over the course of the Festival we anticipate over 1500 children between the ages of 3 and 12 visiting our area. The Little Folks area is designed to include the entire family, and our job is to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable time. Our area provides opportunities for creative fun and play, but we expect parents to keep an eye on their own children, as we are not a daycare. Our return rate of volunteers is high but there are always a few positions available.
MASSAGE
The massage committee is made up of RMTs (Registered Massage Therapists) mandated to provide 20 minute treatments and flying finger treatments to performers (primarily), Festival staff, injured volunteers or volunteers with physically demanding duties. If you are an RMT and want to volunteer, we’re accepting applications!
MEDIA
The Media Committee consists of approximately 12 people. Tasks include arranging interviews between media and performers on site as well as accompanying television crews when necessary. Good communication skills and patience are required. Experience dealing with the media is an asset. There may be one or two positions available.
MEDICAL
The medical committee is a group of health professionals who care for the injured on site. The committee has a high return rate with specific requests for specialized people.
MEMBERSHIP
The membership crew is a group of outgoing individuals comfortable with approaching strangers, enthusiastic about supporting the festival and okay with someone saying “no” (and thrilled with a “yes”). This committee is essential for the ongoing sustainability of the festival and offers great opportunities for members year round!
NATURE
The nature committee is made up of 5 members. Located at the pond, we provide a saltwater marine tank with local marine life and discuss with visitors the importance of creating marine protected areas. In addition to talking with the public about the eco-system, volunteers are responsible for removing debris from the pond, keeping people out of the pond network and keeping people from damaging the sensitive riparian habitat around the pond. Turnover is low, but if you love nature then give us a try.
PARTY
The party crew provides a casual cocktail/jam session environment for entertainers and volunteers. Jobs include: bussing, serving drinks, selling drink tickets, tidying up and keeping the drummers from spilling outdoors and out of control. If you are a late night person, this is the crew for you!
PERFORMER SERVICES
Performer services deals with everything performer-related. We answer questions, distribute badges, drink tickets and information packages. We also do some site transport and shuttle service coordination when needed. Turnover for performer services is low, but there may be a few spots open for new faces.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The VFMF Photography Committee consists of 8 photographers. The majority of the crew are veterans of a few years or more and the committee does not get a lot
of turnaround due to this fact. We cover the VFMF from all angles – on stage, back stage, audience, kids zone, festival culture, community vibe, volunteers, staff, environment, etc. We focus strongly on the community aspect of the festival and strive to show a complete picture of the festival from an audience and participant point of view. Our images are used for VFMF marketing, programs and advertising.
PLATES
The Plates committee has 45 volunteers. It is a committed group of volunteers with about 70% returning each year. The committee is responsible for distributing the plastic plates on which all meals are served, both to patrons and Festival workers. This involves first getting clean plates to the various kitchens, collecting said (dirty) plates after use, transporting these off-site for mechanical cleaning and then returning them back to the kitchens. Festival patrons pay a $2 deposit when purchasing a meal. This money is refunded when the plate is returned to a collection site.
POSTERING
The Postering Committee is charged with spreading the word about the Festival by distributing our Posters and Brochures to areas of the Lower Mainland. This committee requires 6 people with lots of spare time prior to the Festival to work closely with our Publicity and Marketing Manager. People with regular access to vehicles are preferred but not necessary.
PRE- AND POST-FESTIVAL GATEKEEPERS
This is a committee who keeps order in the Park before and after the Festival weekend. These folks need to be able to deal with the public and with the Festival’s suppliers, working with the Site Crew to ensure that their vehicle traffic is limited and that all vehicles leave the Park in a timely fashion. This committee requires volunteers with daytime weekday (9am to 6pm Monday to Friday) availability.
PRE- AND POST-FESTIVAL TRANSPORTATION
This group looks after delivering people and things to the Festival and then taking them away. You could find yourself out at the airport picking up a performer or on your way to Surrey to get the potatoes. Because the whole Festival weekend is yours to enjoy, we request that folks on these teams work about 24 hours, and that they have flexible availability, especially daytime weekday availability.
PRIVY COUNCIL
Formerly known as “Blue Room”, this committee is responsible for creating a festive yet “restive” atmosphere in the park’s necessity rooms. We maintain cleanliness and restock bathroom tissue, maintain and restock perfume supplies, hand lotions, disposable razors, shower caps and sewing kits, and maintain general convenience areas in each cubicle. However, “hand butlers” present in each group of cubicles are responsible for supplying hot, scented hand towels. This committee has a grand total of 5 people and because of its popularity it generally has few vacancies.
RAFFLE
This committee runs a Raffle for the audience, as a fundraiser for the Festival. We need creative, positive people who can cheerfully encourage Festival-goers to part with their hard earned cash in support of our fabulous event! Sales experience is an asset, but the only requirements are friendliness and willingness to approach the public.
SECURITY
Security is the largest committee of the Festival. We have 180 people altogether with a 35 – 40 % turnover per year. We like volunteers who like people, are calm, assertive, positive and who want to help. There are a number of security teams and responsibilities vary from team to team; Security Perimeter Teams patrol fence line, direct people, smile, Security Inside Teams patrol inside, direct people, smile and Security Gate Teams control and direct flow at non-paying gates, smile.
SHUTTLE
This committee’s prime responsibility is the operation of a shuttle service for performers and guests between UBC and the site on the weekend. Sometimes there are airport runs or emergency pickups involved. The committee runs from 5PM Friday until midnight Sunday during the festival weekend. A Class 4 license is preferred but not always necessary.
SITE TRANSPORTATION
This happy crew is responsible for the movement of performers and their treasured instruments around the site on the weekend. Careful drivers, good lifters and those who enjoy lots of walking would enjoy this committee.
STAGE
Stage hands are responsible for the technical set up and running of all of the performance stages throughout the Festival site. Each stage crew is a separate unit working under the direction of a stage manager and professional sound engineer. There are approximately 60 volunteers on the stage committee, and the time commitment is a little greater than the average committee. Stage crews work approximately 20-25 hours during the course of the Festival. Stage volunteers should have a basic knowledge of stage and performance requirements; familiarity with sound equipment, microphones, etc. would be an asset. There may be a position for pre and post Festival off-site events as well.
VIDEO
Made up of 6 people, the video committee supports the publicity folks with b-roll and archive footage. We do 12 hours and most of the work is done in post-production. We need to constantly load and unload gear so ability to lift equipment as well as video experience is a must!
WATER
Water Matters, a Vancouver-based company that hooks up to the city water supply, provides filtered water free of charge to festival-goers and has 5 water dispensing stations around the site. Volunteers are required to be present at the booths, clean the dispensing hoses and inform the public about the importance of water-conservation and providing an alternative to plastic water bottles. There are approximately 20 volunteers on this committee, and everyone is welcome!
