Volunteer Job Descriptions

There are a number of tasks for volunteers, all with varying responsibility. These are generic descriptions to assist you in choosing a position that best suits your abilities. Some positions, (such as marketing) will perform most of their work prior to the festival.  Please click below to see descriptions of these roles.

Venue Management/MC Site Control & Traffic
Shift Manager Volunteer Registration
Volunteer Kitchen Signage
Artist Registration Camping Monitor
Set-Up Festival Shop
Pack-Down Monitor Smoke Zones
Festival Bar Attendant Site Set Up Area Manager
Green Folk Team Festival Office
Marketing, Media & Sponsorship Artistic Decoration
Instrument Lock Up First Aid
Transport (not required for 2023)  Electrical Team
Patron Services Production Manager
Data and Form Management (Computer / IT skills)

PRODUCTION MANAGER

•    Basically it’s walk the site and check the program is happening!
•    Roving around the venues talking to sound folk / venue managers / MCs to check everything is OK
•    Check Venue Boxes are intact. Ensure MCs / Venue Managers know it exists and its contents!
•    Liaising with Instrument Lockup if required to assist artists to get load-in to venues
•    Liaise with PA Gear Chaser to solve access / gear issues
•    Liaise with Artist registration if there is issue with artist not turning up.
•    Assist on stages if required – check with Sound / Venue Managers
•    Solving any artist / program issues with assistance from Artistic Director
•    Checking backstages are kept up with water, aisles are clear, lighting is OK, gear is stored safely, signage
•    Major issues not related to Artist/Staging should be referred to Shift Manager
•    Be familiar with Emergency Procedures
•    Ensure stages and gear in safe condition, stairs are OK
•    Check sponsor signage intact
•    Check decorations intact
How Long:    4 hour shifts
When:    Friday afternoon to Sunday
Which Venues:    All venues
Report to: Artistic Director

VENUE MANAGEMENT/MC

•    MC Concerts, events
•    Venue management
•    Provide announcements to audiences
•    Liaise with performers, sound persons and MC
•    Ensure concerts/events kept to running sheets
•    Ensure tea, coffee, sugar, milk, cold water kept maintained
•    Ensure venue is tidy, rubbish picked up, chairs stacked
•    Assist with stage set-up – chairs, tables, instruments
•    Liaise with Production Manager if any artist / programming problems. Otherwise contact Shift Manager for other issues,emergencies. Use 2 way radio
•    Ensure toilets are maintained
How Long:    4 hour shifts
When:    Friday afternoon to Sunday
Which Venues:    All venues
Report to: Shift Manager or Production Manager

SHIFT MANAGER

  • Manage the whole festival site on shift
  • Ensure all issues are resolved to “keep the show on the road”
  • Coordinate emergency situations
  • Supervise patron services and flying gang

How Long:  4 hour or 8 hour shifts
When:  Friday to Sunday
Location:  Whole site
Report To: Operations Manager

SITE SETUP AREA MANAGER

•   Coordinate setup of all items in their allocated area including venue setup, staging, barriers, signage, bins, toilets, cleaning, preparation for use, sound equipment, backdrops, decorations, stalls, electrical.
•   Liaise with Festival suppliers in their area, eg Go Hire, Fencing Contractor.
•   Liaise with Artistic Setup team
•   Liaise with Electrical team
•   Coordinate resources allocated to assist in setup

How Long:    As long as it takes – Physical Effort Required!
When:   Wednesday, Thursday, Monday, Tuesday
Which Areas:   Various
Report to:  Site Setup Manager

SET-UP

•    Assemble stages
•    Set up backdrops
•    Set-up chairs
•    Pick-up gear from storage locations
•    Put up sponsors signs up
•    Put-up programmes at venues on Sandwich boards
•    Set-up tea and coffee
•    Set-up tables for Sound persons
•    Set-up small tents
•    Set-up traffic, parking barriers signage
•    Place signs around festival – directional, parking

How Long:    As long as it takes – Physical Effort Required!
When:    Wednesday, Thursday
Which Venues:    Various
Report To: Site Set Up Area Manager

PACK-DOWN

•    Remove stages
•    Remove backdrops
•    Remove entries
•    Stack chairs
•    Transport Folk Club gear to storage
How Long:  As long as it takes!
When:  Monday and Tuesday
Which Venues:  Various
Report To: Site Set Up Area Manager

FESTIVAL BAR ATTENDANT

  • Comply with NSW Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations
  • Check for Under Age Drinking and Festival Armbands
  • Serve customers with drinks and information
  • Ensure tubs are kept stocked and iced
  • Keep serving, bar and customer areas tidy and clear of rubbish
  • Maintain a professional standard of service
  • Comply with the “Code of Conduct”

ESSENTIAL:  MUST have a Current NSW RSA
How Long:    2 hour shifts
When:  Friday to Sunday
Which Venues:  Bar

GREEN FOLK TEAM

  • Encourage correct use of the compostable, recycling and landfill bins
  • Rove on foot and in the Green Folk buggy to keep the site clean
  • Place signage around the festival
  • Collect and replace the bins using our Green Folk buggy
  • Monitor waste input to ensure contamination is kept to a minimum
  • Sort bins for cross contamination of waste
  • Get green and dirty sometimes!
  • Remind your team and yourself to work safely

How Long:    3 x 4 hour shifts
When:    Friday to midday Monday
Which Venues:    Entire site
Reports To:     Green Folk Management

FESTIVAL OFFICE

  • Meet and greet patrons
  • Sell Festival tickets to patrons and issue armbands
  • Exchange vouchers for armbands. Place on patrons
  • Sell souvenir programmes.
  • Provide general information
  • Maintain message board
  • Use scanner for pre-paid tickets
  • Use cash registers
  • Use EFTPOS machine
  • Record special deal vouchers
  • Interact with Camping & Performer Registration as required

How Long:    2 to 4 hr shifts
When:    from Thursday to Sunday
Which Venues:    Festival Office
Report To: Office Manager

SITE CONTROL & TRAFFIC

  • Assist with greeting traffic and pedestrians at Festival Entrance and checking of wrist bands
  • Provide directions to campers, performers, volunteers and audience members
  • Assist in safe parking for registration at front gate temporary parking area
  • Assist with carparking control in various Festival parking areas
  • Assist with directing traffic into and around the Festival site
  • Monitor pedestrian safety and direct as necessary
  • Safely control exiting vehicles

How Long:    up to 3 hr shifts ( usually less than 3hrs )
When:    From Thursday to Sunday between 7am and 7pm
Which Venues:    Festival entrance and on site parking site grounds
Report To: Traffic Manager

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

•    Register volunteers
•    Brief volunteers on site layout
•    Brief volunteers on emergency procedures
•    Answer volunteer enquiries
•    Alert Shift Managers of volunteer shortages
•    Distribute armbands and lanyards
•    Communication site for volunteers
How Long:    4 hr shifts
When:    Wednesday to Saturday
Which Venues:    From Registration Office
Report To: Volunteer Manager

SIGNAGE

  • Install all signage to toilets, directions
  • Carparking signage
  • Venue signs, programmes
  • Colour chart of armbands for door control
  • Clean and sort all existing signs
  • Install all signage around the Festival Site
  • Working with cable ties and pliers and cutters
  • Install and pack down Sponsorship signage

How Long:    Initial set up of signage and ad hoc as required
When:    Set-up Wed/Thu. Check Fri, Sat and Sun morning and afternoon
Which Venues:    All
Report To: Site Area Manager

CAMPING MONITOR

  • Greet and register campers at the office
  • Direct campers and caravans to designated sites
  • Monitor camping grounds
  • Ad hoc surveillance of camping grounds
  • Mark out camp sites prior to festival
  • Provide information to campers

How Long:    4 hr shifts
When:    From Thursday to Saturday. Most shifts will be completed before the festival starts.
Which Venues:    Camping sites & Festival Office
Reports To: Camping Manager

FESTIVAL SHOP

•    Sell festival and performer merchandise – CDs, Books, Shirts
•    Liaise with performers to sell their merchandise
•    Stock merchandise shop
•    Use cash registers
•    Use EFTPOS machine
How Long:    3 hr shifts
When:    Friday to Sunday
Which Venues:    Merchandise Shop
Report To: Merchandise Manager

SMOKE-FREE FESTIVAL TEAM ASSISTANTS

  • Smoke-Free Festival Team Volunteers  (Three volunteers needed.)

The Smoke-Free Festival Team ensures people who don’t smoke can breathe smoke-free air by providing and maintaining zones where people can smoke without effecting others. These are our Yes Butt Zones. (Yes, we’re a smoke-free event, butt…we understand we need to provide for people who smoke.) The aim is for everyone to enjoy our community festival. Volunteers for this team can  be smokers or non-smokers who are respectful of everyone’s needs.

How Long:  2 – 4 hour shifts
When:  Thursday to Monday

·        During Set-up Thursday: Put up signage and banners relating to the Festival smoke-free policy and designated smoking (Yes Butt) zones. This involves the entire festival site. Place butt trays and some seating in Yes Butt zones.

·        During festival: Mornings and evenings, maintain the Yes Butt zones (remove butts and any rubbish), check on signage and adjust if necessary. How long: Total five hours, spread over the festival.

·        Monday morning pack-down: Three hours. Remove signage and banners, return them to Smoke-Free Festival Co-Ordinator. Butt trays and seating may be left for the use of pack-down team.

Location:  Whole site
Report To: Smoke-Free Festival Team Co-Ordinator

MARKETING, MEDIA, SPONSORSHIP

•    Greet VIP’s and Media at the Registration
•    Provide information or a guided tour
•    Assist media to organise photo ops or interviews
•    Investigate possible media stories or photo ops
•    Be first response for media in an emergency
How Long:    4 hr shifts
When:    Friday to Sunday
Which Venues:    All Venues
Report To: Marketing Manager

ARTISTIC DECORATION

  • Sort materials in storage
  • Make the Festival site Festive
  • Site decoration, Stage Back drops.
  • Dismantle on Monday after festival.
  • Need to climb ladders, use a staple gun, side cutters and pliers.
  • Requires some heavy lifting.
  • Need to wear closed in shoes, hat and bring a water bottle.
  • Lots of walking

How Long:    4 hr shifts
When:    Set up Wednesday to Friday,  Dismantle Monday
Which Venues:    All Venues
Report To: Artistic Set Up Manager

INSTRUMENT LOCK UP

  • Provide secure storage for performer instruments
  • Record storage of instruments
  • Check tags for out going instruments
  • Liase with performers
  • Keep the area tidy

How Long:    4 hr shifts
When:   Friday to Sunday
Which Venues:    Instrument Lock Up
Report To: Instrument Lock Up Manager

FIRST AID

  • To set up and maintain a clean and tidy clinic for the festival
  • Give due attention to illness and accidents as patrons present.
  • Record all procedures
  • Respond to call for help across all venues
  • Call ambulance as necessary

Requirements:   Senior 1st aid certificate or greater, Registered nurse, Doctor. Paramedic
How Long:    4 hour shifts
When:   Wednesday of Set Up to Tuesday of Packdown
Report To: First Aid Manager

TRANSPORT (not required for 2024 Festival)

  • To drive buses around the Festival Site
  • To drive buses to and from Bulli Railway Station

Licence requirements:   Class C car licence for up to 12 people including driver.  LR –MR –HR –MC –HC for more than 12 people.
Must be over 21 years of age.
Report To: Transport Manager

VOLUNTEER KITCHEN

  • Run a clean and tidy catering facility
  • Prepare lunches for the set up team on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
  • Assist with Thursday night Tripe Dinner in the restaurant (6pm)
  • Prepare morning and afternoon tea for volunteers
  • Prepare lunches for the pack up team on Monday after the Festival
  • Prepare and serve snacks, tea and coffee for volunteers throughout the Festival from Tuesday to Sunday

How Long:  4 hour shifts
When: Wednesday to Monday
Report To: Volunteer Kitchen Manager

ARTIST REGISTRATION

  • Register Performers on arrival and issue wrist bands.
  • Direct performers to accommodation as required
  • Answer performers enquiries

When: Thursday to Sunday
How Long: 4 hour shifts
Report To: Artist Registration Manager / Production Manager

PATRON SERVICES

  • Be the eyes and ears of the shift management team around the festival
  • Reports to shift manager
  • Mobile teams of two during festival
  • Respond to patrons’ questions and problems
  • Escalate issues to shift manager for resolution

How Long: 4 hour shifts
When: Friday to Sunday
Where: Assigned areas
Report To: Shift Manager

ELECTRICAL TEAM

  • Work under the supervision of the electrical team leader
  • Set up and pack down the required electrical power supply
  • Resolve issues to maintain the required electrical power supply during the festival

How Long: As required during set up and pack down, rostered on-call during festival
When: Wednesday to Monday
Where: Whole site
Report To: Site Manager

DATA and FORM MANAGEMENT

  • Manage and amend festival forms for various tasks and information gathering using the website (in WordPress), Jotform
  • Assist team leaders with obtaining information from submitted forms
  • Create lists, spreadsheets for use by the Organising team members
  • Requires computer / IT skills in managing, downloading form data and creating spreadsheets

How Long: Leading up to the festival (from October), minimal management required during the festival
Report To: Artistic Director / Festival Director