Volunteer call out

As a Volunteer, you could be involved in:  

• Providing hospitality and acting as a runner and support for local and international artists 

• Being a point of contact for festival audiences and gathering feedback for evaluation 

• Stewarding events, performances, and workshops 

• Supporting box office and operations  

• Supporting the delivery of workshops and events 

• Providing language/translation support for visiting international artists 

• Acting as a powerful ambassador for the festival 

Volunteer Roles include: 

• Front of House/Event Support – supporting the front of house for our shows and events and assisting with the running of our box office operations  

• Audience Engagement – conducting surveys, gathering public feedback and signposting 

• Artist Liaison Support – greeting national and international artists, preparing riders, chaperoning artists from A to B 

No particular skills or qualifications are required to volunteer for the festival; however, volunteers should have a curiosity in arts and events and be interested in working in a dynamic festival setting. Given artist representation at this year’s festival, we’re also interested in hearing from people who have a proficiency in speaking other languages in addition to English, particularly Brazilian Portuguese – for guidance on the other languages that could support the festival, please refer to the festival programme on our website. Otherwise, we are generally looking for those who want to get stuck in and support across a variety of events and tasks. 

We ask that all Volunteers can complete between 2 and 3 shifts across the festival delivery period, of between 2-5 hours, depending on your availability. Most of our venues are located in Leeds city centre or close by. For volunteers who are not based nearby, reasonable travel expenses will be covered upon prior agreement. Any volunteers required to move between venues as part of their agreed shift will also have travel expenses reimbursed accordingly. 

You will need to be available to attend one of the briefing sessions which take place on either 9th, 13th, or 15th October. Please select all of the briefing sessions that you are able to attend on the EOI form below. Please note one or more of these sessions will be delivered online.  

Please complete this online expression of interest form by 10am on 29 September 2025, after which point we will be in touch with details of the next steps. Please direct any questions to Brad Welch, General Manager: [email protected].  

We can’t wait to hear from you!

As an international festival that celebrates diversity in all its forms, it is important to us that our delivery team and volunteers are representative of our artists and audiences. We particularly encourage applications from people who are currently under-represented within the UK arts sector – including those who are ethnically and culturally diverse and who experience racism, who are disabled and neuro–diverse, and those who have experienced barriers to participating in the arts before. 

If you require this call out in a different format, would like any support with the application process, or wish to discuss any access needs related to the undertaking of this role, please contact Brad Welch General Manager: [email protected]