OPPORTUNITY: AND Festival 2021 Volunteers

 

Abandon Normal Devices (AND) produces and presents one of the biggest and most critically respected new media arts festivals in the UK.

This year, AND Festival 2021 will take place online, and along the industrial waterways of Manchester Ship Canal and River Mersey between 27 May – 11 July. The programme features field trips in the physical world via augmented reality seascapes, immersive voyages and floating laboratories, expanded through an online programme of radical and disruptive artworks, film screenings, performances, talks and workshops.

Volunteers are crucial members of the AND team and we would love you to join us for this unique and special programme. We’re looking for volunteers to support us with our live events across the festival period:

WetLab // public works and Assembly at the National Waterways Museum: Fri 11 – 13 June

The Blue Violet River // Anita Fontaine on board Mersey Ferries: Thu 24 – Sun 27 June

Does Spring Hide Its Joy // Kali Malone at Central Hydraulic Tower, Birkenhead: Thu 1 – Sun 4 July

Observatory Cinema at Bidston Observatory: Fri 2 – Sun 4 July

By the Sound of Things // Kate Davies on board the Daniel Adamson steamship, embarking from the National Waterways Museum: Fri 9 – Sun 11 July

How to apply

If you’re interested in being part of the AND Festival Volunteer Team please:

• Fill in the AND Festival 2021 Volunteers Registration Form
• Complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (submitted anonymously)

 

If you need any further information, please email our Operations Manager, Kat: kat@andfestival.org.uk

Volunteer Roles

Volunteer roles for the festival include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• stewarding
• ushering
• information assistance
• events facilitation (including the set up and clearing of events)
• audience research (conducting surveys, gathering public feedback)
• assisting with artwork install and de-install

No particular skills or qualifications are required to volunteer for the festival, however, experience with the following would be desirable for certain roles:

• Assisting with install and de-install of artworks 
• Audience Evaluation
• Customer service

 Volunteers should have an interest in arts and culture, and enjoy working as part of a dynamic team in a past-faced, festival setting.

As part of the volunteer team you will enjoy a number of benefits, including:

• Experiencing the festival programme first hand, receiving free tickets to events where possible
• The opportunity to meet arts professionals, and fellow volunteers
• The chance to develop skills in team-working, communication and interacting with members of the public 
• Gaining experience in more specialist roles, working closely with the  communications team or together with our producers installing outdoor artworks
• Learning about the implementation of creative technology in arts projects
• Plus, you’ll receive an AND Crew t-shirt to keep as a memento!

Shifts + Training

All volunteers will have to attend a training and briefing session – either online or in person if it is safe to do so. Additional training required for more specialist roles will be provided by a member of the team on the day of the event, prior to the start of your shift.

Ideally, you will be able to commit to 2 full shifts (approx. 8 hours), however, we would still love to hear from you if your availability is less.

COVID-19 Safety

The AND Festival team has considered COVID-19 safety regulations, completed necessary training and will take all necessary precautions to make our audiences, staff and volunteers feel safe, ensuring our events adhere to government social distancing guidelines. Any additional information relating to COVID-19 precautions will be distributed by our Operations Manager Kat before you start your shift. 

Travel 

The festival is spread across various locations surrounding Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey including Liverpool, Wirral and Ellesmere Port. We will try to match volunteers to locations nearest home. For volunteers not based nearby those areas, reasonable travel expenses will be provided.

Access Support

We are committed to ensuring our opportunities are open for people who experience barriers to inclusion. We recognise that you might need additional support to participate in the application and/or interview, whether that is technical equipment, access support or adjustments to the process. If you require any support or adjustments, please contact us on access@andfestival.org.uk with “Volunteer Call Out” as the subject line.

Equality & Diversity

Abandon Normal Devices is committed to equality of opportunity for all. We believe that a diverse workforce can enable more innovative, creative and dynamic workplaces. We want to reflect the diversity of our audiences in our workforce; therefore, we actively seek and welcome applicants from, including but not limited to; ethnically or culturally diverse backgrounds, diverse sexualities and genders, disabled and d/Deaf people, or those with unconventional career paths.

Image Credit: Film still from By the Sound of Things, Kate Davies for AND Festival 2021.