Each year Bloomsbury Festival looks for volunteers to help run the Festival by becoming Event Stewards over the 10 days in October. We rely on these Event Stewards to become representatives of the Festival at venues and on walks.
Our Event Stewards take on the role of Festival representatives at our various events and venues, there to assist staff and partners while also providing a welcoming atmosphere for audiences.You may occasionally be asked to help with set up or pack up of an event under the supervision of a staff member.
The duties of our Event Stewards are to assist our staff at events and venues with crowd management and audience questions, all volunteers will be briefed in advance but when in doubt you can refer to either a festival staff member present or the 2023 brochure.
If you are allocated to a guided walking tour, you will be the main representative of the Festival during this walk. Ensuring audiences keep up with the tour guide and that the walk is proceeding with little issues.
Festival Event Stewards will also be helping with our evaluation and feedback collection at venues, events and walks. At free turn-up events you may be asked to keep track of audience numbers, promote our feedback QR code and physical forms, as well as report back any feedback from audiences you may hear. We are constantly wanting to evolve the Festival but cannot be in multiple venues at once, Event Stewards assist our festival evaluations and reporting by prompting attendees to provide feedback.
During the months of July and September we may also call on our volunteers to help with the distribution of marketing materials to shops, local areas and businesses in the Bloomsbury area - you can let us know if this is something you would be willing to help with in your application email.
The great thing about Bloomsbury Festival is that we have a range of events and hubs each year that cover various areas of interest and subjects, every year our programme is inspired by a theme, In 2023 this is Grow which can and has been interpreted by our Event Partners to botany, personal and historical growth, architecture, the growth of techology, etc.
There is something for everyone, from music to science to history to theatre. You will have a chance to tailor your stewarding to events you are personally interested (this cannot be guaranteed for all shifts). We will take into consideration any areas of interest you share with us in your application.
As a steward you will get the chance to interact with the local communities, residents and professionals, as well as immerse yourself into the world of an art and culture festival. If you are interested in culture, science and exploring Bloomsbury, then this is a great opportunity for you.
Further information about what the Festival does can be found on our website: https://bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/
During this role will be able to expand your customer service experience tailored for the arts and culture industry. You will gain an insight into the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to produce an annual festival in the centre of London.
We will be offering 4-5 training sessions in September/October during the lead up to the Festival. Though all sessions will be voluntary we encourage volunteers to join where you can.
Thursday 21 September - Introduction to the Festival and Team
- Learn more about what Bloomsbury Festival does. Meet our Festival Team, hear more about their roles within the Festival.
Tuesday 26 September - Event Management
- Hear more about the management side of running a festival, hosted by the Festival Director Rosemary Richards, she will give a basic overview of important areas of event management. Including; Risk Assessment, Programme Creation, Licences, etc.
Thursday 28 September - Operational Training
- Dedicated to cover what the tasks and responsibilities are expected of the Stewards. Daily tasks, where and who to report to each day, responsibilities, and any key details about the Festival Stewards should be aware of.
Thursday 5 October - Bloomsbury Venue Tour
- A walking tour of the Bloomsbury area, passing by many of the venues which will host Festival events and exhibitions. Familiarise yourself with the various buildings and locations which work with the Festival, as well as the routes you can take to get to them during your shifts.
Monday 9 October - Meet the Walk Guides (Additional session for walk Stewards)
- If you are allocated to Steward one of our programmed walks you will be invited to attend this session. Meet the various guides of our Walks Programme, hear more about their walks and get to know more about what is involved with stewarding a walk on the streets of Bloomsbury.
Event stewards are the main representatives of the festival, this requires an approachable and friendly manner towards visitors and an ability to assist the public in a polite, inclusive, open and helpful way. The role is designed for anyone 18+ who has an interest in supporting the festival and/or gaining additional skills and work experience, though an interest in the industry is not a strict requirement.
The amount of hours/days you volunteer for the Festival depends on your availability, we are willing to work around your schedules. We will need Event Stewards for various events, hubs and walks throughout the 10 days of October (13th-22nd) however if you let us know your availability beforehand we can allocate you to shifts that suit your schedule, we only ask than after the Stewarding schedule is confirm you are committed to attending your allocated shifts. Overall, there is no specific number of shifts Stewards are expected to attend during the festival. However, we do expect Stewards to be available for a few events throughout the festival.
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