No Singing Experience Necessary!
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop
The Coastal Sound International Choral Festival takes place in the lower mainland between June 29, 2009 and July 4, 2009. Our headquarters will be located at Simon Fraser University. During this time, we will have nearly 600 guests from around the world and Canada visiting us for a week long non-competitive choral festival which will include clinics, lunch time concerts, evening concerts, and social activities.
Volunteer Roles
Coastal Sound International Choral Festival seeks volunteers for a variety of duties to help us manage the logistics of this festival. These duties are as follows:
Guardian Angels – the Ultimate Volunteer!
Are you looking for an opportunity to meet and spend many hours with new friends from around the world? Then the Guardian Angel role is perfect for you!
Guardian Angels are assigned a choir to shadow for the entire festival. The job begins at the airport when you will greet your assigned choir upon their arrival in Vancouver. You will then travel with the choir to Simon Fraser University campus where you will provide orientation and discuss emergency procedures. Throughout the Festival, you will accompany your choir to all rehearsals, clinics, meals and concerts. It is your job to keep choirs on schedule. Guardian Angels must be available from June 29 through to July 4 from approximately 8:00am to 10:00pm. You will possess excellent communication skills and excel at dealing with people. You will be the link between the Festival organizers and the choir, responding to any issues or needs that arise. Free parking on campus as well as all meals will be provided by the Festival for Guardian Angels.
Concert Venue Help
- Box Office Staff: Sell tickets or passes for concerts. Must be comfortable handling cash and credit card transactions.
- Front of House Manager: Duties include supervising ushers, ticket takers and the patrons as well as to liaise with technical and auditorium staff. This person would need to oversee the lobby area before and after the event.
- Ticket Takers: Obtain concert tickets from patrons
- Ushers: Duties include greeting guests, handing out programs, ensuring food and beverages do not enter the seating area, being available throughout the event to direct guests to building services.
- Merchandise Sales: Sell CDs and other merchandise. Must be comfortable handling cash and credit card transactions.
- Technical Assistants: Offer support to technicians (lighting, sound, stage managers)
Other important roles include:
- General Event Assistants: Assemble registration packages, provide directions, set up of event signage, runners, dining room monitors
- Transportation Assistants: Parking control, coordinate bus loading and unloading
- Security: Provide security at concert venues
- Set Up and Tear Down Crews: Volunteers should be comfortable with lifting and moving objects that might exceed 15 pounds. Volunteers will need to be available to work late. Example tasks include set up of risers, loading and unloading of equipment, and placement of equipment (electric pianos)
- Office Help: Provide assistance in office tasks. Volunteers should be comfortable using phones, faxes, copiers, and Microsoft applications
Requirements
To volunteer, you must:
- Be age 15 years of age or older (a consent letter will be required if you are between 15-17 years of age)
- You may have to complete a Consent for Disclosure (see below)
- Be able to provide your own transportation to SFU or to a concert venue
- Provide your own meals (depending on you role or the length of your shift, you may be entitled to receive a meal)
Consent for Disclosure (Criminal Record Check)
Consent for Disclosure are required by law (Criminal Records Review Act) for anyone who works with children (this applies for volunteers as well). We want to ensure that we create a safe environment for the children and youth that will be joining us at the Festival. If you have a volunteer position where you are working closely with children, you will need to obtain a Consent for Disclosure. Our Volunteer Coordinator will discuss this requirement with you in advance.
To obtain a Consent for Disclosure you must go to the police agency where you reside. Some agencies provide this service free of charge for volunteers whereas other agencies charge a $25.00 fee. If there is a cost, the Festival will reimburse you for this expense. Before you go, please:
- Call ahead to the applicable police agency for current processing requirements
- Obtain a letter from the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival
- Obtain a Request & Consent for Record Form from your local police agency
This link will assist you in finding contact information on your local police agency:
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/clearances/index.htm
Volunteer Benefits
We aim to spoil our volunteers as much as possible. You'll hear great singers from around the globe, meet great people and likely make new friends and contacts. Most of all, you will have fun! We will provide an orientation session (date to be determined), a Festival Volunteer T-Shirt, and a volunteer appreciation party (date to be determined).
We invite you to join us!
Dates Needed
June 22-28, 2009 (for pre-Festival duties)
June 29-July 4, 2009 (for event duties) – most volunteers are needed during this time period.
July 5-6, 2009 (for post-Festival duties)
If you have friends that would also like to volunteer, please send them a link to our website or have them send us an email at volunteer@coastalsoundfestival.com.
How to Apply
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival, please contact Korleen Carreras, Festival Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@coastalsoundfestival.com you have any questions or concerns.
