Volunteers Needed

We couldn't do it without our fabulous volunteers!

Some 300 volunteers are needed every year to stage our six-day festival.They are needed for everything from pre-fest office work and program guide delivery, to Festival week ushering at Festival events, picking up authors at the airport, food prep, bartending, helping to set-up stages and selling tickets for Festival events. Registration is now closed for 2011.

Below is a brief description of each volunteer opportunity:

Administration:

• Help with Mail-outs, stuffing envelopes, with general office chores and front desk reception. 
• English fluency is a must for reception, as is a sense of humour and willingness to work as member of a team.

Author Hospitality:

• Walk writers to and from readings/events, or help with general author hospitality.
• Liaise with Festival staff, stage managers and other volunteers.
• Flexibility and people skills essential!
• Some late evenings and early mornings required
• Must be fluent in English and, for some events, fluent in French as well.

Books:

• Work with the Festival bookseller setting up and selling books at the Festival Bookstore and events.
• Moving stock, lifting and carrying, cash and credit card transactions all involved, as well as helping with book signings.
• Retail experience helpful.
• English fluency a must, and, for some events, fluency in spoken French as well.

Box Office:

• Sell and distribute tickets at Festival venues.
• Must be comfortable handling cash and credit card sales as well as dealing with the public, occasionally in high pressure environments.
• Previous retail experience and/or familiarity with box office procedures helpful!
• English fluency a must and, for some events, fluency in spoken French as well.

Distribution/Delivery:

• Deliver Festival program guides and posters to specified locations along a designated route and keep it stocked from late August until the end of the Festival.
• Access to a vehicle is a definite asset, but programs can be delivered by bicycle and on foot.
• Ability to take direction and work independently essential.

Floaters:

• Be available to help with a variety of tasks through the Festival, running last minute errands and filling in when regularly-scheduled volunteers cancel their shifts at short notice.
• Flexible people needed, must be patient and resourceful, ready to do anything.
• Ability to lift, carry and stand and walk for extended periods essential, as is comfort with cash-handling and credit card transactions.
• Fluency in English is a must and fluency in French a big asset for day-time weekday shifts.
• A great way to part of the inner workings of the Festival.

Food & Beverage:

• Assist Festival Food & Beverage staff with set-up and clean-up through Festival Week
• Assist with service at our Opening Reception and events such as our famous Sunday Brunch and Afternoon Tea.
• Help with concession ticket sales, bartending and snack orders at some evening events.
• Cash handling experience an asset, and ability to lift, carry, and walk and stand for extended periods are musts!
• Should enjoy working as a team-member and be ready to laugh and “hurry up and wait”.

Founts of Festival Wisdom:

• Serve as a Festival ambassador
• Help inform ticket line-ups at evening, Friday and weekend events about ticket availability.
• Shifts are only 90 minutes.
• Founts should be knowledgeable about the Festival program and Granville Island, willing to work outdoors, able to stand and walk for extended periods and enjoy dealing with the public.
• They have priority seating at events they work, but only if unsold seats are available.

Front of House:

• Ushering and patron assistance at Festival events.
• Must be comfortable dealing with the public, be able to stand for extended periods, take direction and work as a member of a team.
• English fluency a must and, for some events, fluency in spoken French as well.

La Joie de Lire:

• Assist with ushering, author hospitality, book sales and signings as well as ticket sales/box office for the Festival’s week-day French events.

Production:

• Assist Production staff with venue set-up and strike, moving chairs and signs, equipment pick-ups, technical needs on site, assisting stage managers.
• Some heavy lifting and late evening/early mornings required.
• A fabulous way to have a “hands-on’ festival experience.
• Patience, a sense of humour and willingness to work as a member of a team all essential.

Special Events: 

• Assist with ushering, book sales and signings as well as ticket sales/box office for the Festival’s pre and/or post-Festival special events.

Transportation:

• Drive authors to and from the airport and for other transportation needs.
• Use of a car is essential, as is a minimum of $2million in liability insurance on the vehicle and under-insured motorist protection.

For additional information about volunteering, including our volunteer policies and benefits, please click here.