Volunteering

We focus on bringing people together and creating opportunities.

Volunteers are at the heart of Inside Out Dorset. The festival would not be the same without you.

We had a lovely group of volunteers for Inside Out Dorset 2023. This year’s friendly volunteers completed a range of roles, doing tasks that matched their skills and aligned with the experience they wanted from the festival.

This included:

Providing information to our audiences
Supporting our Front of House team
Collecting donations
Assisting artists on site
Supporting disabled audience members to engage with performances

Our staff team may be small, but we have a will to make things happen and we work in a flexible and inclusive way. This includes welcoming lots of volunteers to make Inside Out Dorset happen.

When it comes to festival time, there are opportunities for everyone to get involved whatever your background or experience. We require volunteers to be over 18 (or aged 16/17 accompanied by an adult). You might find yourself ensuring the safety of our audience members, helping at the front of house desk or supporting our marketing team. Whatever your interest, we’ll make sure you’re getting the most out of your experience with us.

In everything we do, we have just two rules. Anything’s possible. And everyone’s invited.

“Thank you so much for having me on the team, it was a great experience!

I hope you had as much fun as I did at the festival. The artists, team and audience were all fabulous!”

Eleanor, Inside Out Dorset volunteer

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need any experience?

Not necessarily. We have lots of roles at the festival and can find the perfect one for you. If you do have any specialist experience, talents or knowledge, let us know when you apply.

We do require volunteers to be over 18 (or aged 16/17 accompanied by an adult).
Do you provide training?

Yes. Every volunteer receives an info pack before the festival that tells them about the events, the site, the artists, Health and Safety, accessibility and disability awareness. We also give on-site volunteer briefings on the day, so you’ll be well prepared to help support the festival and make it a great experience for everyone involved.
Do I need to make a large time commitment?

It’s up to you. The festival usually runs over two weekends in September at various location across Dorset. We usually ask volunteers to commit to helping us for 4-8 hours at any one time. You can do more than one ‘shift’ or day and work at more than one festival site. And don’t worry, you’ll always get a break whilst volunteering with us. We also welcome volunteers to help with admin, marketing and organisation in the lead up to the festival.
Can I volunteer if I have access needs?

Yes, we are happy to welcome everyone to the volunteer programme and we can work together to make sure you get the most out of your volunteering experience. We can discuss any support that we can offer to make the experience comfortable and enjoyable. Some sites are more accessible than others so we’ll chat through the options together.
Anything else?

We provide refreshments for short ‘shifts’ or a meal if you volunteer for longer and we can contribute to travel costs.

If you’d be interested in volunteering at future Activate or Inside Out Dorset events, please get in touch by emailing info@activateperformingarts.org.uk