Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Need a good reason to intern at a festival? Here's five...
Following on from the success of last year, hundreds of our students, staff and alumni are once more looking forward to being an integral part of festival life by being involved in over 80 unique roles at the following festivals: Live at Leeds, Slam Dunk and Leeds and Reading Festivals, many more have just returned from Latitude Festival.
Roles are varied and catered to suit everybody’s interests - from Stage Crew to Sound Engineer, Artist Liaison to Press Office Assistant, crew to management and festival duration to five week, work based learning roles – there is something for everybody.
Still need convincing? Here are our top five reasons why you should volunteer at a festival:
Reason 1 – FUN
We think the pictures speak for themselves.
Reason 2 – Further your career options
Every role is designed to increase your employability and enhance your CV.
Previous interns have been able to use their experience to make vital contacts and learn more about the festival industry at the same time as improving their CV, while those with supervisory roles have had the chance to take on responsibility and manage their peers. Several undergraduates and alumni have also gone on to gain paid work in the festival and music industries.
Reason 3 – Friends, famous folk and future employers
Not only will you make lots of new friends but your network of potential employers, endorsers and referees will grow considerably; not to mention the famous folk you might encounter!
We actively encourage volunteering and work placements as a means of growing your social and professional circles – the more opportunities you take to meet new people, the more opportunities you create for yourself in the future
Reason 4 – Fancy Dress
Dressing up is a rite of passage into student life - it is the law. By working at a festival you will get the chance to indulge your dressing up fantasies with the thousands of other Spider Mans, Where’s Wallys, Harry Potters, Smurfs…..
Reason 5 – Free
Have you ever been one of thousands of eager people sat at the end of the phone or in front of your computer screen anxiously waiting for the moment your application is declared successful and you are the proud owner of a very expensive festival ticket? Well now we’re offering you the chance to attend one of those festivals for free.
We’re not saying you won’t have to work hard (and there is a small refundable deposit required to enlist), but when the work is over and your job is done, you get to party for FREE, with those who paid for the privilege.
And finally - find out what really goes on backstage
OK, we know that we said we were only giving you five reasons but six didn’t fit with the ‘F’ theme that transpired whilst writing this and we couldn’t end without emphasising the blindingly obvious - by interning, you get the chance to be backstage for the entire festival!
Think of all the thousands of people out front who would quite probably sell their soul to the festival god’s for the chance to be in your position.
We’ve given you five (six) good reasons why you should – we challenge you to give us one good reason why you shouldn’t!