Midsumma

Celebrating Queer Culture

Thanks for your interest in Midsumma and your commitment to our volunteer program. Midsumma is a volunteer fuelled organisation that simply couldn't operate without the passionate and committed contribution from individuals within our community. Each and every volunteer is an ambassador for Midsumma: enthusiastic, friendly, helpful and professional at all times.

Midsumma is always recruiting volunteers to assist in all aspects of the Midsumma Festival, whether it's front of house for one of our premier events, assisting with Carnival or administration throughout the year as we prepare for future festivals. There is also the opportunity to gain great experience in visual arts and theatre production, from set-up to promotion. Whatever your interests and skills, we want you to join us in making Midsumma's celebration of queer culture the very best it can be!

The 2010 Midsumma Volunteer Agreement contains the agreements between you and Midsumma around your obligations and rights as a volunteer.

Before registering as a volunteer, please carefully read the 2010 Volunteer Agreement which outlines the obligations of both Midsumma and Volunteers. In addition, please read the following important associated information below:

• Background - About Midsumma: background to the Midsumma Festival organisation
• Activities: Midsumma activities requiring Volunteers 
• Benefits: benefits of volunteering for Midsumma 
• 2010 Registration process and management: how things will be done.

Click the "Register Now" button if you're interested, or potentially interested, in becoming a volunteer. Before registering, be sure to read the 2010 Volunteer Agreement. By registering as a volunteer you have read and agreed to the conditions of this agreement.

You can phone us at any time on 03 9415 9819, email us at volunteers@midsumma.org.au or drop in to our office, Room C.1.20 at the Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067. For the 2011 festival we request that registrations be submitted by Friday 17 December 2010, but the earlier the better, especially if you would like to help out with the planning processes!

Background - About Midsumma

Mission

Midsumma is committed to presenting an annual arts and cultural festival that, within a safe and healthy environment, celebrates the pride and diversity of Victoria's lesbian, gay and allied communities.

Objectives    

The Board of the Midsumma Festival Inc aims to produce an annual arts and cultural festival that:

• is inclusive of and responsive to the lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, transgendered and pansexual sections of the community;

• supports and encourages all community activities it perceives as having cultural relevance within the community;

• promotes opportunities for new artistic talent;

• is diverse and challenging; is committed to excellence;

• educates the community to become consumers of lesbian and gay arts and culture;

• more broadly promotes lesbian and gay arts and culture in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia;

• is recognised as a principal arts and cultural festival interstate and internationally;

• establishes and builds strategic alliances with other marginalised arts and cultural communities including indigenous and multicultural communities;

• maximises access and equality and

• is financially responsible.

Volunteer Program

Midsumma is an organisation that could not operate without its diverse range of volunteers. Volunteers represent Midsumma on many levels; they are enthusiastic, friendly, helpful, and passionate.

Volunteers of Midsumma hold a variety of roles from the board of management to office support and event support. Some roles require specialist skills or simply the time and passion to help out.

Being a volunteer with Midsumma is not just about what you can give, but it's also about the individual's satisfaction.  

How does Midsumma work?

Midsumma's festival program covers large scale public events requiring in excess of 100 volunteers to play a variety of important roles each year.  Midsumma's curated program involves Carnival, Queer City, Yarra Arts and Pink Shorts.  These events require setting up, curating, producing, front of house, ushering and general event management volunteers.

Other areas of the festival are made up of Community Produced Events (CPEs).  Any artist, organisation or community group can be involved in the Festival as a CPE.  Midsumma may from time to time require volunteers for these events.

The largest events requiring volunteer assistance are Carnival and T Dance.  Carnival is a large-scale, outdoor, free event that can attract up to 30,000 people and needs extensive people power for it to run smoothly. The ticketed T Dance event immediately follows Carnival and also requires some assistance from volunteers.

How does Midsumma involve volunteers?

From the start to the end of every event Midsumma needs volunteers to set up venues, meet and assist guests, liaise with performers and patrons, general running and logistics, provide directions and customer service, assist with 'bump out', cleaning and provide hospitality services.

For More Information

Call (03) 9415 9819 or email volunteers@midsumma.org.au. 

Midsumma Activities Requiring Volunteers

Carnival

The 2010 Midsumma Festival will open with Queer Melbourne's favourite event, Midsumma Carnival @ Alexandra Gardens.  Typically the event has attracted over 30,000 people.  This amazing day comprises community and commercial stalls, with stages hosting events such as Dulcie's Dog Show, fashion shows, live music, drag kings and queens and much, much more.

This event takes five days and approximately 60 volunteers and staff to set up.  The Thursday to Saturday prior involves manual work such as setting up, preparing the park and transporting equipment. During Carnival we need volunteers to act as runners and support staff throughout the day as well as volunteers to assist stage managers, performers, sell merchandise and run the Information Tent.  

Other Midsumma produced events

These include visual arts, performing arts and spoken word events, plus workshops and international guests.  These events generally require front of house services such as selling tickets, ushering, bar service, merchandise sales and customer service; setting up of venue and occasionally technical staff such as lighting and sound technicians.

Office Assistance

Volunteers are required throughout the year to assist us in the day to day operations, administration and mini projects as part of the festival and the year round planning phases of the festival.  If you are interested in project management or how festivals operate, joining us in the office is the perfect way to see how all things come to life.  If you are able to commit to volunteering on an ongoing basis there are many opportunities within Midsumma.  Office assistance relates to assisting with activities such as PR, ticketing, general festival programming and basic administration. 

Benefits of Volunteering for Midsumma

Volunteering for Midsumma Festival provides many benefits.  These can include:

• learning new skills

• meeting new people

• a pride and sense of achievement in making a valuable contribution to our community

• social interaction with a diverse community

• an opportunity to learn more about Midsumma and how the festival is developed

• acknowledgement of years of service

• provision of festival t-shirts

• insurance whilst volunteering

• a great time

Registration & Management

These Registration and Management processes will help us to better understand our volunteers and ensure the appropriate insurances and requirements are met.

Registration Process

• Prospective volunteers read a copy of the 2010 Volunteer Agreement and register via the Online Registration Form.
• Midsumma may request meeting some volunteers to assist in determining work areas & roles
• Midsumma manages a roster and provides volunteers with position descriptions for all shifts
• Midsumma holds a volunteer welcome & induction session
• Midsumma makes policy documentation available to volunteers upon request

A confirmation email, along with a roster is sent to each volunteer detailing event(s), duties, location, Team Leader and shift time. Volunteers will be briefed before each event and given detailed instructions regarding requirements.

If at any event the Volunteer Team Leader, Event Director or Volunteer Coordinator are not available, a staff member or volunteer will be responsible for the supervision of volunteers at this event. You will be notified of who this person is at the time, or beforehand should the information be available.  

Sign on-off forms must be completed at the start and end of every shift by all volunteers involved, to aid us in accurately reporting on the man hours required to produce the event.

Volunteers are supplied with the appropriate means of identification. This may take the form of a T Shirt or a lanyard. All Volunteers are required to wear such items during the time of their shift. When not on shift these items must be removed or covered.

Volunteer Team Leaders

Volunteers have the opportunity to become a Volunteer Team Leader. This position is responsible for supervising volunteers whilst on shift, facilitating the sign on-off of each shift and managing the volunteers during the event.  Please indicate on your Registration form if you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Team Leader.

Certification

Some roles undertaken by volunteers require by law a professional certification or compliance card. If you hold any of the qualifications listed below, please provide a copy with your registration form.

• Victorian Working with Children's Check

• Responsible Service of Alcohol

• Certificate I or II in First Aid

Recognition of Volunteer Dedication

Midsumma thanks and acknowledges the contributions and achievements of our volunteers and recognises that the Festival could not happen if not for your dedication and commitment.  Midsumma shows its appreciation by holding a Volunteer function directly after the Festival and will provide all registered volunteers with a certificate of participation.