ABSTRACT

Festivals are highly dependent on volunteers. Community festivals are frequently entirely organised and run by volunteers, and major international festivals rely on large numbers of volunteers to steward events, host artists and provide a range of behind-the-scenes support. Volunteering has positive outcomes for the volunteers, the festival organisation, festival attendees and participants, and communities more generally (Holmes & Smith 2009). For the volunteer, helping at a festival is a means of becoming an insider, gaining greater access than an audience member – to meet artists, be a part of the festival team and to augment the festival experience. Volunteers can also enhance the visitor experience of those attending festivals (Jensen & Buckley 2011). However, there are also personal costs for the volunteer involved in festival volunteering (e.g. Holmes & Smith 2009) and there are barriers to an individual’s ability to volunteer, and financial costs for the festival organisation associated with recruiting, managing, training and rewarding volunteers.