Hamilton Fringe Festival 2025 Needs YOU!
The 2024 Frost Bites Festival Needs YOU!
HFTco festivals and events are powered by volunteers! There are many ways to volunteer as part of year round programming and operations. Onsite roles are varied and include: box office, ushers, customer service, bar staff, health & safety, and more.
Why volunteer? Not only will you be working with a team of passionate, friendly, and fun people, you’ll also have a chance to get to know the Hamilton arts scene and community better. Plus, it’s a chance to meet new people again—all while supporting local artists.
Most volunteer shifts fall within the festival dates of July 16-27, with a few opportunities in June and early July. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but early applications are encouraged to get your role of choice.
And if you’re a high school student looking for hours, we’ve got ya covered. All shifts count toward student Community Involvement hours!
Contact us at volunteers@hftco.ca if you have questions.
Links for Volunteers
Volunteer To-Do’s:
- Download Connecteam App (there is a desktop version too!)
- Join the Hamilton Fringe Connecteam.
- AODA Certificate (if you have one from 2022 or later just send that one along!)
- HFTco Media Consent Form
- Safer Spaces (read and review)
Board Member Call for Applications
HFTco is currently seeking members to join its Board of Directors. The Board is seeking leaders and creative thinkers to help shepherd the Company while it continues its current programs and embarks on expansion for the future. As such, the Board is seeking individuals for several Board and Committee positions. Please note there is no deadline to apply.
Hamilton Fringe Festival 2024 call for VOLUNTEERS!
Volunteer Roles @ Hamilton Fringe 2024 (click to expand)
COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS
Some tasks often assigned to community ambassadors include:
- Travelling to local businesses, shops and poster kiosks around the region and hanging posters and dropping off programs, in advance of and during the festival.
- Distributing promotional materials to schools and partners in the city
- If needed, visiting venues and refilling supplies and promotional materials
OUTREACH EVENT VOLUNTEERS
Outreach Event Volunteers attend local events and festivals with HFTco staff members on behalf of Hamilton Fringe (eg Art Crawl). Some tasks often assigned to outreach event volunteers include:
- Acting as information ambassador to event attendees.
- Encouraging participation in our ongoing programming and events (eg 6-show pass contest, Fringe Club etc)
- Supporting volunteer recruitment
- Handing out programs.
- Handling merchandise and 50/50 raffle sales.
- Capturing media for our social media accounts
USHERS
Ushers are a part of the Front of House team at Venues, alongside the Venue Captain and Box Office Assistants during the festival. Some tasks often assigned to ushers include:
- Daily on-site set-up and/or tear-down of the Box Office at the venue
- Checking in patrons.
- Greeting patrons at the venue.
- Addressing the line-up with a pre-scripted welcome speech to communicate important info and to encourage donations at the door
- Guiding patrons to their seats as required.
- Handing out show playbills, if any.
- Sitting in on performances to ensure audience health & safety and to ensure proper emergency procedures are followed if necessary.
BOX OFFICE ASSISTANTS
Box Office Assistants are a part of the Front of House team at Venues, alongside the Venue Captain and Usher during the festival. Some tasks often assigned to box office assistants include:
- Primary box office representative throughout the shift
- Daily on-site set-up and/or tear-down of the Box Office at the venue.
- Ticket sales at the door
- Answering patron questions regarding programming and performances.
- If an event has late seating, sitting in on performances to ensure audience health & safety and to ensure proper emergency procedures are followed if necessary.
FRINGE CLUB ASSISTANT
Some tasks often assigned to Fringe Club Assistants include:
- Patio assistant
- Maintain an attendance count, flagging to Summer staff as capacity is approached
- FOH greeter (for larger events, helps with set-up, takedown, SmartServe)
- Set up various seating/patio layouts depending on programming.
- Answer attendees’ questions about programming.
- Distribute festival programs.
- Set up merchandise display.
- Help food vendors/exhibitors load in/out.
- Communicate with exhibitors and on-site staff to keep on schedule.
- Support with technical setup of sound equipment and tear down.
- Support Bar Staff during busy times in any necessary task (note: must have SmartServe to assist behind the bar or touch any alcohol products).
FRINGE ON THE STREETS ASSISTANT
Some tasks assigned to Fringe on the Street volunteers include:
- This is a highly mobile position that requires up to 2 hours of walking and/or being on your feet, mostly outdoors
- Assist with audience wrangling for this 90-minute performance promenade (outdoor walking show)
- Deliver set speeches about how to engage with the show(s)
- Assist in the set-up various seating layouts depending on programming.
- Be available to answer attendees’ questions about programming.
- Distribute Fringe On The Streets program/information.
- Support artists and Fringe On The Streets staff as necessary.
- Communicate with partners and on-site staff to keep on schedule.
- Support with technical setup of sound equipment and tear down.
- Certifications such as CPR/Standard First Aid are an asset
INFO HUB ASSISTANT
- Support Fringe Info Hub staff as necessary.
- Primary box office representative throughout the shift: tickets, pass sales, buttons, merchandise.
- Answering patron questions regarding programming and performances.
- On-site engagement with community members re: promoting the festival, show selection activities, etc
- Assisting Volunteer Coordinator(s) with scheduling support, if necessary
2024 Frost Bites Festival Call For Volunteers
Frost Bites runs from February 13-18, 2024 at the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (876 Cannon Street East). Volunteer positions include:
Poster Distribution
- Traveling to local businesses, shops, and poster kiosks around the region and hanging posters.
- Confirming with shop staff if/where we can hang festival posters onsite.
- Recording poster locations for reference.
Event Assistant
- Help with setup/teardown of event spaces, including signage.
- Set up various room layouts depending on programming.
- Welcome patrons to events/event spaces.
- Help guide patrons to correct rooms, or designated spaces within common areas.
- Maintain a clean and safe event environment (regular sanitization).
- Support workshop leaders by sourcing additional supplies/materials/room assets, as directed by Frost Bites Staff.
- Help food vendors/exhibitors load in/out, as directed by Production Manager.
- Communicate with exhibitors and on-site staff to keep on schedule.
- Direct artists/vendors/workshop leaders etc to the appropriate senior staff, if information is unknown to you. Some heavy lifting required.
- Help artists load in/out, as directed by Production Manager.
- Support with technical setup of sound equipment and tear down, as directed by Production Manager.
- For OUTDOOR events at BERNIE MORELLI, remind patrons of required safety messaging re: skating rink.
Production/Tech Assistant
- Monitor and maintain daily schedule, paying close attention to room usage in each venue.
- Help artists/exhibitors load in/out.
- Support with technical setup of sound and lighting equipment and tear down.
- Phone artists who are not on-site when expected, as directed by Production Manager.
- Additional basic Stage Management tasks, as required.
- Some heavy lifting required.
Greeter/Info Desk
- Greeting patrons at the venue.
- Answer questions about programming.
- Answer questions about the venue, in terms of Frost Bites usage (location of events, washrooms, food, requests from the venue, etc).
- Distribute festival programs.
- Help with setup/teardown of Info Desk, including signage.
- Support Event Assistants as directed by Frost Bites Staff.
Social Media Assistant
- Attend events as directed by Communications Manager.
- Photograph workshop participants and leaders.
- Collect signatures on Media Release/Consent forms.
- Assist Communication Manager in collecting testimonials on site, other tasks as required.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but early applications are encouraged to get role of choice.
Click the yellow button below to fill out the volunteer sign-up, or email volunteers@hftco.ca for more information and to apply.
