Volunteering opportunities

Opportunities available

Being part of C means meeting and supporting a large variety of artists from different backgrounds. We are looking for people to help ensure our venues run smoothly and we look after our visiting companies and artists and our audience. We have volunteer opportunities available for people of all skill levels across all areas of our operation.

Volunteering dates

Many of our festival team choose to be present in Edinburgh to see the project through from start to finish, from mid-July until early September. However, it is not necessary to be available for the full period in order to take part. We recognise that not everyone can commit to six or seven weeks. We can accommodate people available for shorter periods, within of the fit-up, get-the festival run, or who can only volunteer on some days and not others. We can accommodate people who can only volunteer for a few hours each day, or who can only volunteer occasionally. We also have some administrative, planning and marketing opportunities for people with availability in London before Edinburgh’s summer festivals, and at other times during the year.

Front of house and box office team

Our front of house and box office team play a key part in welcoming audiences, selling tickets and providing information, helping ensure that the venues run smoothly and are well presented to theatre companies and to the public, helping with the process of getting audiences into and out of shows. This also involves flyering for shows and print distribution. Our box offices function as a reception, with box office team welcoming company members and passing on messages. Our front of house and box office team are ambassadors for our programme, at the front line of getting an audience for our shows in the highly competitive festivals environment.

Theatre operations

Volunteers helping with theatre operations support our theatre management with the smooth running of the venues, and may assist with trouble-shooting and problem-solving to help our performing companies and artists and the public get the best out of their visit.

Technical and stagecraft

Our technical team set up and look after performance spaces and equipment, assist companies with changeovers and perfomances, operate lights and sound for performances, and help with things technical as needed. We offer general opportunities suitable for those with an interest in stagecraft, stage management and technical theatre (experience is not necessary if you are willing to learn), and we offer more advanced opportunities for those seeking to build on existing experience or develop existing skills such in lighting, sound, video, IT, carpentry and rigging.

Press and marketing and arts industry

Successfully promoting a show at the world’s largest arts festival is no easy task, but our in-house press and marketing team rises to the challenge. Volunteers involved in this area might assist in the content creation and management of our social media and website, the design and distribution of our advertising materials, help our press and media team or arts industry team, help with flyering, create and put up reviews and publicity flashes, or building a photo and video graphic archive for all areas our productions. We have specific opportunities for people with skills or an interest in press, marketing, social media, writing, graphic design and photography/video.

Artist services and administration

Our artist services team assists companies and artists with all aspects of their stay in Edinburgh, and offers advice and help to make their stay in Edinburgh easier. The administrative team helps keep the whole C team running efficiently and offers support to the other departments.

In-house productions and events

In-house productions and events include creative work from C theatre, which presents a season of shows in our venues including festival favourite Shakespeare for Breakfast, co-productions with other theatre companies and artists from around the world, our nightly cabaret show, performance showcases, and our events programme for the public, performing company members and C team members, which runs alongside our main programme.

Other opportunities

We aim to help everyone learn the skills to help put in any area of our operation. Unless you have a preference not to, over the course of the festival you might expect to help out in areas from in-house productions and technical to events and marketing.