Crew

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Volunteers FAQ

Volunteering at the festival is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and experience the festival from a completely different and rewarding viewpoint.

Roles are generally filled on a first come, first served basis in accordance with preference and skills/experience. If you apply early and pay the deposit to secure your position, then you are more likely to get your preferred choice of crew role.

As of 28th March we are still looking for welcome/traffic stewards, venue stewards, night shifts, and box office volunteers.

Q: What kind of work is there?

A: These are the main jobs:

• Driving: We need competent drivers to bring artists in and out of the festival. If this is you, please contact us to discuss terms: crew@knockengorroch.org.uk
• Festival shop: NOTE – shop roles are now all taken – please choose a different volunteer role to avoid disappointment as there are definitely no more spaces to volunteer in the festival shop.
  This is a public facing, fun information and merch stall situated next to the office, where Knockengorroch merchandise and artist CDs get sold.
• Traffic/welcome stewarding. Join a fun and friendly team of stewards to greet everyone as they arrive to the festival and guide them to where they need to go. This is a forward facing role great for friendly folks, you will get chance to chat to everyone as they arrive and trust me, you will keep seeing them again throughout the weekend! As we are a small site it’s important to make sure folk don’t get lost in the excitement and park their cars efficiently to make the most of the space we have.
• Venue stewarding. Shifts involve stewarding the backstage entrance, stewarding the longhouse venue sited within the inner arena area and stewarding the main fire in the inner arena area. You will need patience, diplomatic and assertive skills.
• Night sitting involves working night shifts to ensure the equipment on stages and in tents is secure, including the bar tent, or being in the main festival office overnight. You will be supported by a friendly security team for all night jobs. You will have a radio and be checked whilst on duty at night to ensure everything is fine. You must radio security if anything at all looks odd, suspicious or anti-social. You will work less hours overall over the weekend due to the nature of the role.
• The festival HQ. NOTE – all roles for the festival HQ are now filled, please choose another option when applying.
  This involves dealing with general enquires from the public and dealing with lost property as well as relaying messages to the stages and monitoring the CB radios. If you wish to work in the office it will help if you tell us of any experience you have had in this area, or just why you think you would be good in the job. It will also help if you have references and a full disclosure, as the office also looks after lost children.
• Bar. NOTE – we are full for Bar crew already, please choose another option when applying.
  Applicants will need to provide references as well as evidence of experience. Bar crew need to attend a mandatory two hour training session on the Thursday from 10-12. This is a necessary condition of our licence. You cannot be working on the bar if you cannot attend this training.
• Box Office. This is a public facing role, and requires excellent communication and customer service skills. You will be the first people to greet festival attendees, so we look to you to provide a fantastic first impression! Prior experience in box office or a similar role is preferred.
• Kitchen. NOTE – the kitchen role is now full, please choose another option when applying.
  There are limited jobs in the kitchen and it will help if you have had some experience.
• Welfare. Welfare team providing drug and sexual harm reduction support and care for festival goers; working in a trauma informed way. Welfare works alongside the medical team, and provide all non-medical support. Shifts are 6 hours, round the clock as Welfare is open all the time during the festival, so you will be working some evening/night shifts. You will always be on shifts in a group of 3. There will always be experienced volunteers on rota. We have a strong team of experienced, caring volunteers and are looking for a few more folk to join us. For any specific queries about this role, please contact Helen: thesoupdragon@hotmail.co.uk
• Production volunteers. There are limited spaces for roles in Production work. Please email crew@knockengorroch.org.uk if you are interested in any of the production roles and include the dates that you are available as specified below:
  
• Pre-production
  Priority will be given to those who can arrive on site early in May, the earlier the better, to help with pre -production and we look for people with skills and previous experience of production roles where possible. If we are still short of production crew then we will accept people who must start work by the Saturday, possibly the Sunday morning, before the festival begins at the latest. Please note – you may need to work on Thursday 21st May, despite the fact that we open to the public that day to sort last minute jobs, so please check with our production manager whether you are still needed to help on the Thursday.You will be fed every day you are working and do not have to work during the festival.
• Post-production work

  You need to be available for four full days after the festival to help clear up i.e. til the end of Thursday. If you are working post-production you will be fed after the festival when you are working but not during the festival.

  If we cannot offer you a role in production, we would like to place you in one of the festival teams in one of the other departments. Please state whether you would be happy with this and your second preferred option.

Please consider when you apply your skills and experience. We will choose people who are more suited to the jobs they have chosen.

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Q: How many hours do crew work?

A: All weekend crew will work no more than 24 hours over the four/five/six days. For night shifters the hours are slightly less. A stage sitting job will involve two night shifts (12 midnight to 8am or 2am to 10am) guarding the stage equipment. A night shift in the office will involve two office shifts from 2am-10am.

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Q: When do I have to be there and when am I needed until?

A: From Wednesday 20th until Sunday 24th or Monday 25th May. All crew need to be on site by 5pm Wednesday at the latest. Bar crew need to attend a two hour training session on the Thursday from 10am-12pm. (This is a necessary condition of our licence. You cannot be working on the bar if you cannot attend this training.) You can leave on Sunday night but you must let us know so that we do not rota you on for that night. The festival gates open to the public on Thursday morning and are open Thursday to Sunday 10am-10pm. No entry after 10pm.

Specifically:

Traffic/Welcome Stewarding
Most of the shifts will be on Thursday and Friday. If you can arrive earlier on Tuesday or can stay later on Monday you may be able to do some of your shifts at these times (out-with the festival times).

Office
There are some shifts available on Monday, please let us know if you are able to stay and you may be able to get some of your shifts done after the festival is over.

Kitchen
Again, if you can stay later or arrive earlier you may be able to get some shifts done on the Tuesday before and Monday after the festival.

Post clean-up/ production
We ask for a minimum of 4 full days of work after the festival has ended.

Regardless of job, all crew need to arrive on site by Wednesday evening to attend the crew health and safety briefing. It is important you state if you want to leave on Sunday on the crew application form.

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Q: What about meals?

A: We provide 3 vegetarian meals a day. Breakfast of porridge and/or toast, and two more hot meals. This food is for working crew only and we will not feed friends or family who are not working. If you have any special dietary requirements make sure you bring what you need with you. You must bring your own plate(s), mug and cutlery which you wash yourself.

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Q: Are there crew facilities?

A: All crew get to camp in designated crew areas. Those camping in tents should camp in the garden by the house in the first instance – it’s a walled garden with some old trees around it and close to the crew catering and crew lounge. The garden is also more secure. If this area becomes full, please camp in the crew camping area behind the Longhouse. Please ask at the festival office upon arrival and you will be shown where the crew camping areas are. There is also a crew vehicle parking area – which includes crew campervans – adjacent to the crew camping space. If accepted, please do not camp or park anywhere on arrival without checking first you are in the correct area.

The crew lounge is a cosy indoor space for crew to use with tea and coffee making facilities and comfy seating! Please do not smoke in the crew lounge – although it is for crew relaxation we ask smokers to smoke in the outside covered area between the crew kitchen and the lounge.

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Q: What do I need to bring?

A: You will need to bring all your own camping equipment, including tent! You must bring warm clothes and waterproofs including waterproof footwear, a change of clothes and pairs of dry socks. A torch would be very useful. You also must bring your own plate, cup and cutlery for meals which you keep with you all weekend as we do not supply those. You will need to bring any luxuries or special dietary needs with you. There are no villages, towns or shops nearby to pick up extras!

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Q: Can I work with my friend/partner?

A: If you have a friend or partner who wishes to come and crew, they need to apply in their own right. If you state that you are with them we will do our best to rota you on together, but we cannot guarantee this at all times.

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Q: How do I get to Knockengorroch?

A: We have organised a coach for Crew to travel from Edinburgh at 2pm on Wednesday 20th May. This will take crew to site in time for the crew briefing that evening. It costs £27 – please contact Lizzy crew@knockengorroch.org.uk if you would like a seat on this crew coach – places are first come, first served. Note- this is for a one way journey only.

Otherwise:

Knockengorroch Farm is off the A713 between Dalmellington and Carsphairn in Dumfries and Galloway.

The nearest train stations are Ayr and New Cumnock.

The nearest bus stop is Dalmellington to the North and Carsphairn to the South.

There are some infrequent buses that go from Carsphairn to Dalmellington past the festival road end.

Buses in Dumfries and Galloway: Macewans bus services

Buses in Ayrshire: Stagecoach

National train services: Trainline

Also see the Travel page.

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Q: What if I need to cancel my application?

A: If you cancel your volunteer position within 48 hours of the festival opening, then we will only be able to offer a 50% refund of the deposit due to the impact it will have on then trying to find cover for your position and shift cover. If you cancel more than 48 hours ahead of the festival opening we will refund 100% of your deposit.

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