Volunteer | Factory International | Manchester

MIF25: Volunteer with us

Manchester International Festival returns this summer and we’re looking for 400 people to join our awesome team of festival volunteers.

Volunteers have been part of the MIF story from the very beginning. Their energy and enthusiasm have helped us to stage cutting edge art and events across nine festivals and counting.

There are lots of ways to get involved as a volunteer from helping behind the scenes to greeting the public at our events. Volunteering is fun, varied and flexible enough to fit around other commitments. It’s a great way to pick up new skills and make unexpected connections.

Whether you love art, music and culture, or you just want to try something new, we’re looking for Mancunians of all kinds to join the team.

Apply now by creating an account or logging in to our Volunteer Portal.

The deadline for applications is 28 April 2025.

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Volunteer at Aviva Studios

As well as volunteering with us at MIF, we also have opportunities to join our volunteer team at Aviva Studios.

Get involved in a year-round programme of incredible events and see what it takes to put on everything from large-scale warehouse gigs to intimate performances in the Hall.

Apply now to join our team from Spring / Summer 2025 by creating an account or logging in to our Volunteer Portal.

The deadline for applications is 9 March 2025.

WHY VOLUNTEER?

Lots to do. We host and programme a wide range of events – from visual art exhibitions and music gigs to theatre shows and workshops. You can do something different every time you volunteer.

Join a supportive community. OK, we’re biased, but Factory International volunteers are the best! Be part of a diverse and caring team of people coming together to put on incredible events.

Learn something new. Volunteering is a great way to pick up skills and can lead to new opportunities.

It’s flexible. Our volunteer shifts take place in the daytimes, evenings, weekdays and weekends – and we have programmes to suit different kinds of availability. If you sign up to volunteer at MIF, you’ll need to have good availability from 3 to 20 July.

WHAT YOU COULD BE INVOLVED IN

Be the face of Factory International. Our volunteer team makes our welcome to audiences extra special. Whether it's greeting the public or helping steward a one-of-a-kind event, show or gig, you'll be right in the middle of the action.

Get involved behind the scenes. It takes a lot of people to keep our events moving! We’ll be looking for volunteers to support the teams that look after artists, participants, and our wider events.

Lay the groundwork. We often have opportunities for volunteers to drop in for a few hours to test out our artists’ ideas or get stuck in to preparing a show before it opens to the public. It’s a great way to get a sneak peak of what’s coming up.

Expect the unexpected. There are always new kinds of volunteering roles and out-of-the-ordinary projects to be involved in.

How it all works

Want to volunteer with us? There's a simple three- step process:

Step one: apply. Submit a short and simple application using our online volunteer portal. What you tell us about yourself will help us build a team with different interests and availability, and one that reflects the rich diversity in our city and the world at large. There are no wrong answers (we promise)!

Step two: Meet the team. If you’re shortlisted, we’ll be in touch to arrange a time for you to meet a member of our existing volunteer team for a chat. This is a chance for us to get to know you, and for you to decide if volunteering is right for you.

Step three: get ready. All volunteers attend an induction session where you'll learn more about the programme, and receive all the training you need for your volunteer role. Check the opportunity page on the portal for the dates of these. Once you’ve attended a session, you'll be ready to get stuck into volunteering with us.

good to know

Volunteering with us is open to everyone aged 18 and over, who lives in Greater Manchester. (Not yet 18? Check out the range of other ways to get involved)

We aim to meet everyone’s access requirements, and as part of our application process there will be a space to tell us about any access needs you have to enable you to fully take part in volunteering. If you’d like to talk to us about access before you apply, then please email volunteering@factoryinternational.org

We reimburse travel and subsistence expenses in line with our expenses policy. This includes covering the full cost of public transport within Greater Manchester when you travel to volunteer. We’re also happy to discuss covering other types of expenses you might incur, to allow you to participate fully in the volunteer programme.

We supply Factory International or MIF volunteer clothing for your shifts. This might include a t-shirt, sweatshirt, waterproof or rucksack depending on the kind of volunteer role you sign up to.

We’ll provide all the training you need for your role, so no previous experience is required.

Many of our opportunities take place at our home, Aviva Studios. Some volunteering – in particular volunteering for MIF – might take you to other locations and venues within Greater Manchester.