Volunteers

The Festival Staff are All Volunteers

Without volunteers there simply would be no Festival. From the organising committee, to the box office staff, to the technical team, we’re all volunteers. Together we have built one of the largest theatre festivals in Dublin and the oldest and largest festival of its type in the world.

A big thank you to all past, present and future volunteers, without your hard work the Festival would not have grown this much! Thank you!

>>>Volunteer sign up form<<<

Why Volunteer with IDGTF

Besides working together, our volunteers also have some fun, meet new people, see great theatre, and gain new skills! Regardless of your experience or interests we have a job for you!

We are also one of Ireland’s friendliest festivals. As a volunteer you will get to mingle with other volunteers, theatre companies, crew and festival-goers from Dublin and around the world. We host drama, comedy, musical theatre, dance, and free events in venues around Dublin city centre for two weeks every May. In addition to the shows, we have social opportunities both during the Festival and occasionally through the rest of the year.

What’s the commitment?

We appreciate any amount of time that volunteers can spare us and we’re totally willing to work with you and your commitments so you’re free to give as much or as little time as you want. Remember the more you put in the more you’ll get out of it! The time commitment is a bit greater for tech volunteers, as consistency in tech from performance to performance is important.

The Festival is committed to providing a safe space for our volunteers, performers, and audience members. To that end, we subscribe to the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour. All volunteers must complete the following three self-led training courses:

These online courses are free of charge and each take 45 – 50 minutes to complete. It is also possible to complete these courses in Irish, Polish and Brazilian Portuguese. In order to complete the courses, you will first be required to register your details to set up an online account with Screen Ireland.

The courses can be done at any time and in any order. You can click on the course names above, then click on the “BOOK NOW” button. This will take you to the Screen Ireland website where you select the language you would prefer. If you are not already logged in to your Screen Ireland account, you will be prompted to log in. If you do not have a Screen Ireland account, you will be able to create one for free.

When you complete each module, record your course completion code. The volunteer form will ask you to provide these three codes. If you have already completed your Safe to Create training, you can look up your completion codes by logging in to your Screen Ireland account.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are four main areas that volunteers normally get involved in: Front of House, Box Office, Press & Marketing, and Technical. Each of these groups adds something special to the Festival and there’s something for everyone. Some volunteers even volunteer for more than one group! We provide full training for all our volunteers in whatever role they’re undertaking.

Front of House/Box Office

Our Front of House volunteers really are the public face of the Festival, from greeting audience members, to running venues. It’s a great way to be at the very heart of the Festival and savour the atmosphere of it all. Our shows normally run at 19:30 and 21:00 (Bank Holiday and Saturday matinees at 14:30 and 16:00) and our Front of House Volunteers generally arrive at least thirty minutes before the show.

Press & Marketing

Our Press & Marketing Office is one of the most dynamic areas of the Festival. A constant hotbed of activity as it works to help both the Festival and the shows that are part of it as much coverage as possible. Getting the word out about a really great show is hugely important and can make a huge difference to ticket sales. Working alongside our Press & Marketing Officer, our volunteers in the Press & Marketing Office can make a huge difference to the profile of the Festival and its shows. People with social media skills (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, BlueSky, X, Facebook) are especially needed.

Technical

The Festival’s Technical Volunteers, under the stewardship of the Festival’s Technical Director provide the logistical, technical, and backstage support in all our venues for the visiting companies. Tech volunteers are also the face of the Festival for the performance companies as they work most closely with them. As such, it is important that prospective tech volunteers also have excellent organisational and people skills. Work before the Festival can include sourcing and constructing set and prop pieces. During the Festival the work centres around Sunday get-ins, operating shows when needed, and helping during the turnarounds. It’s a really important role that keeps the shows running and it’s a really good way to gain some experience as well as build some strong links with the companies that you’re working with. We are currently looking for technical volunteers as we will be offering an exciting training program in the run-up to the Festival. For more details contact our tech team at tech@gaytheatre.ie. Please provide details of your experience (including a CV if relevant). It is important that you would be available on both Sunday the 3rd of May and Sunday the 10th of May for get in days as well as in the evenings for the two weeks of the festival. Ideally we are looking for people with experience and familiarity with rigging and operating, but we will train you if you need it. If you lack experience, we can also put you with a more experienced volunteer to help you learn. This is a great way to work with casts, crews and directors from all over the world and be part of a fun and dynamic team.

Volunteer Sign Up

Once you have completed your Safe to Create training, fill out our volunteer information form. While this form is available all year, we may not get back to you until January or February. If you use WhatsApp, we will add you to our Festival Volunteers WhatsApp group. We will ask you about general availability, but we will send you a more detailed availability survey before scheduling you for any volunteer shifts.

If you are interested in running tech for shows (sound/lights), you do not need to fill out a volunteer form. Instead please send a message to tech@gaytheatre.ie, and you will be contacted by our Technical Coordinator.

If you are interested in working on the planning committee, please send an email to info@gaytheatre.ie.

Volunteer WhatsApp Groups

In addition to being useful during the Festival, we use the Volunteers WhatsApp group all year to let you know about IDGTF activities and special volunteer events. You can remove yourself from this group at any time.