Volunteer
Applications to volunteer with us for Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2025 are now open!
We are excited to hear that you are interested in becoming a Norfolk & Norwich Festival Volunteer. We’re happy to announce that this year’s volunteer programme is sponsored by Birketts. Below you will find the Volunteer Application Form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. The Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form is anonymous and will not influence the selection process. As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, we gather this information purely for anonymised reporting purposes. Please fill out these digital forms and click submit by the closing deadline of 12pm midday on Monday 10th March.
To help you choose your preferences in the ‘Volunteer Roles’ section of the Application Form, please read the Person Specification & Role Descriptions to find out more about the roles on offer this year. Please be aware that certain roles are limited and this list is subject to change.
If you are a returning volunteer, you do not need to provide a reference in the ‘References’ section of the Application Form.
How to apply
To apply, first take a look at the Volunteer Role Description Document , this will give you an idea of what we can offer, and what area of volunteering might be of particular interest to you. Then, fill out the Volunteer Application Form through the link below along with an Equal Opportunities form
Easy Read versions
There is also an accessible Easy Read Application Form and Easy Read Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form which can be printed, filled out and sent to our email volunteers@nnfestival.org.uk or posted to our address below. If you would like help filling this in, you can phone us on 01603 877750 and we can fill in your answers or you are welcome to arrange a time to come into the Guildhall on Gaol Hill, Norwich NR2 1JS.
Easy Read Volunteer Role Description
Easy Read Equal Opportunities Form
Invitation to the Volunteer Meet & Greet
If you are interested in volunteering this year, you are warmly invited to a Meet & Greet event on Wednesday 26th February 2025 5 – 6:30pm at Norwich Guildhall. This will be a chance to learn more about the Festival programme for this year and have a chat with returning NNF volunteers and staff. Delicious snacks and drinks will also be provided! If you could let us know you’re coming by emailing us at volunteers@nnfestival.org.uk, this would be great for us to get an idea of numbers. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions about the Meet & Greet, the Festival or directions to Norwich Guildhall. We’re a friendly bunch and always happy to help.
If you have any questions, please see if they have been answered in the Volunteering FAQs or feel free to get in touch with the Volunteers Coordinators at volunteers@nnfestival.org.uk.
NNF24 Volunteer Programme in statistics:
- 80% chose to volunteer with us again
- 95% made new friends
- 87% feel more connected to their community after volunteering with us
- 95% think the skills and experience they gained volunteering with us will help them in the future
- 95% found their volunteer experience rewarding
- 100% would consider volunteering again
Why volunteer with us?
Volunteering with us is a great way to explore your city and county, meet new people, build confidence, learn skills, contribute to the local arts scene and champion international art and culture.
Here’s what previous volunteers say:
“It’s a privilege to be part of the festival. It’s fun, interesting and gives me access to events I would not have necessarily chosen to attend individually. My fellow volunteers are always a joy too!”
“As a student, all the shifts I’d been given felt like extremely helpful work experience that would benefit me in applications after graduation (in which the work also happened to be fun!)”
“I have been given roles that have challenged me and engaged me beyond what I expected to get out of the experience. That has taught me a lot and let me exercise skills in a unique environment I wouldn’t normally get to work at, so thank you!”
“Knowing I have taken active steps to help people achieve something they couldn’t have done without the extra pair of hands was the most rewarding.”
99% of respondents in 2024 enjoyed volunteering for the Festival in 2024.
Last year, volunteers were asked what they loved about volunteering with us, here is what they said:
‘New to Norwich and thought it would be a good way to integrate with the community, city and some light relief from my boring desk job’
‘As someone new to living in Norwich meeting volunteers at different events was a good opportunity to get to know new people, often with similar interests, and if accepted as a volunteer next year I hope to deepen these connections.’
‘I enjoy meeting other volunteers and seeing how much members of the public enjoy attending the festival. In particular I love to see so many people gathering together to be part of the Welcome Weekend, including those who might not usually access the arts.’
‘It is important to step outside if the everyday, and look at where we live, our communities, and the part we can play. Being one of the volunteers has been a dynamic experience, different to the more passive experience of being part of an audience’
‘Just love being part of the festival – it feels an honour to be part of it. Love helping the staff & public. Seeing such a mix of shows as a volunteer shift, buying tickets or the wonderful perk of free tickets at some shows (what an amazing perk & helps increase audience size & gets word out for recommendations etc).’
‘Everyone at the Festival is friendly and there’s no hierarchy or competitiveness.’
With thanks to our Volunteers partner 
Image credits: Denise Koblenz | Masthead © Malachy Luckie