The Zimbabwean Music Festival is made possible through the charitable stewardship and contributions of time of many generous volunteers. Listed here are tasks that festival attendees can sign-up for during online registration in advance of the festival. Tasks are organized into seven task groups: Festival Setup, Registration, Workshops, Afternoon Stage, Evening Stage, Marketplace, and Festival Takedown. Plan ahead and make your volunteer time a valuable part of your festival experience!
Festival Setup
Workshop Instrument Setup (Weds Thurs)
Move instruments (mostly marimbas) from vehicles to classrooms on Wednesday and Thursday. Must be physically able to manage large and bulky instruments. Supervised by the Lead Instrument Wrangler. Check in at the volunteer table in the registration area.
Marketplace Storage (Thurs)
Assist moving table and chair carts from outdoor marketplace to indoor locked storage for use again at the end of the festival. Reports to the Marketplace Coordinator at Zimfest booth in the Marketplace.
Signage Setup (Thurs)
Put together and place directional signs and posters around campus on Thursday to help attendees navigate around campus efficiently. Materials provided. Reports to the Volunteer Coordinator; check in at the volunteer table in the registration area.
Decorations: Evening Concert and Marketplace (Thurs)
Set up decorations and banners at evening concert hall and marketplace stage on Thursday. Reports to the Festival Coordinator in registration area.
General Festival Setup (Thurs)
Help with jobs previously not assigned in preparation for the start of the festival on Thursday. Reports to the Volunteer Coordinator. Check in at the volunteer table in the registration area.
Registration
Festival Check-in (Thurs Fri Sat Sun)
Welcome folks as they arrive at the registration desk! Issue pre-registration packets (if no changes or questions) and pass them through to the Volunteer Desk to pick up the Festival Guide and verify their volunteer task/time. Report to the Registration Non-Tech Lead at registration desk. Most shifts begin with 15 minutes of training.
Computer Assist (Thurs Fri Sat Sun)
Assist people who need to register for workshops and purchase concert tickets. Must be friendly, organized and have good people skills. Report to the Registration Tech Lead at registration desk. Most shifts begin with 15 minutes of training.
Workshop Eval Assistant (Fri Sat Sun)
Help with workshop evaluations: Prepare evaluation packets for all workshops prior to each session; ensure packets get to all classrooms on time (deliver if not picked up by teacher). Collect evaluations once a day from every classroom after the last session Fri, Sat & Sun at 5:30 pm; clip each workshop’s forms together and put them in the box provided at registration. Must be able to walk to classrooms. Tasks are very time specific, immediately before and after workshops while building are still unlocked. Shifts are short! Please consider multiple shifts! Report to the Registration Non-Tech Lead at the registration desk.
Volunteer Table (Thurs Fri Sat Sun)
Help attendees sign up for volunteer shifts at the end of registration check-in. Report to Volunteer Coordinator in registration area.
Workshops
Workshop Support (Fri Sat Sun)
Work with the Workshop Coordinator to move small instruments (mostly mbiras, drums and additional equipment) between classrooms as needed for teaching. Reports to the Workshop Coordinator in the registration area.
Afternoon Stage
Afternoon Stagehand (Fri Sat Sun)
Assists afternoon stage manager, as needed with setup and breakdown tasks, including moving instruments (mostly marimbas) to and from afternoon stage. Moving can be to and from vehicles or classrooms — others doing this will be performers. Report to Afternoon Stage Manager at the stage in the Marketplace.
Afternoon Green Tent Staff (Fri Sat Sun)
Support the musicians performing at the afternoon stage by putting ice and water in the cooler(s) provided. Also assists with stage setup and instrument moving between sets, as needed. Report to the Afternoon Stage Manager, found at stage in Marketplace.
Evening Stage
Evening Stagehand (Thurs Fri Sat Sun)
Move instruments (mostly marimbas) to the back of the stage before the evening concert. Also move instruments between sets during the evening concert, and move instruments back to vehicles, classrooms or backstage after the concert is over. Reports to the Concert Production Manager. Check in at backstage door to the right of the stage inside concert hall (& Thursday concert at outdoor stage).
Evening Green Room Assistant (Fri Sat Sun)
Assists the Green Room Coordinator with Green Room security and keeping a clean & tidy room during and after evening concert. Coordinator or volunteer must be in Green Room at all times to monitor door and ensure only authorized folks have access. Assists with stocking of food and beverages into the room; and keeping it clean and tidy. After the concert, takes leftover food and beverages to the Mbira Gathering. Reports to the Green Room Coordinator in the Green Room at time of shift.
Evening Concert Door and Ticket Sales (Fri Sat Sun)
Collect tickets from people entering evening concert; and sell tickets to those purchasing at the door. An accounting sheet must be kept showing all tickets sold. Money will be kept in the cash box and secured at all times. Report to the House Manager, found at the front door on the evening concert hall.
Evening Backstage Security (Fri Sat Sun)
Secure the door to backstage in evening concert hall — located to the right of the stage. Start/end shifts here to hand-off to next shift. Monitor the hallway between backstage and Green Room. Ensure only authorized people are entering and using this corridor. If not authorized, escort them out or call campus security if not Zimfest attendees. Check for unlocked doors (of rooms we are not using in this corridor), and advise campus security if they are not. Report to Concert Production Manager.
Marketplace
Marketplace Zimfest Booth (Fri Sat Sun)
Sell Zimfest t-shirts and posters at the Zimfest Booth. An accounting sheet must be kept detailing all sales and money received. Money will be kept in the cash box and secured at all times. Reports to the Zimfest Booth Manager in Marketplace.
Festival Takedown
Workshop Instrument Takedown (Sun Mon)
Move instruments (mostly marimbas) from classrooms into vehicles on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Must be physically able to manage large and bulky instruments. Supervised by the Lead Instrument Wrangler. Check in at the volunteer table in the registration area for instructions.
Marketplace Decoration Takedown (Sun)
Take down the decorative banners from the Marketplace on Sunday afternoon. Reports to the Marketplace Coordinator at Zimfest Booth.
Evening Concert Decoration Takedown (Sun)
Take down the decorations in the evening concert hall at the end of the Sunday night concert. A great shift for those who dance till the very end.
Marketplace Takedown (Sun)
Assist Marketplace Coordinator recover all the tables and chairs used in The Grove and Werner Hall and restock them onto the carts previously stored in Room 140. Reports to the Marketplace Coordinator at Zimfest Booth.
General Festival Cleanup & Signage Takedown (Mon)
Help with cleanup or dismantling after the festival ends on Monday morning including removing directional signage and posters from around campus. Reports to the Volunteer Coordinator. Check in at the volunteer table in the registration area.
