Volunteering at your favorite music festival can be a great idea for all parties involved. It’s almost like a work exchange program, where you agree to work for a predetermined amount of time in exchange for a free ticket. Communication should be easy and seamless, with both the festival and the individual willing to work together to achieve the common goal. Sometimes however, things don’t always get handled as smoothly (or professionally) as they should be.
Recently we got word of things being handled unprofessionally regarding the work exchange program at Great North Festival in Maine. Set to kick off September 19 through the 21st, this one was on our radar for quite some time. Unfortunately it seems as if the leader of the program (who goes by “Christof E Dublin” on FB) resorted to talking down to volunteers and belittling them. These are the very people who trade their time to better the festival, so it’s strange they wouldn’t be treated with more respect considering they are employees.
It’s unsettling that a respected festival like Great North can allow this to happen. He/she seems to mistake the volunteers for 1st graders with the tone of voice used to address them
It’s difficult to work for an employer when there is a feeling of a hostile work environment. This sentiment can apply in all aspects of life. If I were volunteering I’d not only refuse to work for someone who clearly doesn’t appreciate my efforts, but I would also feel uneasy for my fellow partners.
When faced with backlash over their shift bidding system, their response was simply “then buy a ticket”. Not only does this spew negative vibes for a festival that prides itself on positivity, but it does nothing to address the problem. The bidding system in question is problematic to some because they require you to arrive a day early and manually sign your name into a bid sheet to claim your shifts. Why this can’t be handled online in the weeks before the fest, I’m not quite sure. But regardless, to respond to a volunteer in this curt sort of way only reflects on the festival which holds it.
While I’m sure this isn’t indicative of the festival’s feelings overall towards their volunteers, it certainly doesn’t make it look good. Festivals and their employees should be treating volunteers with the utmost respect, and volunteers shouldn’t accept anything less. As festivals become more and more commonplace throughout the country, it will be the little things that make one stand out above the next. Hopefully others can take note and learn from past mistakes to ensure that festivals respect the fan just as much as the fan respects the festival.
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