WORKING AT HAY FESTIVAL

The festival is put together by hundreds of people, from building the site and producing the events to welcoming our guests and spreading the word! We currently have vacancies for a Development Director, Funding and Sponsorship Officer, Site Crew, Box Office and Hay Academy Volunteers, come and join us!

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

£50,000 per annum

Hay Festival are seeking an experienced Development Director. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated target driven individual who has a strong understanding of the funding landscape across the UK, in particular the arts and wider cultural landscape. They will oversee all areas of fundraising and major sponsorship for Hay Festival and be key in helping shape the future of the organisation.

A full job description can be found here

Skills and Experience

Essential

A track record of successful fundraising experience in a broad range of funding areas including public, trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and individuals.

Good networks across the cultural community and corporate environment, with the ability to motivate, influence and negotiate effectively.
Excellent interpersonal, oral, and writing skills with the ability to make direct solicitations to potential supporters.
Experience of developing, implementing and evaluating a fundraising strategy
Creative thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to cultivate relationships. between a funders objectives and Hay Festival’s mission and aims.
Highly effective administrative and organisational skills including the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
Understanding of best practice in fundraising standards.
Effective researcher of potential sources of funding.
Experience of managing, motivating and coaching staff
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.

Desirable

Experience of fundraising within the arts and cultural sector
Proven experience in a charitable environment.
Understanding of tax-effective giving
Welsh speaker

Hay Festival strives to be a diverse and inclusive employer. We value difference and recruit by merit based on fair and open competition and welcome candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people or social groups that are currently underrepresented in the creative industries.

If you would like an informal chat about the role before applying please do get in touch.

To apply please send a letter explaining how your experience fits the role and a copy of your CV to Adrian at adrian@hayfestival.org by Friday 10th February – 12.00pm

FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIP OFFICER

£30,900 per annum

We are seeking a Fundraising and Sponsorship Officer with a strong understanding of the funding landscape across the UK. The successful candidate will have successfully fund-raised from corporate sponsors, trusts and foundations and individuals. The role requires excellent verbal and written communication skills articulating the case for support, setting targets and leading fundraising efforts for festivals, special projects and capital campaigns.

A full job description can be found here

Essential

A creative mindset with the ability to create new fundraising approaches and generate imaginative proposals and campaigns.
Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify and leverage new sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
Demonstrable knowledge of trusts and foundations application processes and the ability to write strong, precise and persuasive proposals.
Experience of writing evaluation and impact reports for funded projects or programmes
Financially literate with an understanding of tax and legal issues affecting fundraising activity.
Ability to network,, confident in meeting new people and establishing lasting professional relationships with a wide range of people, both internally and externally
An understanding, and up-to-date knowledge of, the cultural sector.
Strong organisational skills with excellent time management, ability to multi-taskand consistently meet differing deadlines.
Persuasive communication skills, in both writing and speaking.
Flexible and responsive approach to working as part of a team and with external stakeholders.
Passionate and articulate about the value of the cultural sector.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite. (Word, PowerPoint) and Excel (spreadsheets)

Desirable

Experience of working in a charitable environment.
Experience of fundraising for arts and culture
Welsh speaker

If you would like an informal chat about the role before applying please do get in touch.

To apply please send a letter explaining how your experience fits the role and a copy of your CV to Adrian at adrian@hayfestival.org by Friday 10th February – 12.00pm

BOX OFFICE STAFF 2023

Applicants need to be extremely IT literate, have a pleasant and confident telephone manner and be prepared to go above and beyond to ensure festival goers get the best possible customer service experience. Duties include, but are not limited to:

Taking ticket bookings face to face and over the telephone
Helping customers navigate and use our website
Responding to queries by email
Ticket packing and postage
Data management
Helping to keep the BoxOffice a safe, clean and welcoming space at all times.

This year we are looking to fill two separate roles

Role 1: We have two positions to fill during the run up to the festival, from the time the programme is launched (early March) until the end of the festival (4th June 2022). You will be required to work from our Hay-On-Wye office on a full time basis, including some Saturdays, until we move to the festival site. It will then be necessary for you to transfer some of your office based experience in order to mentor new staff who will only work for the festival period itself. We will also require you to be available for two full days training ahead of the start date.

Role 2: In this role you will only work for the live festival period and will be based in the boxoffice onsite. We will also require you to be available for a day's training ahead of the festival.

Pay rate: Varies dependent on age and prior experience. Meals in staff restaurant during the festival included. Applicants will need to have their own accommodation and transport.

For further Information about the post or to apply, contact Penny on penny@hayfestival.org making it clear which role you are interested in.

HAY FESTIVAL 2023 - SITE CREW

We are currently recruiting for x8 positions in the Hay Festival site crew team. Positions start on 2nd May and run full time through to 10th June 2023, including 2/3 weekends.
We are looking for general labourers plus people with additional skills such as carpentry & fork lift. Applicants must be reliable, fit, outgoing and prepared to work as part of a team to undertake a diverse range of tasks as allocated, including:

Unloading our large warehouse of furniture and installing or distributing around the site
Installation of graphics banners, frames and flags across the festival site
Installation of the Box Office and Green Room internal stud walling and panelling
General festival site maintenance
Assisting the recycling team and generally ensuring the festival site is clean and tidy

Must be prepared to work in all weather conditions (PPE provided) and undertake a wide variety of tasks. A clean driving license and experience of driving a Luton van would be preferable. Good time-keeping necessary.

For further information or to apply please send a current CV to Georgie on Georgie@hayfestival.org or call 01497 822 620

HAY FESTIVAL 2023 - GARDENING CREW

We are currently recruiting for x3 positions in the Hay Festival gardening team. Working days split over a 3 week period: 2x days on week commencing 15th May & x2 full days on week commencing 22nd May & x2 fulls days on week commencing 5th June. We are looking for general labourers, no specific gardening knowledge required.
Applicants must be reliable, fit, outgoing and prepared to work as part of a team to undertake a diverse range of tasks as allocated, including:

Transporting and unloading a large amount of outdoor furniture
Transportation of various plants and plant installations
Ensuring the successful distribution and installations of a large number of plants and plant installations under the guidance of the lead garden designer

For further information or to apply please send a current CV to Georgie on Georgie@hayfestival.org or call 01497 822 620

HAY FESTIVAL ACADEMY 2023

The Hay Festival Academy is a skills development programme that gives talented young people from across the UK, aged 18–25, the opportunity to join the Hay Festival team to develop their skills, knowledge, and potential career path in the creative industries, while volunteering in a professional working environment.

Young people who’ve attended a Hay Festival Academy have gone on to run festivals, write books and films, and to enjoy careers in publishing and in the wider creative and media industries

There are academy places available for student volunteers in the following disciplines:

Events management
Press office.

The Hay Festival Academy is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in one of the world’s leading festivals. Meeting industry professionals, learning new skills, making new friends and contacts and gaining an understanding of possible career paths open to you, make it a festival not to be missed. All students are provided with a return travel ticket to the festival, accommodation and breakfast, lunch and dinner in the on-site crew catering facility.

Please indicate which role you are applying for or express a preference.

If you have any questions or queries please do get in touch via the emails below

EVENTS MANAGEMENT

Each year the Hay Festival attracts some of the world’s leading writers, artists and thinkers, to talk, share their thoughts and ideas and meet audiences. Ensuring guests are warmly received and well looked after during their stay has always been a crucial mission and one of the Festival’s key jobs.

All events management student volunteers need to be attentive and helpful. In return, they get the chance to meet some amazing, creative people, and experience the daily running of a fast-moving international festival, where time-keeping is important and, above all, performers and audience leave having had a thoroughly enjoyable, stimulating and thought-provoking day.

Events management student volunteers help out with a wide range of duties including meeting and greeting authors, assisting with book signings, hospitality in the green room, accompanying artists to events, stage management assistance and manning reception desks. If you have a particular interest in the Environmental, Music or Children’s Literature programmes please let us know in your covering letter.

DATES

The 2023 festival dates are 25 May-4 June. Applicants will need to be available for the duration of the festival.

WHO CAN APPLY?

We are looking for 15 young people between the ages of 18 and 25, who can demonstrate a passion for the arts and interest in events management.

Please send a copy of your CV and a short letter detailing your experience to ellen@hayfestival.org

Deadline for applications is 17th March 2023, and we will let applicants know whether they've been successful as early as possible. If shortlisted, you'll need to be available for a short Zoom interview

PRESS OFFICE

Over the 11 days of the Festival we welcome journalists, press and broadcasters from around the world, all eager to share their stories, articles and photographs of the festival with a global audience. Press office volunteers are based in the Press office on the Festival site, and work with our Publicity Director to help meet the needs of the world’s press. You will help with tasks such as greeting and helping journalists, confirming press accreditation, collating daily press reports and facilitating interviews with authors and performers.

The Press office is a hub of activity and provides invaluable experience for anyone interested in pursuing a career in press and publicity. You must be an excellent communicator, highly motivated and organised.

DATES

Press Office applicants will need to be available from 24 May to 4 June (the 2023 festival dates are 25 May-4 June). Applicants will need to be available for the duration of the festival.

WHO CAN APPLY?

We are looking for three graduate students, up to the age of 25, who are eager to gain experience in publicity and arts events. Please send a CV, a short covering letter and example of your work to christopher@hayfestival.org.