HomeInitiatives Arts in the Parks Arts in the Parks Toolkit Planning Human Resources

Volunteer Management

To keep track of volunteers, easily communicate with them and manage volunteer schedules, all of which helps make volunteering a pleasant experience for both you and your volunteers, consider using a volunteer management platform such as Better Impact or Volgistics.

Human Resources

Arts in the Parks volunteers at Chester Le Park, by Josh Clavir (2017)

You need to consider what human resources are needed for your event, and whether they will be paid staff or volunteers. You will also need an Event Crew, or a number of sub-crews, to ensure event logistics run smoothly on the day of.

Paid Staff
Each year, TAF has applied to Canada Summer Jobs to hire summer staff to support a variety of tasks such as outreach, writing event reports and attending the events and overseeing volunteers. Temporary staffing can make it possible for a small organization to tackle a big project and the positions are a great opportunity for students interested in the arts to gain experience in cultural placemaking.

Larger scale events will benefit from a Production Coordinator or Producer. For example, an outdoor arts event presented by a municipality should have staff hours assigned to the project.

Volunteers
Volunteers are as integral to the success of AITP events as they are to most arts events. They support staff by handling tasks and logistics that would be impossible for any one staff to do on their own. Consider recruiting young people since high school students have a curriculum requirement to complete 40 hours of volunteer service. In 2017, TAC/TAF incorporated youth volunteers (ages 14-17) into our programming and established roles exclusive to this group.

Volunteers contribute their time and skills for many reasons but one of the most common is being able to participate in the event and experience the art.

Volunteer roles can include:

  • Informing the public about the initiative and specific events
  • Helping with event set up and take down
  • Staffing a box office or refreshment booth
  • Conducting surveys

ARTS IN THE PARKS NUMBERS
Volunteers

In 2018 more than 300 volunteers contributed 1010 hours of work; those that responded to a volunteer survey told us:

  • 58% volunteer in the same area of the city that they live in
  • 78% would volunteer again for Arts in the Parks
  • 85% of volunteers feel welcomed and appreciated by Arts in the Parks summer staff
  • 81% of volunteers feel their volunteering mattered
  • 86% of volunteers feel their volunteering was valuable to them

                                                                      - Arts in the Parks Evaluation Report 2018   

 

Event Crew
An event crew, or sub-crews, can be made up of organizational staff, sponsor staff, supporters and community volunteers. An event crew will:

  • Assist with all aspects of event, workshop or installation set-up
  • Set up box office and sell tickets (if the event’s not free)
  • Staff a refreshment table
  • Help vendors find and set up their spots (if event includes vendors)
  • Staff an event information table
  • Help manage and guide audience members and assist with information requests
  • Distribute and collect surveys
  • Assist with all aspects of event take-down, including site clean-up and garbage removal

A stage and sound crew is likely to be made up of paid technicians. They will:

  • Set up audio/visual equipment
  • Run sound checks
  • Run sound during the show
  • Pack up and remove equipment

 

“I was interested in getting involved with a new organization. I liked that this one was outdoors and had to do with community arts. I also liked the flexibility/commitment level.”

- Volunteer, 2017

 

“I lived in Toronto for most of my life and volunteering with Arts in the Parks allowed me to explore parks I had never been too, such as Trillium Park.”

- Volunteer, 2018

 

 

  • TIP 

    If you have more than one act at your event, you will need: a stage manager to get artists settled backstage and let them know when they are on and an emcee to introduce acts and make announcements.