Hello Minions!
Thank you for your interest in being a volunteer to help make SHIFT Festival 2024 a success. The Volcano loves you!
Listed below are the departments who need volliez. Please read through each Department Description to determine which departments you would be best suited for.
NOTE: Pick 3-4 departments. We will do our best to place you in your departments of choice.
Once you have picked your chosen departments, fill out the Volunteer Survey (Goes live 4/9).
_____________________________________________________________________
Direx
The DIREX department is in charge of creating and installing signage at SHIFT, so that festivalgoers know where to find what! You can let your creativity run wild to paint beautiful, informative signs and/or work with the DIREX lead to place and remove these signs around the festival. Help give some direction to the flowing chaos and volunteer with direx!
*Some shifts in this department require more difficult physical labor, such as using a T-post driver to pound fence posts into the hard ground.
Tasks:
- Meet pre-event to create signs.
- Install signs before festivalgoers arrive. (Build-Weekend & the Wednesday prior)
- Remove signs post-event, after festivalgoers leave. (Tear-down Monday & Tuesday)
When this work is done: Pre-event, Build Weekend, Wednesday before event, Tear-Down after the event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Decor
The DECOR department brings flowing chaos to the beach stage. Looking for minions to sew miles of garland, and assist in creating and installing art pieces. Help us set the scene for the day party of your chaotic dreams!
Tasks:
- Meet pre-event to assist in building art pieces for the beach area.
- Assist in assembly of art pieces on site (Thurs morning pre-festival)
- Assist in assembly of beach infrastructure (shade structure, floating barge, etc) (Wed, Thurs pre-festival)
- Transition beach area from day to evening (lighting, floatie barge, etc)
- Disassemble and tear-down decor and beach post-event, after festivalgoers leave. (Tear-down Monday & Tuesday)
When this work is done: Pre-event, Wednesday &Thursday before event, Tear-Down after the event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Fire Circle/Flaym:
This department encompasses both the Fire Circle and Flaym effects for the Volcano. You can choose to be involved with either one or both of these sub-departments. They are managed by the same lead.
Fire Circle volunteers help provide and oversee a space for people to participate and enjoy fire dancing.
The roles required to operate the fire circle are Fire Safeties and a Fuel Depot Attendant.
- Fire Safeties will watch fire dancers to help keep them safe during their burn and extinguish lit props with a duvetyne when necessary.
- Fuel Depot Attendants will help fire dancers to fuel fire props, ensure dancers know and agree to the fire circle rules, and help inspect fire props to make sure they are safe for use.
An onsite training will be held for both of these roles Thursday evening before the Fire Circle opens. Training will include how to observe for safety, how to communicate risk with dancers, and how to safely extinguish a lit fire prop.
These roles will require the ability to be sober, sit in a chair for 2 hours, stand up quickly and reach a dancer if necessary, as well as the ability to loudly announce yourself while assisting.
List of Tasks:
- Prepare the fire circle in the evening.
- Ensure Fire Dancers agree to and follow the rules.
- Ensure that Fire Dancers know where the Fire Safeties are located
- Check that fire props meet quality and durability standards.
- With consent, assist fueling fire props safely.
- Pack up the fire circle at the end of the night.
When this work is done: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights
Flaym is responsible for Flame Art and Flame effects, such as the Tectonic Sign and Volcano Poofers. YOU get to be in charge of making sure participants are engaging in fire fun (responsibly)! Vollies will be stationed at the Tectonic fire sign and be responsible for passing around the poofer button to the crowd (make the volcano go POOF!). Fire Safety training(provided on site) and sobriety while on shift are requirements for this position.
List of Tasks:
- Attend fire safety training at the event
- Monitor flame effects and keep everyone safe
- Pass the Poofer buttons around!
When this work is done: Night into the wee morning hours. NOTE: Because late hours and sobriety are required for this work, we offer 2x shift weight!
_____________________________________________________________________
Gate/Parking:
Gate: Gate volunteers are responsible for admitting ticketed participants into the event safely, quickly, and efficiently, ensuring no backup onto roads. Volunteers will direct traffic into lanes as appropriate and ensure that all stopped vehicles have been shifted into park, and turned off. Volunteers will then determine whether participants are authorized to enter the event by checking tickets and IDs. Volunteers will wristband participants and may provide them with informational material. Volunteers will use radio to contact department lead and event producers as necessary. In coordination with other departments, Gate will help ensure that participants drop their belongings off and return to park their vehicles in a timely manner.
Parking: Parking volunteers are responsible for ensuring that participant vehicles are parked in an orderly manner in the parking lot that makes good use of space and maintains vehicle and emergency access. Participants will park their vehicles after dropping off their belongings at their camp locations. Volunteers will direct participants to appropriate parts of the parking area and monitor conditions by periodic inspection of the area. Volunteers will assist with any possible event efforts to mark or otherwise identify vehicles. Volunteers will use radio to contact department lead, event producers, greeters, and/or placement department. Volunteers will ensure that fire lanes and other relevant areas are kept clear at all times according to the event fire safety plan.
All department volunteers may work Gate, Parking, or a mixture of both, based on volunteer preference and event needs.
Physical Requirements Gate/Parking:
- Able to stand and walk for the entire shift (even if usually there are breaks)
- Able to communicate verbally over radio
- Able to use telephone ticket scanners provided by Humanitix
- Willing to be assertive with participants and say “no”
- Willing to read, understand, and apply event rules and follow Gate procedures
- Sufficient visual acuity to avoid moving vehicles
- Able to remain sober on shift
- These are the requirements for primary Gate/Parking duties. We welcome people of all abilities on the team, and we will find a way for anybody to help. If you have concerns or questions, please discuss this with the department lead in advance. You can email Cinder (aka Discount Candy) at gate@talikcreative.com
When this work is done: Pre-event open and during event hours. Gate/Parking is usually open 10am-10pm.
_____________________________________________________________________
Grass Guardians:
Grass Guardians will operate 24 hours a day, working 6 hour shifts. If you are familiar with Rangers at burner events, this is sort of like that. While it is helpful to have prior experience, it is not required because there will be on-site coordination and people will be partnered, as much as possible, with someone with experience.
The main overall task of the Grass Guardians is participant safety and being the eyes and ears of the festival, helping us all keep our community safe and engaged.
Grass Guardians will:
- Be sober, alert, and rested for their shifts
- Roam the event field in pairs while equipped with radios
- Talk to participants about fire safety and enforce designated smoking areas
- Watch for wristbands on everyone at the event
- Help Security monitor the event perimeter
- Answer general event questions and act as an information resource to participants
- Watch for emergencies and help get the appropriate resources to the scene
- Help mediate disputes in a non-confrontational and objective manner
- Listen to participants who may be having a particularly rough day
- Wear distinguishable green Grass Guardians shirts or other provided attire
- A pre-event and on-site training will be offered.
When this work is done: Around the clock, during event hours.
_____________________________________________________________________
Greetz
Are you welcoming, positive, friendly, and great at concise verbal communication/ interactions (in 5 min or less)? Then Greetz is the volunteer job for YOU!
SHIFT greeters are the welcome wagon for the Volcano! With an enthusiastic smile, welcoming energy, and maybe some consensual hugs, Greetz interacts with each car filled with distracted and excited festival goers coming from the gate. You will help folks get oriented and remind them to follow the event rules. You will also hand out goodies and information about SHIFT.
List of Tasks:
- Greet participants as they arrive to the event, prioritizing consent
- Gift participants their welcome items
- Give directions to the parking lot, camping areas, and offer general information about the speed limit
- Remind them about fire safety
- Offer brief SHIFT cultural information
When this work is done: When Gate is open, usually 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
_____________________________________________________________________
Ice & Info
Be a part of the team that provides useful information to participants and sells ice! You will help answer people’s questions, find things on the map, direct them where they need to go, and sell them ice! This team is also responsible for gathering and storing Lost & Found and will be assisting Command Center as needed when not consumed by Info and Ice services.
List of Tasks:
- Provide information to festival participants and volunteers, including performance times, daily music lineup, smoking areas, restroom locations, and giving out directions.
- Distribute volunteer shirts.
- Relay communication of information to festival volunteers, rangers, gate/greeters, medical and leads on a radio.
- Collecting, documenting, and storing Lost & Found.
- Interact and communicate with participants in selling and slinging bags of ice from storage to participants’ hands.
When this work is done: During the event, usually 10am-6pm
_____________________________________________________________________
LNT: Leave No Trace!
Hello future SHIFTer! Thank you for your interest in the LNT team. In the Burning Man spirit, SHIFT aims to be a Leave No Trace event by leaving the event site as it was- or better! The LNT team is in charge of keeping the event site looking just as pristine (or better!) as it was before the festival. This crew works during the event and post-event. This includes engaging with attendees during the event, and staying on site after the event ends to perform “MOOP sweeps”.
LNT Vollies will:
- Perform Daily event sweeps, which includes walking the roads, checking the music stages, and clearing the surrounding public areas of debris every morning.
- Processing any lost & found, and delivering it to Info Booth
- Quick check of each porto-potty for any serious situations 🙂
- Sweeping Designated Smoking Areas
- Roaming the event site and talking to participants about LNT or elevating to the productions team where there is an issue
- Post-event LNT and Moop Sweeps to ensure the site is left as good as it was when we found it.
When this work is done: During and after the event. During the event we’ll sweep mornings, and early evenings to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
NEED: Volliez willing to do LNT during Tear Down (Mon/Tue after the event)
_____________________________________________________________________
Mäkz:
Fixing and Making Tectonic Art: MÄKZ is a crew of builders who will be making art and infrastructure before the event.
For this department, we are really only looking for people who already have a specific skill set and who are interested in creating or leading certain projects. If you want to help complete simple maintenance tasks such as sanding and painting, consider being a part of the WERX department, or possibly you want to help make DECOR? Perhaps painting signs for DIREX sounds fun….?
If you are a skilled builder in wood or metal make a point to mention that in your volunteer survey and we may seek you out for more specific tasks involving hands-on production of SHIFT infrastructure!
When this work is done: Pre-Event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Platez:
Thanks for feeding all the workers volunteering their time to make this event happen! Together the crew must be able to read the recipe, prep, cook, and clean up (including leftovers) a pre-planned meal during their assigned shift. These kitchen shifts include preparation, cooking, dishwashing and grey water/LNT and maybe a wandering waiter/server to deliver meals to gate, lifeguards, and/or other stationary positions that may need food/drink.
Knowing and maintaining the always-available snack area as well as refilling the beverage station with water, Gatorade, and coffee will be required of the crew as well.
- People with kitchen experience are preferred. Must be comfortable with knives and hot flames. You must be sober for your shift. Clothing and safe shoes must be worn in the kitchen.
- We will maintain a bus tub wash, rinse and sanitize area for diners to clean their own eating ware. Our pots and pans will be washed in a separate area.
- Food prep will be done in Portland and participating will be an option to earn vollie credits. Stay tuned for more details.
- To be as inclusive as possible, the meals will all be vegan-based with plenty of meat, cheese, etc. available on the side to add in for omnivores. Most of the main courses will also be gluten free, with GF options for the meals that are not. We’ll also strive to accomodate for any and all dietary needs/restrictions.
When this work is done: Before, during and a bit after the event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Sparx:
The Sparx crew keeps the lights on! We are looking for a few reliable volunteers to support our team and the work that we do. Sparx volliez will either work on trenching (SO much trenching!) and laying/removing cables Tue-Thu onsite & after the event, or they’ll be supporting Sparx leads before/during the event. For the latter role(s), ideally we are seeking folks with experience working with electrical distribution, main and sub panel wiring, familiarity with wire gauge ampacity, generators, grounding, electrical code, and electrical safety (or interest to learn). Volunteers for SPARX will be interviewed and approved by the department lead.
Sparx Team #1
List of Tasks:
- Work with one other vollie to trench, lay cables, and backfill trenches
- Rip up and organize the cables after the event.
When this work is done: ON-SITE One to two days before the event, and one day post-event.
Sparx Team #2
List of Tasks:
- Setting up generators and running 3-phase distribution lines from generators to load centers and/or spider boxes
- Run cabling/extension cords from spider/distro boxes to user endpoints
- Balancing load per phase on generators
- Watching generator fuel levels
- Connecting/monitoring smaller generators for needs not in the main grid area.
- Taking sober on-call shifts during the festival for problems that may arise.
When this work is done: ON-SITE One to two days before the event, some during event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Water Guardians:
Water Guardians are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of SHIFT festival attendees in and around the water. Shifts occur during daylight hours and last 2-4 hours, with a minimum of two Water Guardians per shift. While working independently, Water Guardians must remain self-motivated and alert, keeping conversations to a minimum while remaining watchful and vigilant for any unsafe behaviors or unattended minors. Advanced swimming skills are required and comfort on the water is essential, with kayaking/paddle boarding ability being a plus.
In addition to these crucial safety duties, Water Guardians also provide self care services such as sunscreen, water, first aid, and misting to participants.
Skill Requirements:
- MUST be sober for your ENTIRE shift.
- Comfortable on the water, with an advanced swimming ability.
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively on the radio in any type of situation.
- Comfortable for long periods in the sun, with crowds and nudity.
- Have a fun, body positive, consenting attitude!
When this work is done: During the event, Thursday – Sunday, when people are at the beach. Some pre- and post-event shifts possible.
_____________________________________________________________________
Werx:
Like to lift heavy things? Werx is looking for YOU! Werx is the festival infrastructure team. We are the hardcore backbone of this event. SHIFT absolutely cannot happen without Werx volliez. We need you!
Work comes in five phases:
1.Inventory and prep work: Volunteers will meet at Tectonic headquarters, usually on Wednesday nights, to work with the inventory and organize the festival assets. Each year things break, and need repairs, so maintenance tasks are needed, which can include woodworking, painting, and other builder tasks. Mostly this is done by our Makz crew, but Werx assists as needed. Be sure to bring working clothes, gloves, close-toed shoes, and ear & eye protection if you have it. If you don’t have it, that’s ok, we can help provide.
This work happens prior to the event.
2. Loading and Transport: Volunteers will meet at Tectonic headquarters for loading of the Werx main manifest into cargo vehicle(s). Equipment includes heavy components. Werx will also provide loading labor for the other volunteer groups as needed. Transport duties involve driving cargo to site and also includes pickup of any rental gear and heavy equipment. This work happens prior to the event.
3. Build Weekend: Volunteers spend the weekend camping on-site: erecting structures and carports, making stages and dance areas, staking-off the perimeter, marking smoking areas, and anything else that needs done. Volunteers will be trained in use of rental equipment and will provide support labor to the other groups. The goal with this weekend is both to get the majority of the festival infrastructure up, but also to have a good time and make some friends camping. This work happens Saturday & Sunday, July 20-21.
4. Festival Build/Event Support: Volunteers will assist with any last minute setup of the event the day & night prior to its opening. During the event, volunteers will be on-call and must respond to Werx assistance requests from other groups. Festival build happens Wednesday & Thursday, July 24-25th
On-call event support continues until the end of the event on Monday, July 29th.
5. Tear Down: Takes place on Monday and Tuesday, July 29-30. Volunteers will deconstruct all relevant structures and repack them into designated cargo vehicles. Volunteers may also be instructed to assist with deconstruction of other camps depending on the level of progress of Tectonic tear down. This phase is absolutely critical. Due to scheduling and previous labor levels these shifts will have the highest capacity of volunteers assigned.
**Also if you work both Monday and Tuesday of tear down, you get FULL reimbursement of the ticket!
All five of these phases are critical for SHIFT to run smoothly. Werx vollies can pick and choose the phases they would like to help with (i.e. you are NOT responsible for all of this if you choose to be a Werx vollie!!)
When this work is done: ALL THE TIME!