Guelph Jazz Festival Seeking Volunteers
August 31, 2009 - News Release
Organizers of the Guelph Jazz Festival are looking for volunteers for the 16th annual jazz festival and colloquium, which will be held Sept. 9 to 13 in venues around the city of Guelph and at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.
The festival was started in 1994 by University of Guelph English professor Ajay Heble and has evolved into a world-class showcase for jazz performance and education.
U of G sponsors include the schools of Fine Art and Music, Languages and Literatures, and English and Theatre Studies, as well as the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, the Central Student Association and various other departments.
Festival organizers rely on volunteers for various tasks, including hospitality services, box office and merchandise sales, beverage sales and service, and festival promotions/materials distribution.
Specifically, volunteers are needed to help out at the free jazz tent Saturday, Sept. 12 in downtown Guelph. Tent volunteer training and orientation will be this Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Guelph Jazz Festival office, 123 Woolwich Street. People interested in volunteering should fill out an application in advance. Applications are available online.
For every six hours of service, volunteers receive a complimentary ticket to a festival event, as well as a T-shirt and an invitation to a volunteer appreciation party.
Hailed as one of Canada's most influential music festivals, the Guelph Jazz Festival has earned critical acclaim for presenting innovative jazz and creative improvised music in a community setting.
Most recently, the festival was shortlisted for the arts organization category of the 2009 Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, which recognizes outstanding achievement in and contribution to Ontario arts and culture.
The festival features a main-stage program of Canadian and international artists, participatory community music initiatives and a "jazz around town" series. In addition, the Guelph Jazz Festival is the only such festival in Canada that includes free workshops, lectures and panel discussions on the influence of jazz on society and culture.
For more information about the festival and volunteer opportunities, visit the website or send e-mail to volunteer@guelphjazzfestival.com.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, at 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338 or lhunt@uoguelph.ca , or Barry Gunn, Ext. 56982 or bagunn@uoguelph.ca .
