Festival Of Arts & Ideas Seeks Volunteers

NEW HAVEN — The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is seeking volunteers to assist with many aspects of the Ninth Annual Festival, which will be held June 11-26.

There are opportunities for volunteers in many areas, including:

*Festival Information Booth: Outgoing, friendly volunteers are needed at the public information booth to provide information about festival events and New Haven. Some prior knowledge about the city is helpful.

*Activities With Children: People who love being with children (ages 3-12), school groups and families are needed to assist with organizations presenting children’s activities. Volunteers will help events run smoothly, answer questions, and provide support to event staff. Some opportunities involve a multi-day commitment to a specific event or interactive site; others offer a more general role with a flexible time commitment. Most activities require working outside and being on one’s feet for extended periods of time.

*Surveying: Volunteers who enjoy talking with people and initiating contact are needed to help gather information on festival attendees. A formal questionnaire provides the framework for surveying and responses will become part of an economic impact study developed by Quinnipiac University.

*Usher: Ushers hand out programs, take tickets, and seat people at concerts, performances and talks, including performances at University Theatre, the Yale Law School courtyard and other sites.

*Festival Office Work: Volunteers assist staff in the festival office at Church and Elm Street — before, during, and after the festival, as well as throughout the year — with such tasks as computer data entry, filing, typing, preparing mailings, and telephone work.

Volunteers, who may sign up for as many assignments as they choose, are asked to commit to morning, afternoon or evening slots throughout the festival, in four-, six-, or eight-hour shifts. All volunteers are required to attend a single one-hour training session prior to the festival.

Individuals and groups interested in volunteering should contact Sharron Wilkins Conrad, Volunteer Coordinator, at 203-498-3750 or request a volunteer application form by email from volunteer @artidea.org.

Founded in 1996, the International Festival of Arts & ideas has brought thousands of artists and nearly one million visitors from around the world to downtown New Haven for eight festivals. The Ninth Annual Arts & Ideas New Haven will feature US premiers of international theater productions and eclectic artists from more than 20 countries as well as myriad musical performances, dance events, street theater, film screenings, and family activities.

The arts aspect of the festival is matched by the ideas component, which will feature the greatest thinkers of the day in stimulating discussions and thought-provoking debates, with an emphasis this year on speakers who are experts in the fields of science and politics.