We need more stewards to supplement our current, loyal but ageing band of volunteers.
We employ professional adjudicators and every performer will receive a certificate. Winners receive medals.
Each room in which classes are staged will usually need four volunteers.
These are:
1. A Steward at the entrance door, who also maintains quiet outside the room and, after each class has ended, takes the marking record along to the Certificate Office;
2. An Adjudicator's Steward (AS) who assists the Adjudicator and, where appropriate, maintains the official stopwatch, (some classes have rigid time limits). At the end of each class, the Adjudicator awards a mark to every performer and the AS helps to maintain the necessary paperwork. The AS will be able to give an Adjudicator guidance about the Festival's grading policy and the other Rules.
3. A Platform Steward (PS) who assists the PM, noting down the arrival of every performer and keeping the class indicator board up to date.
4. A Platform Marshall (PM) who is effectively in charge of the room, will introduce the session to the audience, announce every performer and try to ensure that the adjudicators keep to the timing schedule. This sounds more complicated than it actually is and training and guidance is provided.
We also always need scribes to assist with the preparation of the certificates. They should generally be able to cover a complete session.
Scribes need good calligraphy skills.
A willingness to learn and be part of a team are most important for the other roles, which all require different skills and qualities from admin to organisational skills and reliability.
In 2024 the festival will take place from 1st to 3rd March, from 8th to 11th March and then from 15th to 17th March. On the afternoon of the 17th we will stage the Final Concert which will contain the finals of both the Young Musician and the Speech & Drama Competitions.
We don't know until entries close on 8th January exactly how many classes we will run. Each day is divided into three sessions; 09:00 until 12:00 ish; 14:00 until 16:30 ish and 18:00 until 21:00 ish.
In 2024 we are planning a session each Friday 18:00 to 21:00 ish.
Volunteers are really required to work complete sessions but we have no strict rules on how many sessions an individual should do.
Free tea, coffee and biscuits are supplied!
We will be holding a Volunteers coffee morning or afternoon at the school on Saturday 23rd February 2024. At that meeting we can arrange for guided tours of the school to take place and we can introduce new volunteers to our current volunteer team.
We usually try to put a new volunteer in with more experienced team members and everyone will gladly share advice and guidance.
We operate BIFF's Child Protection Policy and follow its Safe Working Practice guidelines. New volunteers are required to give two referees unless that person is already known to a member of the Festival committee, when one referee will suffice. There is no current need for general volunteers to be DBS checked. Anyone who should be DBS checked under the BIFF rules is so treated.
Sally Hobkinson, our Volunteer Coordinator, will be able to answer any questions sallyhobkinson@hotmail.co.uk
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The Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech & Drama has been running since 1936 and thousands of (mainly) young people have performed in classes which have received a professional adjudication.
The Festival always takes place in the first three weekends in March and for several years it has been hosted by Harrogate High School.
