Volunteers
The lifeblood of our festival
A unique look behind the scenes
Volunteers are the heart and soul of Fantasy Forest. Without them, the festival would simply not exist. And they are treated as such. Volunteers are granted free access to the festival in exchange for their time and aid.
They are provided with a dedicated area where they can set up camp and share a drink at night around the campfire. During the day, all volunteers have access to the crew tent. Here they can take breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink completely free of charge!
A unique look behind the scenes
Volunteers are the heart and soul of Fantasy Forest. Without them, the festival would simply not exist. And they are treated as such. Volunteers are granted free access to the festival in exchange for their time and aid.
They are provided with a dedicated area where they can set up camp and share a drink at night around the campfire. During the day, all volunteers have access to the crew tent. Here they can take breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink completely free of charge!
Become a 'Purple Shirt'!
Are you 18 or older and would you like to help create the magical realm of Fantasy Forest? Find the perfect role in the job descriptions below!
If you have any questions or require more information, do not hesitate to contact jantien@fantasyforest.co.uk
Application form can be found below the job descriptions.
Setup and takedown
Monday 8AM – Friday 5PM (before the festival)
Physical role
The build team prepares the terrain for the visitors and guests. The team starts one week before the event.
The build team will put down the track mats, place the fences and the crowd barriers, distribute the tables and benches, assist the contractors when needed and perform any other task necessary to transform the event site into a festival site.
The construction crew works closely with the decoration crew and you might be asked to assist in some of their tasks. This is a physically demanding position and is less suitable for people who are not physically fit.
During the weekend you can enjoy the festival. But you are also welcome to sign up for another team during those days if you like to keep busy.
Monday 8AM – Friday 5PM (before the festival)
Physical role
The decoration crew turn the castle ground into a magical realm.
The decoration crew will place all decorations, such as banners, decorative lighting, blackboards and much more. While plenty of decorations are pre-made and prepared, you’ll also need to prepare and paint some during the construction week. A creative mind is expected.
During the weekend you can enjoy the festival. But you are also welcome to sign up for another team during those days if you like to keep busy.
The decoration crew works closely with the construction crew and you might be asked to assist in some of their tasks. This is a physically demanding position and is less suitable for people who are not physically fit
Weekend roles
Friday 8AM – Monday 1PM, 6-8 hours per day
Physical role – due to the size of the campsite, this role requires a lot of walking. Bring your walking boots!
As a member of the camping crew you are responsible for the visitor campsite. You will help direct the visitors to their location and assist them with any questions they have. You will help keep the campsite clean. In the evening you take care of setting up and controlling the official campfire(s) on the campsite.
When the guests arrive you check their tickets, give them their wristbands, explain the campsite rules and help them get settled in. You will also make sure only people with camping wristbands access the campsite.
Friday 9AM – Sunday 8PM 6-8 hours per day
Physical role – This role might require you to walk up and down steps carrying heavy equipment so is most suited to physically able people.
You will help the artists unload and load their instruments and bring them to/from the stage when requested. You will also help keep the stage area clean, make sure there is enough coffee, tea or other refreshments for the artists. During change-overs you will assist the technicians on stage to ensure a smooth and quick change-over. You make sure that people stay behind the barriers and that no unauthorized people enter the backstage area. Together with the stage crew manager you will make the artists feel welcome and at home.
Friday 8AM – Sunday 8PM, 6-8 hours per day
Walking role – Due to the nature of the team, you will be on all parts of the large site, this role requires a lot of walking and does not have a guaranteed schedule as you react to what the groups on site need.
As a member of the Artist Liaison Team you are responsible for all off-stage entertainment. You will make sure our guests and entertainment groups are well looked after, making sure they have all the equipment they need in the right place and making sure the entertainers with scheduled performance times arrive and start at the agreed time. You may be asked to pick up guests at the gate and bring them to their location or assist re-enactment groups when they have questions/requests. You will also be assisting to execute and run the Costume show and Wicker fire ceremony.
Friday 5PM – Sunday 4PM, max 6 hours per day
Sitting role with a scheduled timetable
As part of the Festival Ticket team you will sell tickets in the ticket office or control access to the event site. You will be equipped with scanners to check the tickets and will issue wristbands to two-day pass holders. You will help keep the waiting lines short and will greet the visitors in a friendly way when they arrive at or leave the festival.
Saturday 9AM – Sunday 7PM, max 6 hours per day
Sitting role with a scheduled timetable
As a member of the information stand, you will provide information to the visitors if they have questions about the festival, show times and anything else they can think of. You will also be distributing the information material (festival site map, schedules) to the visitors when they enter the festival grounds. It is also the location where they will turn in items they have found or will report items they have lost
As a member of the info-stand team you will register the found items and try to return them to the right owner.
You will also sell the official Fantasy Forest merch and Fantasy Forest mead or provide visitors who pre-ordered with the correct order.
The information stand will act as the registration point for lost/found children. When someone reports a missing child, you activate the missing child procedure and coordinate the search.
Friday 8am till Monday 8am, 6-8 hours per day
Walking role – As you might need to bring food to volunteers who can not make it to the tent, this role asks for people who can get across the terrain carrying those.
As part of the crew care team you will make sure all volunteers are well looked after during the weekend. You will make sure the crew tent is a clean, safe space where coffee and snacks are always available. You will assist the kitchen, distribute food to volunteers and make sure any volunteers who need water/waterproofs/food are well supplied. You report to the Crew Care team leader.
Friday 11pm till Sunday 6AM
During the night you will help keep a watchful eye on the grounds, stalls and equipment. Your eyes will supplement the professional security guards that are also patrolling the site. Acting mainly as a deterrent, you report to security and inform them by radio if you see something unusual so they can check it out. You will then have the whole day off to explore the festival!
Friday 5pm – Sunday 8PM, standby crew without shifts
Physical role – Due to the nature of the team meaning you will be on all parts of the large site, this role requires a lot of walking and does not have a guaranteed schedule as you react to what happens on site.
As a member of the mobile support team you may be asked to assist at any location as the need arises. Maybe ticket control needs additional support in the morning. Or you receive information about a broken decoration that requires fixing, or you may be involved in a missing child search. You also make sure that the garbage bins are emptied regularly, may be asked to assist with crowd control, guard the entrance to the crew area etc. Basically any task that comes up during the festival that we did not foresee and needs to be fixed or supported.
The mobile support team are a team that does not have a fixed schedule and are on stand-by which allows them to see every aspect of the festival while working!
Friday 8am till Sunday 10pm, 6-8 hours per day
Standing / walking role – Due to the nature of the team meaning you will be on all parts of the large site, this role requires a lot of walking and does not have a guaranteed schedule as you react to what happens on site.
As location manager you are responsible for a specific area of the festival. On Friday you will be there to greet the traders, direct them to their location, make sure that everything they asked for is waiting for them, they unload their trucks within the given time and that they do not drive on the grass. During the weekend you are available for the traders in your area in case they have questions or requests, alert the mobile support team if trash cans are overflowing, keep an eye on safety and alert security/first aid if needed. On Sunday evening you assist parking and traders to make sure all traders are able to leave in an orderly fashion, leaving their pitch/stall as it was handed to them.
Saturday 9AM – Sunday 5PM, max 6 hours per day
Standing / sitting role – This role might require you to stand for most of your shift in the same place.
Fantasy Forest is open to all but for safety and security reasons some areas are off-limits to visitors. As part of the Gate Watch team you guard entrances to certain areas that should only be accessed by people with the correct wristbands. You will rotate regularly between locations and will have enough time off to enjoy the festival.
Saturday 8am till 1:30pm and 5:30pm till 11:30pm, 8-10 hours Saturday only
Walking role – As you might need to escort visitors from the station to the bus, this role asks for people who can walk this distance.
We are implementing a shuttlebus from Cheltenham train station to Sudeley and back. Your role will be to sign post our bus service, welcome visitors and scan their bus tickets. You will also coordinate with the bus drivers to ensure a smooth running service.
You might be stationed outside the festival on Saturday but Sunday is all yours to enjoy.
Friday 5pm – Sunday 7PM, whenever they are available
Physical role – Due to the nature of the team meaning you will be on all parts of the large site, this role requires a lot of walking.
As a member of the Media Team, you are expected to capture the essence of the festival through photos and/or videos. You will roam around the festival continuously throughout the weekend in search of amazing moments to capture and are expected to work together with other members at certain important events during the weekend.
At the end of each day, you are expected to organise and back up your material in the office.
Media Team members enjoy access privileges over visitor photographers which enables them to take images that would otherwise not be possible.
This volunteer function has a selection process. You are required to bring your own camera if selected.