Volunteering at EMF

EMF is a non-profit event, entirely organised by volunteers. Nobody is paid to work on EMF, and everyone who attends (with very few exceptions*) pays for their own ticket. This includes the core organisers.

We’d like everyone to consider volunteering to help the event run smoothly, even if it is only for an hour or two.

* We provide free tickets for qualified First Aid staff who must work a minimum of three eight-hour shifts during the event.

How volunteering works

We understand that everyone who helps with EMF has other commitments and we plan ahead to cope with this.

We have two golden rules:

  • Don’t over-commit yourself
  • Tell us if you can’t get something done

Nobody will criticise you if you can't do something, and telling us quickly means we can handle the situation.

Volunteering before the event

Running an event like EMF requires a huge amount of planning to make sure the event runs smoothly. This starts a year or more in advance.

We're looking for people to help organise the event. If this is something that interests you take a look at the list of roles we're looking to fill.

Helping out during the event

During the event, there are plenty of roles which need to be filled, from construction to cooking for volunteers.

Closer to the event, you’ll be able to log in to the volunteer system which allows you to sign up for shifts. Volunteers who complete a shift will receive a delicious free meal from our volunteer kitchen.

Helping with setup & teardown

We’re grateful for help setting up the event, and especially tearing it down.

If you want to help with either setup or teardown you will need a ticket to EMF and permission from us to turn up early or stay after the event ends. We do not allow under-18's on site during setup or teardown without explicit permission.

During setup and teardown, EMF is a construction site and we are liable for your safety. If you don’t follow instructions we will be forced to remove you from site, for everyone's safety.

If you’re on site for setup/teardown you have to help with everything - not just what you’re interested in. There’s plenty of lifting and shifting that requiring a degree of physical fitness and mobility. If you’re not actively helping, we will ask you to leave.