The world's first international festival of original, new work seeks volunteers

Manchester International Festival is launching its volunteer programme and this is your chance to be part of the world's first international festival of original new work.

If you are interested in the arts, the cultural sector or just enthusiastic about helping out in an exciting environment, then the Festival team would like to hear from you.

Volunteering offers countless benefits and it is a great place to share skills and to learn new ways of working. It also offers the chance to meet people and to experience, first-hand, the build-up to productions, which will be world-premiered in Manchester. The volunteer programme is sponsored by one of the Festival’s top-tier sponsors United Utilities.

Manchester International Festival will run from June 28 to July 15, 2007 and then will be a biennial event, returning to the city in 2009.

Two pre-festival commissions have already taken place. Gorillaz performed their album Demon Days live at the Opera House in Manchester to international media acclaim in 2005. While 2006 saw The Schools' Festival Song, written by film composer Ennio Morricone and Manchester writer Nicholas Royle, premiered at the MEN Arena by bass baritone Nick Garrett and 8,000 school children form the Northwest.
The third pre-festival commission will see Manchester International Festival together with the Imperial War Museum co-commission Steve McQueen to create a response to the second Iraq War prior to the inaugural Festival in June this year. This new work will open to the public on 28 February 2007 in Manchester’s Central Library

The full programme will be announced in March, but to find out more visit
www.manchesterinternationalfestival.com
for all the details. You can also register online for the volunteer programme.

A Volunteers Coordinator takes up a post this week and United Utilities will work closely with them to lead the initiative. Further details about the ways people can get involved will be available in the coming months.