November 2020

Fancy building the festival of the future?

We’ll be back in July with new acts with a new site and a new face at the helm. After a lifetime of bringing top bands and more to the town, festival director Dick Dixon is standing down. And such is the size of the gap his departure leaves that we need not one but two people to take up the reins.

Having started the festival going back in 1980 Dick’s responsibilities grew with each successive year and rather than find a volunteer to take the whole task on, the festival is splitting the job to allow two volunteers to share the load.

A new Artistic Manager will have overall responsibility for programming the festival. Hundreds of performers contribute to the weekend and all will need to be booked, contracted and organised to make the whole schedule run smoothly from the first sound check to the triumphant encores on the last night. 

Working hand in hand with the programme planner will be the Operational Manager. This person will be responsible for making sure everything thousands of festival-goers expect to see at the site is there and working properly. From the giant marquee to the toilet blocks, everything has to be arranged and delivered perfectly. 

Backing up these two new roles is a team which has been responsible for bringing 40 years worth of musical treats to the town. 

“There’s always support there for the people organising the festival. We have bags of experience and some very committed volunteers willing to share the load, so the new leaders won’t be on their own,” said Dick. For full details of the roles on offer – and the kind of people we’re looking for to fill them – click here. 

Artistic Manager and Operational Manager

Warwick Folk Festival is seeking to recruit two Senior Festival Managers working on a voluntary basis to take a leading role on the Festival Management team. These roles will be working across Warwick Folk Festival which runs for four days, normally on the last weekend in July.

The roles will involve taking the overall project lead on each annual event with the additional responsibility of leading the creative project management across the festival. These Senior Festival Managers will also attend festival management meetings and report to the board. Some travel may be paid by agreement

Artistic Manager

You will have overall responsibility for programming the festival and the fringe festival some of which can be delegated to other members of the team.

This role mainly comprises but is not limited to:

• Booking festival artists and negotiating fees.
• Issuing contracts via our Festival Pro software.
• Planning concerts and workshops
• Arranging sound check times for each event where a PA will be used. This work will also be done on the Festival Pro software.
• You will be able to delegate programming responsibility for Morris, Ceilidhs, and possible the fringe festival.
• Book artist accommodation, transport needs, backstage requirements
• Booking the sound engineers and equipment
• Help with the printed programme and marketing content for the web site and newsletters

Operational Manager

You will work with the Artistic Director but have overall responsibility for the main operations of the festival

The role’s tasks include but are not limited to:

• Booking the marquees, staging, toilets, generators, lights, tables, and chairs. Nic Hurst will supply a lot of the festival equipment for the site and the staging so a close working relationship with Nic will be required.
• Liaising with our landlord Mr Chris Taylor and Warwick Castle as well as the Town and District councils.
• Applying for the festival licence, fringe licence and our street collection licence.
• Liaising with the emergency services – Police, fire brigade, Warwick ambulance and possibly attend the SWAG meeting where all the above will be represented.
• Your knowledge of Health & Safety at venues will also be required.
• Any other tasks required for the optimal running of the operations side of the festival.

Both successful candidates will have a proven track record of festival management and be able to demonstrate multiple examples management of events similar to Warwick folk festival. In addition, they will be able to demonstrate past experience in delivering the creative vision of festivals from initial brief through to on-the-ground delivery.

In your role you will be required to take the lead and run projects to ensure efficiency of delivery. You will be a clear and calm communicator. You will be prepared to go above and beyond what is required and take pride in achieving outstanding results.

Your role will require you to use your existing detailed knowledge of the folk festival industry to contribute ideas to event development and feasibility strategies, bring in new ideas and influences to Warwick Folk Festival projects to drive development and creative working.

The Festival aims to:

• present a high quality and diverse programme of folk music and dance
• create a ‘festival of experience’ which values and nurtures community, and ensure people attending have a really good time
• support and showcase local artists and young artists, alongside national/more established acts
• provide opportunities for participation, learning, and skills development in folk music and dance
• contribute positively to the town and the local community operate in a way that is sustainable, both financially and environmentally

Please apply in writing to

Dick Dixon

Festival Director

Warwick Folk Festival

July 15th 16th 17th 18th July 2021

dickdixon@warwickfolkfestival.co.uk

www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk

07831 890 905

Announcing: Spiers & Boden – back by popular demand

The packed marquee who enjoyed a thumping set from folk headliners Spiers and Boden will never forget the experience – and they’ll be delighted to know the pair will be returning to the Warwick Festival stage in 2021.

Described by The Guardian as ‘the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene’, John Spiers and Jon Boden rocketed onto the scene in 2001.
As Spiers & Boden they’ve picked up a clutch of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards as well as a huge army of followers.
Now well-seasoned campaigners of the festival circuit they’ve built their reputation on stints with Eliza Carthy & the Ratcatchers as well as being founders of the ground-breaking folk big band Bellowhead who went on to Royal Albert Hall sell-outs, Proms In the Park successes, multiple awards, signing with Universal Records and over 250,000 album sales.
Spires and Boden’s appearance at the festival’s brand new site on Sunday, July 18 is just one more reason (as if you needed another) to check out the full line-up and details of how you can play a part in the next chapter of the festival’s life.

A Festive Treat: McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle Christmas at Home