Great Scottish Make Off – Call For Volunteers

Following its success in 2015, The Great Scottish Make Off will be taking place again in 2016 in C Venues South as part of Edinburgh’s unique Fringe Festival from 5-12 August.

We are currently looking for dedicated volunteers willing to help us with various aspects of the running of the GSMO accordingly to your personal interests, skills or experience. Among the roles available are (with full descriptions linked below):

  • Event managers
  • Invigilators
  • Art stalls/Mini Market assistants
  • Workshop assistants
  • Promotion and flyering
  • Photographers/Videographers
  • Have a skill you think would help? We’re open to including everyone!

What is Great Scottish Make Off?

Think of the bits of your favourite reality cooking competition and replace food with art, then throw yourself into the middle and make it a festival and you’ve got The Great Scottish Make Off. It includes part competition, part exhibition, part hands on workshop, and part sheer creative madness.

For the Make Off itself, Artists will be selected as the contestants and will be given a brief, materials, and a day to create a work in a friendly “competition”. The international community visiting the Fringe will be along to watch, and we’ll be offering a chance for anyone and everyone to get involved by shopping at artist stalls, having their own mini-make off workshops, and enjoying live entertainment in our festival atmosphere. It’s all about engaging local communities, highlighting local artists, and introducing more people to the benefits of creativity.

Why get involved?

  • Become an active part of the world’s biggest art festival!
  •  Meet and engage with other enthusiastic and creative people, incl. some of Scotland‘s  promising new artists
  • Free access to workshop of your choice from the GSMO programme (booking required) and/or the Science Ceilidh
  • Have fun! 🙂

If you feel like getting involved, please fill in and send back the Volunteer Availability form.

Event Manager – The Great Scottish Make Off has a lot of things going on. You’ll be the point person during your shift for knowing what is happened where and with whom. You’ll help draft timetables and running orders leading up to the GSMO and ensure things are running smoothly on the day. You’ll work closely with the Pop Up! Administrative team in the week before and week of the GSMO to get everything ready.

Invigilators – You’ll be on hand for the main production part of the GSMO from 12:00-18:00 and help with setup/breakdown. Artists will be live making and you will be there to offer a hand, help if something goes awry and talk to the public about the project and what the artists are making. You will also help document the project as it happens using social media.

Mini Market Assistants – Every evening we’ll have a pop up mini-market with local artists. You’ll be on hand from 17:00-22:00 to help with set up, break down, and helping artists with their stalls if someone needs a loo break or a wee cuppa. You’ll also encourage folk to come take a look at the fabulous local arts and crafts on display.

Workshop assistants – During the day we’ll have a variety of workshops, and we’ll need assistants roughly 13:30-17:30 and 19:30-22:00 daily to assist that artists running a variety of creative workshops. You don’t have to be an expert in what’s being taught, but will be a spare pair of hands/runner/enthusiastic assistant for the workshop leader.

Promotion and Flyering – We’re a small volunteer run arts organisation, but want to get as many people coming in and trying things out as possible! We’ll need help with hitting the pavement to flyer during the festival and in everything related to generating awareness of this great wee project leading up to the festival! All ideas and skills are welcome.

Photographers/Videographers – This is a unique art event and we’d love for some folk to help us document this through photographs or videos. We’ll be sharing things on our social media and web page and would love to credit you and share your skills with the world. We know your talents are valuable and appreciate people who donate their time to our wee social enterprise.

Anything else – Have experience with festivals? Arts? Events? Publicity? Or just think this is interesting and see we’ve forgotten how your specific skill will fit in? Get in touch! We’re happy to involve as many people as possible in our exciting project.