With Hastings Fat Tuesday music festival, the UK’s largest Mardi Gras celebration, fast approaching, we are now recruiting volunteers to join the team.
Training and travel expenses will be provided, as well as professional guidance for those interested in working in the events or music industries.
There are a range of opportunities available from 9-13 February, including handing out flyers and programmes at events; front of house greeters; audience survey data collectors; Umbrella Parade marshalls; and event support at Le Grand Mardi Gras Ball (Saturday 10 February), Unplugged Saturday (10 February), and the Fat Tuesday Tour (13 February).
Ideally volunteers will be over 18, but there are also roles for older teens. We are looking for people who can commit to a schedule, love working with the public, and who are interested in music and events. Volunteers will be led by industry professionals.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact John Knowles on 07813 035514 / [email protected].
Hastings Fat Tuesday is the first major event of the year in Hastings’ cultural calendar, and launch event for the area-wide Music Month initiative. In 2017 the festival drew an audience of 11,000.
In 2018 Hastings Fat Tuesday partners include BBC Introducing and The Joe Strummer Foundation, and the festival showcases some of the UK’s best new music over 5 days.
In New Orleans and Rio they call it Mardi Gras, in Venice it’s known as Carnivale and Hastings has “Fat Tuesday” (English for Mardi Gras). Hasting Fat Tuesday borrows heavily from the New Orleans take on Mardi Gras, combining the enjoyment of good music, a flair for dressing up and partying.
Now in its ninth year Hastings Fat Tuesday has a programme of 10 featured events, showcasing more than 154 acts across multiple venues in Hastings, East Sussex, including curated performances, family activities, Umbrella Parade, Le Grand Mardi Gras Ball, Under the Radar a showcase of emerging talent, and UnConvention a day-long music industry event with diverse panellists. The festival climax is the Fat Tuesday Tour, with 24 emerging and established bands touring Hastings Old Town venues, performing three 20-minute sets each.