Blow Your Mind: Volunteer at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival

If you want to be more engaged in the Vancouver arts and culture scene but can’t afford the ticket prices, a volunteer position with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival may be just what you’re looking for. Not only will you get to work with the movers and shakers of the Vancouver performing arts community, but you’ll also get to take in PuSh events—for FREE!

Each January, the PuSh Festival hosts groundbreaking local, national, and international acts for three weeks of non-stop theatre, music, and dance. An event of this magnitude needs a lot of hands on deck to keep things running smoothly, which is where the PuSh volunteers come in.

The festival is looking for volunteers to help with a wide variety of festival activities from fundraising to artist transportation to ushering to box office support to ticket/merchandise selling, security, and ushering at Club PuSh (you must be 19+ to volunteer for shifts at Club PuSh). For a full list of volunteer jobs and descriptions, visit PuSh’s Volunteer page.

According to the PuSh website, volunteers must sign up for at least one 4-hour shift. In return, volunteers will receive a sweet t-shirt (I’ve seen them, every year they rock), a ticket to the PuSh Wrap Party for themselves and a friend, and most importantly, free access to PuSh shows and events (subject to availability). You also get to spend time working and hobnobbing with the who’s who of the Vancouver theatre and performing arts scene, which, if you’re looking to engage with the arts, is an invaluable experience.

If you’ve never seen a show at PuSh, you should. Why not have a great volunteer experience while you’re at it?

Lauren Kresowaty finished a BFA in Theatre Performance in 2009. She has since returned to SFU to study creative writing and English literature part-time. When she's not in class, you can usually find her at work in the Faculty of Education.