Are you looking to meet new people and engage with your community? Are you passionate about libraries or looking to gain experience in events? If so, Manchester Festival of Libraries are on the hunt for volunteers to support our Embassy of Utopia event which runs from Friday 14th – Saturday 15th June 2024 at Manchester Central Library during the Festival of Libraries.

We’re looking for kind, confident people to help run our flagship event – predominantly in Front of House roles: Ticket checking, signposting, in person evaluation forms. To apply, you must have good availability across the event dates and be willing to travel to Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD.

Time Commitments:

The event will be running from 9:00am – 16:30pm in two shift patterns (please see schedule section.) We would expect volunteers to be available at least 30 minutes before their shift begins.

Other Requirements:

You will be responsible for welcoming members of the public and provide guidance on how to locate/access the event space at Manchester Central Library. Please be aware that this role will you require long periods of standing.
Shift Slots:

14/06/2024: 9:00am – 12:30pm, 1:00pm – 4:30pm
15/06/2024: 9:00am – 12:30pm, 1:00pm – 4:30pm

About the event:

Mancunian writer David Hartley & Estonian performance artist Henri Hutt will partner with Festival of Libraries to re-imagine The Embassy of Utopia in Manchester after its successful running in 2022 and 2023 in Tartu City of Literature.

This will be a two-day open forum of utopian-themed speeches and sharing as the people of Manchester share their vision of the future of the city. The event will feature UK and Estonian artists alongside the public in the year that Tartu is European Capital of Culture.

The Festival of Libraries programme will be full of imagination, ideas, connections and discussion with exhibitions, author talks, performances, installations, live music, workshops and international collaborations which are all free to take part in. The festival will also remind people the breadth of what libraries offer and the incredible contribution they make to communities as places that not only give access to books, but provide services, learning and creativity; all with an open invitation to anyone. As a UNESCO City of Literature, Manchester believes passionately in the value of libraries and the Festival of Libraries, which is Arts Council England funded, is a reflection of this.

Please note that the cutoff date for expressions of interest was the 5th June 2024. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about further opportunities to get involved, and we hope to see you at the Festival of Libraries events 12-16th June 2024!