Volunteering

Come and join us to help make the Festival happen!

Every year Buxton International Festival offers a number of Festival Intern placements to young people who would like to work in the arts and events industries.

In 2026 the placements will run from 06 – 29 July in Buxton.  While the placements are unpaid we do provide accommodation in Buxton and £500 towards your food and travel expenses.

Being a Festival Intern can be a hugely rewarding experience that will help you on your way to a great job in the arts.  Past Festival Interns have gone on to work in a variety of settings including Wembley Arena, the Lowry Theatre and Buxton International Festival!  We are looking for enthusiastic, friendly, motivated people who will thrive on the long days, variety of roles and pressures of the Festival.

Festival Intern duties may include some of the following:

• operating the Festival opera surtitles (potentially attending some additional rehearsals in early July)
• page-turning at recitals
• front-of-house duties
• venue set-up
• general ‘running’
• admin in the Festival office, including some support to the Marketing team
• Assisting with tech set-up for events

You will have the chance to see as many Festival events as you can get to from world-class opera, to the best of UK chamber music to the famous faces of our book series.

Competition for these exciting and rewarding roles is strong and places are limited.  If you would like to apply please send a CV and covering letter outlining any relevant skills and experience you think you could bring to the role to the Festival Administrator Lee Barnes: lee.barnes@buxtonfestival.co.uk 

Closing date – 14 April 2026

Calling all potential Book Festival Interns!

We are looking to appoint a Book Festival Intern to assist the Book Festival Director and Assistant to the Book Festival Director to deliver a successful and professional BIF Books.

The Book Festival Intern will enjoy all the comradery of the other eight Festival Interns, but the day-to-day work will concentrate on supporting BIF Books.

Tasks include -assisting with the hosting of authors, preparing the stage prior to events, liaising with the BOH Technical Team, book festival administration including compiling day sheets and acting as microphone runner during events.

Candidates should be articulate with excellent book knowledge. Candidates should be physically fit and be available to work between 06 – 29 July.

Independent self-catering accommodation is provided with a contribution of £500 towards living costs. Travel to the festival will be paid.

If you would like to apply please send a CV and covering letter outlining any relevant skills and experience you think you could bring to the role to the Festival Administrator Lee Barnes: lee.barnes@buxtonfestival.co.uk 

Closing date – 14 April 2026

We are offering a number of backstage trainee positions within the Festival’s technical team during the technical period and run of the Festival.

These are unpaid trainee roles. However, the aim is to provide four weeks of hands-on experience working on a professional festival, giving participants valuable practical skills and a strong foundation for future paid work or further training opportunities.

Trainees will work closely alongside the technical team, becoming fully integrated into the department they join. They will follow the same shift patterns and schedules as the full-time technicians.

Applicants must:

• Be aged 18 or over
• Be available between 28 June and 26 July (unless otherwise stated below)
• Have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in technical theatre

These roles are particularly suited to those who have recently left school, are in further education, or are at an early stage in their career.

Available Positions:

Wardrobe Trainees (up to 3 positions) – Work alongside the wardrobe team on the preparation and running of productions.

• Some experience in sewing or needlework is required
• Previous experience (school productions or amateur dramatics) is helpful but not essential
• An interest or background in Textiles or Design is advantageous

Stage / Electrics Trainees (2 positions) – Support the stage and electrics team in setting up and running productions.

• Some experience in carpentry, construction, or practical technical work is required
• Previous experience (school productions or amateur dramatics) is helpful but not essential
• An interest or background in Construction or Design & Technology is advantageous

Props Trainee (1 position) – Assist the props department in preparing and managing props for productions.

• Some experience in painting, carpentry, or design is required
• Previous experience (school productions or amateur dramatics) is helpful but not essential
• An interest or background in Art or Design & Technology is advantageous
• This role runs from 28 June to 12 July only

Wigs Trainee (1 position) – Work with the wigs department on the preparation and running of productions.

• Some experience in hair, beauty, or styling is required
• Previous experience (school productions or amateur dramatics) is helpful but not essential
• An interest or background in hairdressing, beauty therapy, or make-up is advantageous

How to Apply

Please submit a short covering letter stating:

• Which position you are applying for
• Any relevant experience you have
• Why you are interested in a trainee position at the Festival

Applications should be sent to: jobs@jamesanderton.co.uk

Buxton International Festival is recruiting for committed people, full of creativity and initiative, to act as District Community volunteers for us, helping to promote our events both in person and via social media, and helping us to reach deeper into local communities.

As a community volunteer you will spread the word about our upcoming Festival to your networks and throughout your local community and have the opportunity to offer your own ideas for improving our marketing.

Although this is an unpaid position, being a volunteer for BIF comes with some perks including invitations to our launch event and post Festival thank you party. If you would like to work with one of the country’s finest festivals and become part of the BIF family, then this is for you.

Role description– To distribute brochures/posters/flyers– To promote BIF’s events and exclusive offers on your different social media platforms, this mainly involves reposting what BIF posts. To promote BIF’s events and exclusive offers through word-of-mouth– To come up with new exciting marketing ideas to promote the Festival as a DCV.

What we are looking for– Confident, articulate people, willing to take on new challenges, who are skilled at working on their own initiative– Enthusiasm for music/books/opera and the work of Buxton International Festival – Potential interest in learning more about marketing and promotion

There is no age limit on this position, and we are happy to be flexible to fit in around your commitments elsewhere.

What’s in it for you?– Unique work experience, working directly with BIF’s marketing team

– The opportunity to learn more about marketing, develop your creativity in this area, and put your ideas into practice– Invitation to a BIF event– Opportunities to meet the BIF team and attend a Team meeting focused on marketing

We are currently looking for volunteers in each of the following areas:

Derby

Sheffield

Manchester

London

Liverpool

Birmingham

Stoke on Trent

Bakewell

Glossop

Ashbourne

Matlock

Leek

Baslow

New Mills

Marple

Chapel-en-leFrith

Whaley Bridge

Macclesfield

Stockport

Altrincham

Sale

Knutsford

Wilmslow

To apply, please send an email to Amelia Slater at amelia.slater@buxtonfestival.co.uk outlining your interest in the role.