From the Festival Square bar staff to our corporate sponsors to the artists themselves, thousands of people helped make MIF what it is. However, we’d like to take a quick moment to single out one particular group of people. Wearing our distinctive but tasteful MIF15 T-shirts and jackets, our army of volunteers was an unmissable presence at all our venues (and, for that matter, here at MIF HQ) – and we’d like to thank them for being such a joy to have around the place.
We were delighted to welcome 450 members of the public on to our volunteer scheme for MIF15, including many people who’ve returned from previous Festivals. They’re a diverse bunch – the youngest is 19 years of age, the oldest a sprightly 86 – with a fabulously varied mix of backgrounds, interests and skills. Practically the only thing that links them is the enthusiasm with which they embraced every aspect of Festival life and the generosity they showed in supporting MIF15.
Some of our volunteers fulfilled specific roles: photographing the shows, working on artist liaison, even helping tailor the costumes for The Tale of Mr Tumble. Other members of the team roved all over the city on a general brief: distributing programmes, helping with ticketing, directing the traffic in Festival Square and around the city.
‘It’s a great city, Manchester, and it’s an honour to represent it,’ says Colin Batchelor, who lives in Chadderton. ‘I’ve met so many really lovely people – all the other volunteers, all the staff, everyone who’s involved in the Festival. I’d definitely come back and do it again, and I’d recommend it to anyone.’
‘It’s been a real honour and a privilege to be involved and to see how these things are put together: how much effort is needed, how much support you get,’ agrees Anna Leyland, from Chorlton. ‘It’s been such a collaborative and collegiate experience. I’ve met some amazing people and seen some brilliant things.’
‘I know it’s going to sound really cheesy,’ admits second-time MIF volunteer Alex Grundy, originally from Preston and now living in Didsbury, ‘but you get to put something back. You get to be part of something, and you meet great people. You really get out of it what you put in.’
‘At every Festival, I’ve been amazed and humbled by the dedication and energy of our volunteers, and MIF15 has been no exception,’ says Alex Poots, MIF’s outgoing CEO and Artistic Director. ‘They’re an invaluable part of the MIF team, and I’m truly grateful for all the help they offer to us every day and night during the 18 days of the Festival.’
You can learn more about our volunteering scheme at mif.co.uk/about-us/volunteer. A date for your diaries: applications for MIF17 volunteers will open in January 2017.