Bectu says UK festivals must rethink use of volunteers, amid warning over Doune The Rabbit Hole 

Bectu has issued a warning to live events workers and volunteers being engaged at UK festivals this summer over what it terms immoral and unsafe volunteering practices.

While volunteers have historically been used in large numbers by UK festivals, including venues and operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Bectu believes that in many instances, volunteers are being used for work that should be paid. The union’s position is that any role critical to the delivery of the service should not be filled by volunteers.

Last year, the union launched guidance to improve the engagement and treatment of workers and volunteers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in collaboration with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and the Volunteer Council for Edinburgh.

However, as the summer festival season approaches, the union is concerned at adverts for volunteers and crew being issued by some Edinburgh Fringe venues, including Pleasance.

Meanwhile, Doune the Rabbit Hole festival (DTRH) in Stirling, Scotland, is requesting volunteers to pay a deposit of up to £145.

Organisers previously assured Bectu that volunteers will not be used in safety-critical roles such as construction work or building sites, but the DTRH website reads that ‘build and break’ volunteers will be constructing stages, building roads, erecting marquees and fulfilling technical backstage roles – many of which require specific training, insurance and PPE, amongst other requirements.

Bectu’s safety concerns follow recent news of the festival going into liquidation, after it racked up significant levels of debt which it owes to artists, crew and suppliers across the industry.

Bectu has met with the organisers on multiple occasions to outline its concerns regarding return of volunteer deposits, unpaid debts and safety onsite. Previous offers for union representatives to be allowed onsite to conduct safety and wellbeing visits have now been rescinded.

The union has subsequently issued a warning to its members outlining its serious safety concerns over the running of this year’s festival, and is now asking people to think very carefully before committing to volunteer or work at DTRH. It is advising workers to ensure they are paid upfront for their services.

Bectu Negotiations Officer Paul McManus said:

“We are very concerned about inexperienced volunteers being used on safety critical areas at Doune The Rabbit Hole. This is on the back of widely publicised failures to pay monies owed to musicians, crew, and other workers from previous years.

“We urge any workers or volunteers who are concerned about their payment, deposits, safety or any other issues with the festival to get in touch with us.

“No one wants to see a festival fold. We have a thriving arts and events industry in the UK that adds so much to our social and cultural fabric. However, with many of our members still owed money from last year, and no assurances around our safety concerns, we have regrettably had to advise our members to think carefully before committing to working at DTRH.

“More broadly, the UK festival industry needs to rethink its use of volunteers altogether. Not only is using volunteers in service critical roles a safety concern for both volunteers and patrons, we know that people from ethnic minorities and lower income households are less able to afford to volunteer.

“The practice therefore perpetuates the unacceptable idea that the arts are only for those from certain ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds. No one should think that they have to volunteer as a way to gain experience and/or entry into an industry. Trainee places should be paid and properly supervised and managed, and recruited for on a diverse basis.

“Bectu is calling on the Scottish Government’s Fair Work Unit to investigate the use of volunteers at DTRH as we believe it is contrary to the Scottish Government’s ‘fair work first’ policies”.