Hosting Handbook
As a Greenbelt Host you are responsible for reading this Handbook
As a Greenbelt Host you are responsible for reading this Handbook
Communication at the Festival during the event is generally best by radio. Some Mobile Phone networks have poor coverage at Boughton, and often the cells get overloaded. Each of our venues has a dedicated Radio. Our Walkie Talkie radios have repeaters and cover the whole site. Your first port of call for live issues will be Control and Front Desk. For contributor or show issues, please contact the Programming Office. For team related issues or to escalate any other issues, contact the Hosting Team Leaders, by radio. The WhatsApp Group can be used for slow questions.
If you are operating the venue as a one hander, then please keep your radio on during the gaps between the shows, in case the Programming Team need to inform you about another show, or a late contributor. During the show, please turn your radio off. If there is a message for your venue when your radio is off the Team Leaders or Host Tech will pick up the message and pass it on.
If you are operating the venue as a two hander, then during the time when your venue is open to the public please ensure that one member of the host team has the radio on and is wearing an earpiece.
Please do not make announcements and introduce contributors from the stage wearing your radio or with your radio on – this is not good festival etiquette as there can be a lot of chatter and you can easily become distracted – which then in turn is distracting for the Greenbelters.
If you need to make a call Wait for free airspace before transmitting. Your Team Leaders and Programming will likely be on Channel 4, Control and Front Desk are normally on Channel 1. We will confirm this at the festival.
Who |
Via |
|
Generally |
Control |
Radio #1 |
Emergency (Fire, injured person) |
Control |
Radio #1 |
Lost or Found Child |
Control |
Radio #1 |
Advice/Support/other Host related issue |
Host Team Leaders |
Radio #4 |
Stewarding issue |
Zone Co-ordinators |
Radio #1 |
Problems with the venue structure or equipment |
Production |
Control (Radio #1) or Front Desk (Walk in) |
Artist/Contributor issue |
Programming office |
Control |
Noise issues |
Noise team |
Control |
Safety Problem |
H&S Team |
Control |
Host
[hōst]
noun
a person who receives or entertains other people as guests
verb
act as host at (an event) or for (a television or radio program).
In the Folder you will find (if appropriate):
For each performance in your venue we have a Show Reports form. This is really important for the office to learn lessons and know what went well and where we need to improve next year. It also helps if a contributor or Greenbelter complains about something to do with the show or venue. The report can be checked to see if any problems were noted at the time.
Show Reports should be returned to the Hosting Team Leaders Office daily at 9am or 6pm.
Comments could include both positive and negative feedback and comments overheard from the audience. (If a vocal complainer says that the audience did not like a performance, but the comments are noted as positive the complaints can be put in perspective).
Comperes, Host Tech, Stage Managers or Steward Team Leaders may also log any issues/make comment on the performance, technical issues or audience comments – but it is the Host’s responsibility to ensure some details are recorded for each performance/show.
However, don’t just write it down. Try to sort the issue first and record what was done or who you contacted, and how it was or wasn’t resolved.
PRS forms are available for contributors and artists to log their performances of songs. The Hosts will complete the remainder of the form.
Please:
There should always be a Venue Host in the venue when it is open to the public. Whoever is acting as the Duty Venue Host in the venue must wear the big Venue Host identification lanyard at all times. This ensures swift identification during an emergency. Do not take this out of the venue when you are not on duty.
The Hosting Team Leaders will be available for drop in at Hosting Team Gazebo (Location TBA) each day at the following times: Friday 3pm, Saturday 9am & 3pm, Sunday 9am & 3pm
In many cases the Venue Host will be the face of Greenbelt in that space and accordingly from time to time may be required to handle, in the first instance, public relations issues that arise. In these cases, the Host should not give opinion on the contents of the programme or any other comments but should take note of any concerns, state politely that they will be passed on and if further comments are required direct the member of the public to the Info Booth/Festival Reception. (See also the Volunteers Handbook).
Remember, someone complaining about the content may be a member of the press looking for an ‘Official Greenbelt Management comment’ and an unguarded sympathetic agreement could be turned into something else!
Venues host (most of) the Programme at Greenbelt and are the place where contributors and Greenbelters get to share the joy of the festival through talks, music and much more. Venue Hosts have a key role in making that happen.
Greenbelt describes itself on its website as ‘somewhere that welcomes absolutely anyone and everyone. Particularly those of us who sometimes feel like we don’t belong anywhere else.’
Our job as hosts is to be the embodiment of that, the face of the festival the people who welcome everyone. We hold the responsibility to welcome and introduce our guests/ artists/speakers to our Greenbelt audience.
Greenbelt audiences are like no other they are often extremely committed both to the festival and to the people they have come to see, they are wonderful, passionate, and diverse. They are not always seasoned ‘festival’ people, some have been coming for years and some are brand new this year. Our job is to welcome all.
So here are a few guidelines – forgive us if you know all this.
Firstly some notes about identity.
Try not to make any assumptions about people’s gender. You can’t tell someone’s gender or if they identify as non-binary simply by looking at them.
If you’re not sure what pronouns someone uses, ask. Greenbelt has asked all our contributors this year which pronoun they would like us to use- so you will find this in the venue guide notes- but if in doubt ASK. Different non-binary people may use different pronouns. Many non-binary people use “they” while others use “he” or “she,” but they might have another form they wish you to use- a gender neutral or gender inclusive pronoun. Some languages, such as English, do not have a gender neutral or third gender pronoun available, and this is a source of frustration to the transgender and gender queer communities.
Asking whether someone should be referred to as “he,” “she,” “they,” or another pronoun may feel awkward at first, but is one of the simplest and most important ways to show respect for someone’s identity. Just to note although you will occasionally hear the term “preferred pronouns,” it’s not always the best term to use because it implies that a person’s gender is just a preference. So, try not to say, ‘what’s your preferred pronoun?’ but rather, ‘what pronoun should I use to introduce you?’
Most people – including most transgender people – are either male or female. But some people don’t neatly fit into the categories of “man” or “woman,” or “male” or “female.” For example, some people have a gender that blends elements of being a man or a woman, or a gender that is different than either male or female. Some people don’t identify with any gender. Some people’s gender changes over time. People whose gender is not male, or female use many different terms to describe themselves, with non-binary being one of the most common. Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, and more. None of these terms mean exactly the same thing – but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female.
You don’t have to understand what it means for someone to be non-binary to respect them. Some people haven’t heard a lot about non-binary genders or have trouble understanding them, and that’s okay. But identities that some people don’t understand still deserve respect.
Non-binary people are nothing new. Non-binary people aren’t confused about their gender identity or following a new fad. Some, but not all, non-binary people undergo medical procedures to make their bodies more congruent with their gender identity.
Most transgender people are not non-binary. While some transgender people are non-binary, most transgender people have a gender identity that is either male or female and should be treated like any other man or woman.
Being non-binary is not the same thing as being intersex. Intersex people have anatomy or genes that don’t fit typical definitions of male and female. Most intersex people identify as either men or women. Non-binary people are usually not intersex: they’re usually born with bodies that may fit typical definitions of male and female, but their innate gender identity is something other than male or female.
When greeting or making first ‘contact’ with those in your venue please do not use “Ladies and Gentlemen”. Find something that feels comfortable to you, The London Underground recently changed all its announcements that used to start, Ladies and Gentlemen to ‘Everyone’. But you could try, ‘friends’ or ‘greenbelters’ or my favourite, ‘hello lovely people who have found their way into (insert name of venue) tonight. Or ‘welcome, hello fabulous (insert name of venue) folks’.
You could try Y’all– but if you aren’t from the Southern States of the USA you might sound odd. Practice with your family or friends and see what works for you!
I know some people use ‘ guys’ but that is still gendered so try not to.
If you are in a venue where things are recorded, don’t stress we will cover how to do this well in training.
Always check before making an introduction if there is anything in particular the person wants you to say, or not say. Always say what a privilege/joy/honour/great opportunity/blessing etc etc it is to have the person/act at the Festival. Remember that the festival is curated with great care and the person/act has been chosen and sought out for a reason, if you can’t work out what that is, please ask your Team leaders ahead of time and we will get you more details.
Remember you might be being recorded and will be at the start of this input out in the world wide web speaking as Greenbelt.
Remember that on hosting a Q&A and identifying people to ask a question you shouldn’t assume. So, don’t say. ‘The lady at the back in the pink sweater has a question’ because you don’t know they are happy to be identified that way. Instead use ‘person’ or ‘Greenbelter’.
Remember too that Greenbelt is a festival that promotes justice, your job is to ensure a fair representation of voices. To that end, be mindful of the balance of questions, aim to hear from a variety of voices, even if that means prioritising those who raise their hands after others or asking if there are people who haven’t spoken yet to speak.
Phrases like, ‘is there anyone with an opposing view who might like to ask a question?’ or ‘is there any younger Greenbelter who might like to ask a question? Or ‘just to remind folks that this a time for questions rather than comments, does anyone have a question they would like to ask?
Use your eyes and wisdom and search out those usually under heard in our society, look for a variety of ethnic and racial heritage, a variety of cognitive and physical abilities, a variety of age and ‘churchpersonship’.
Your job is to keep the Greenbelt artist, and the Greenbelt audience ‘safe’ while also allowing deep debate and conversation between those with contradictory convictions. If at any time you feel things are getting unsafe stop the conversation. You can take a note of the contact details of people and promise them you will refer them to the Greenbelt Staff through Phil or Jude and someone will get in touch with them.
As volunteers at a festival we all hold some responsibility for Health & Safety and for ensuring that the venue runs safely for all to enjoy. To this end we are partly responsible for identifying and managing risks. As part of Greenbelt’s legal responsibilities and licence conditions, a risk assessment will have been prepared prior to the festival and as the Venue Host you must help manage risks in the venue. Help is available on this from the Safety Team who were involved in preparing the Assessments.
At any festival, fire is always a very specific area of risk especially with the use of candles and such like. The Venue Host is responsible with the stewards on site for checking fire safety is always fully considered including keeping fire exits visible and unobstructed and overseeing the venue capacity limits (stewards will manage this in most venues with capacities). Noise management is important to ensure noise levels are not dangerous for volunteers and festivalgoers. Noise levels will be checked by the noise team throughout the weekend. They are there to help you and provide advice.
Your venue will have been subject to a risk assessment as part of the overall site risk assessment process. There will not be the venue specific risk assessments. Members of the safety team will risk assess the structures, visit and inspect the venues and set capacities in venues that need them. Each contributor booked by the Programming Team, will have submitted a risk assessment which will highlight to the Safety Team any hazardous issues. They will ensure these have been addressed and the Safety Team will attend if they still have any concerns.
In the Venue Folder is a safety checklist. Use it to check your venue each day, ticking each item as Yes, No or Not applicable. If there is anything that needs resolving, write it down on the back of the form and contact whoever is most appropriate to sort it out. If help or advice is needed contact the Safety Team.
The first Host in each venue, each day should check the venue to ensure nothing is missing and there are no signs of anything being tampered with. Review the venue – are there any hazards that were not foreseen? If so, please inform the Safety Team (either directly, or bring it to the Venue Host Briefing on Thursday) before your venue opens.
Before the Festival starts, a member of the Safety Team will visit or will have visited your venue to ensure that there are no unexpected hazards or issues. This is part of the overall site checklist, so don’t worry if you have not seen them.
Remain vigilant and always look out for further hazards that may develop over the weekend. Make sure contributors comply with agreements (e.g. no use of candles/smoke machines etc, unless previously agreed and method and scope of use to be as per approval).
There will always be one of the Safety Team available to give advice, they can be contacted on radio, via Control or through Front Desk. If you have any questions or are in doubt, please ask – the Safety Team is there to support you.
The stability of the tented structures often depends on the side panels. If you want to take down a side panel to get better ventilation or change an entrance, please check first with Production (via Control).
Please note the following:
The Host has responsibilities within the evacuation procedure and hence it’s crucial that you’re fully aware of your role. In the event of an emergency (unless a FOM or the Fire Crew are in attendance) the Host is responsible for stopping any performance, facilitating a swift and safe evacuation and ensuring Event Control have been notified. (See Section 10 Initiating Emergency Actions)
Following an evacuation, the Host must be aware of the strict procedures regarding who is authorised to give the all-clear and allow re-entry to the venue. You must only allow people back in when given the go ahead by the Greenbelt Fire team.
Whether evacuated for a fire or any other reason Event Control must be informed and told when the venue is open again.
Smoking and vaping are not allowed in any enclosed venue.
The Venue Host and their team must ensure that all rubbish is collected and disposed of at the end of each performance. In the case of venues that are continuously open, this task must be carried out on a regular basis to avoid creating a fire hazard.
Before candles are used in your venue details of what is planned will have been sent via the Programming Team to the Safety Team to get their approval pre-festival. They will be added to a list that the Fire Safety Team will monitor on site.
Extreme care is always required when using candles or anything hot enough to cause a fire at a festival. As Venue Host, you (and any deputies) need to ensure that contributors in the venue stay within the general or specific usage that has been agreed by the Safety Team.
The guidance from the Safety Team is that candles need to be on a level, non-flammable base that will contain any wax run-off, not near any hangings (fireproof or otherwise), attended at all times they are lit and that means to extinguish them are nearby (e.g. extinguisher or bucket of water etc.). If using a candle stand you will need to ensure that should the stand get knocked over the candle will not come into contact with anything considered to be flammable i.e. the side wall to a tent/marquee – drapes – furnishings – posters etc. Extra care must be taken if using night/tea lights. The surface must be of a non-combustible material i.e. metal tray – marble – stone etc. Never place on wood or plastic
Not all venues will have fixed capacities and the Safety Team will be focusing on optimising venue use. If set, the capacity of a venue, i.e. the number of people allowed in a venue at any one time, is calculated by our Safety Team. This calculation takes into account several factors including the use, amount of floor space available to people inside the venue and the number and width of the fire exits. Please ensure you are aware of the capacity of your venue if it has one. If anything changes in the venue that may affect the calculation, please contact the Safety Team, who are the only people who can advise of a change. If your venue is one of the stewarded venues (or the Village Team Leaders tell you that an event will be stewarded) do not start letting people in until the stewards are there.
Greenbelt, as part of its licence requirement and duty of care to employees (and volunteers), must ensure noise is managed in two ways:
To make sure that we do not breach our licence we have a Noise team (part of the Safety Team) who spend the weekend measuring noise levels on and off site. The Noise team have to work very closely with the local Environmental Health Officers who patrol to check that Greenbelt is not breaching its licence. If a Noise Team member asks you to turn the volume down or reposition yourself away from a speaker, please do it – the festival is at risk if you do not.
We have a limit of decibels that we are allowed to reach, and the council sets down the condition that we should measure these levels at regular intervals. Therefore, the combined noise from drums, PAs, mainstage music etc. on the festival site is measured by the Noise Team every 15 minutes. To ensure we stay within our licence please keep the programme in your venue running to time and finished as per the programme.
As Venue Host (unless there is a Stage Manager) you are responsible for ensuring this is enforced. If you need any assistance in this or advice contact the Noise Team via Event Control.
If there are noise issues within programmed venues, please contact the Programming Office and Control. Someone from the Programming office or Noise Team will come and check it out and liaise with Production on the appropriate next steps.
The law changed a couple of years ago and it specifically relates to the entertainment industry. In some venues ear defenders must be worn. The Council can be checking we are complying with the law. The law says the event organisers must designate areas over a certain decibel reading will be voluntary ear protection zones, where ear protection is provided and people on duty are advised to use them, and mandatory ear protection zones where the ear protection must be worn and action must be taken to reduce the exposure of those on duty. The Noise Team will be advising on the zones and actions that can be taken to reduce exposure without spoiling people’s experience of Greenbelt.
If someone vomits in your venue, or just outside, call Control and let them know the location. We will have clean up kits and a few volunteers trained to use them to clear up. Do what you can to keep people away from the affected area to prevent anyone slipping over or spreading it. If you have absorbent material, such as paper towels, to cover it to make it less unpleasant and to stop it spreading, please do so, however the kits have more efficient absorbent material.
It is very important that an accurate record of all accidents is kept, whether involving workers or members of the public, so that we can;
If an accident occurs in your venue please ensure that you provide the details to Event Control or via a steward with a radio, even if the injured party does not require further first aid or medical assistance. Please complete a Safe Festival Campaign Reporting Card for all accidents, incidents and near misses. Copies of the form are held in your Venue Folder.
Greenbelt operates a Free-Flowing Venue Policy now. This means, unless specifically stated, festivalgoers are free to enter and leave venues as they desire, and we do not clear the venues between sessions.
An assessment will have been made at a discussion between the Programming Team, Venue Hosts Team Leaders and the Village Team Leaders before the festival starts. Any decision to clear the venue will be communicated to relevant teams before the event.
If there are concerns just before or during an event the Venue Host (Host) and the Venue Steward Team Leader at the venue should agree that the venue needs to be cleared when one or more of the following criteria is met. This should be communicated immediately to Control and the Host team leaders and if there is any doubt a decision can be made then by the Duty Ops Manager (DM) in consultation with Programming.
The criteria are:
In this unusual circumstance, it would be preferable to make the decision prior to an event starting when an announcement can be made to warn those in the venue that it will be cleared before the next event. The stewards should then inform any latecomers that the venue is being cleared at the end of the current event.
If it becomes apparent during an event for safety reasons that the venue will need to be cleared once that event is finished and the Host, Stage Manager and Village Team Leader (Venue Stewards) agree then it should be announced quickly and clearly at the end of the event with an apology that it is unavoidable.
Venue Hosts are asked to keep a record of when they have had to clear venues and why so that the process and criteria can be reviewed after the festival. All other venues should run their programmes without clearing between acts/events, except in emergency or other extenuating circumstances.
Access All Area (AAA) ID badges have been distributed to a small number of staff, contractors and team leaders. Please allow these people swift entry into your venue as they will have a good reason to require access. Festival Trustees need to be able to access venues (even busy ones) so that they can experience the festival content and be best placed to help guide and direct for the future. So, please ensure that if a lanyard badge says TRUSTEE on it, they are to be permitted access into the venue.
We are constantly trying to improve the accessibility of the festival and Venue Hosts play an important role in ensuring that we keep venues and events as accessible as possible. This involves considering the layout, avoiding trip hazards, providing good sight lines, assisting persons with specific needs and so forth.
The popular perception that people with disabilities (disabled people) always use wheelchairs is inaccurate. Disabilities include:
Where a physical feature makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled customers to make use of a service offered to the public, service providers (which includes Greenbelt) have to take measures, where reasonable, to
Physical features are defined as ”anything on the premises arising from a building’s design or construction or the approach to, exit from or access to such a building; fixtures, fittings, furnishings, equipment or materials and any other physical element or quality of land in the premises – whether temporary or permanent”.
Things for you to look out for:
All access routes within the venue should be kept clear and uncluttered. In particular, be aware of trailing cables to microphones, power points etc. Ensure that all guy ropes, pegs, poles, stages and microphone stands etc., are clearly marked and clearly visible/ detectable by someone using an assistance dog / white cane / mobility aid. If you are concerned about the safety of anything, e.g. if several people seem to trip in the same place and you can’t sort it yourself, contact Control or Front Desk straight away and ask them to get a member of the Safety Team to get in contact with you. Please make use of the Handover Sheet in the Venue Folder (Folder) to pass on any initial concerns, so that small problems are not allowed to escalate.
Sightlines are important to everyone and particularly people with visual impairments; wheelchair users; and Deaf people who will need to be able to see the Sign Language Interpreter clearly as well as the speaker / presentation / …
Please be aware that people with Visual Impairments may need differing sightline requirements depending on the nature of the impairment.
Please be aware of flickering lights and talk to Front Desk to have them sorted – flickering lights can adversely affect a number of people – people with epilepsy, people with an ASC, people with a visual impairment.
Please talk to contributors to determine whether there will be any audience participation, and either announce / ask the contributor to announce that involvement is voluntary – many with an ASC have problems with ad-hoc involvement (such as shaking hands / sharing the peace)
The minimum clear passage width for a single wheelchair passage is 32 inches (815 mm) at a point for a maximum depth of 24 inches (610 mm).
People with mobility, sensory or learning disabilities are especially at risk in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation. Try to ensure that you and the stewards have an overall awareness of ‘who is where’ in your venue, while still treating individuals with respect and dignity at all times. Don’t assume that all people can follow your spoken instructions or that they understand the seriousness of what is happening.
If your venue / event has a queue forming, ensure that anyone who clearly has difficulty walking / standing / pushing a wheelchair etc., is not forced to snake endlessly as part of the queue. If they are beyond the likely capacity of the venue advise them early on that they are too late. If they are within the capacity, please allow them into the venue without queuing.
Disabled people may have companions with them at Greenbelt who help them get about etc. Whilst the individual may be quite confident and OK in the event on their own, they may have arranged for their companion to find them again at a certain time. Accordingly, a companion may ask for entry into your venue to meet back up with their associate. Please work with the Venue Stewards in accommodating this. Remember to always speak directly to the disabled person about how they can be assisted, not automatically their companion.
Greenbelt Festival has detailed procedures and protocols for dealing with minor and major incidents, and threats to public security.
The responsibilities of Venue Hosts are
1) to make Control aware of any dangers, emergencies, threats or suspect packages and
2) stopping the performance and evacuating the venue if requested, or the safety of Greenbelters demands it. (The Emergency Teams or Festival Operations Managers take charge if they are present).
The Venue Host is also responsible for the security of the venue and its contents, ensuring that out-of-hours it is closed as appropriate and that valuable items are secured.
The night security stewards do make sporadic checks out of hours, but we’d recommend you don’t leave valuable/easily portable items lying around. The night stewards tell us that it is amazing how often marquees are found with one or more of the entrances left partially or fully unsecured, flapping in the night breeze inviting anyone to enter. If you have trouble closing your venue, please contact Front Desk and they will send a member of Production to secure it.
Please note that the Festival Licence does not allow persons to sleep in any venue. If you have any specific concerns regarding security, please contact the Venue Hosts Team Leaders. We do everything that we can to ensure that the Festival is as crime free as possible, but we do need your support and assistance to do this. Should you become aware of any thefts please inform Event Control.
The HOST has responsibilities within the evacuation procedure and hence it’s crucial that you’re fully aware of your role. In the event of an emergency the Host is responsible for stopping any performance, facilitating a swift and safe evacuation and ensuring Event Control have been notified. (The Emergency Teams or Festival Operations Managers take charge if they are present)
Work with Stage Managers and Stewards in your venue to make the area safe, evacuate if necessary and contact Event Control.
Make yourself familiar with your exit routes and where they lead to before you open. Direct the public away from the emergency otherwise they will tend to go out the way they came in.
If trained and it is safe to do so use one of the fire extinguishers in the venue to extinguish small fires, once the immediate area has been evacuated.
Many stewards are also trained to use extinguishers.
All extinguishers are red but have a coloured label on them:
Whether evacuated for a fire or any other reason, or if the fire has been put out locally, Event Control must be informed and told when the venue is open again.
The following list of suggested announcements is not intended to be a definitive list and any announcement should therefore be tailored to the specific incident concerned. However, best practice, in the event of an evacuation being necessary, is to ensure that any announcement is clear and concise and is delivered in a calm and authoritative manner.
Any evacuation announcement should be made using any available means whether that is the Public Address (PA) system within a venue or megaphone in an open area. It is best delivered by someone used to public speaking such as the Compere or Venue Host as appropriate. Below is a list of suggested announcements: –‐
Following an evacuation, the Host must be aware of the strict procedures in regard to who is authorised to give the all-clear and allow re-entry to the venue. You must only allow people back in when given the go ahead by the Greenbelt Fire team.
At the end of each shift, please:-
At the end of the day in your venue, please:-
At the end of the festival the Venue Hosts are responsible for ensuring the venue is cleared up, rubbish disposed of, kit returned. If you cannot do this, find someone who can!
To prevent things going missing after the festival:
Venue Hosts are in a unique position to provide feedback on both the physical/operational side of the festival and the programming. Accordingly, Venue Hosts are encouraged to integrate with wider Greenbelt structures and facilitate communication in all directions.
Please fill in the Hosts Feedback form in the Folder and also keep a record of how full the venue is each event on the Show Report form, also in the Folder. This year the same form can be used to record feedback from Comperes, Steward Team Leaders and Hosts so make sure they all know where the Venue Folder is.
If you are the last Host on shift in your Venue at the end of the Festival, please make sure the Folder is returned to Front Desk before you leave. Specific feedback about venues and venue management can also be emailed to the Hosting Team Leaders.
Feedback is also needed after the festival on general issues so we can make the operation smoother year on year, and on attendance at events to help the programming group plan for next year.
Greenbelt has a variety of venues open to the public. To ensure that the programme is running smoothly and compliant with health and safety requirements, we designate in our venues a person as Host to look after a venue, when the venue is open.
This role requires you to be the face and voice of Greenbelt in a venue. You will be working with contributors and with Greenbelters to ensure that both feel valued and have an excellent Greenbelt experience. You will be putting across the messages of the festival with more than your words – but your words are vital. You may be introducing contributors, making announcements, liaising with Zone Coordinators and stewards all with an eye to making Greenbelt as safe, as accessible to navigate, and as enriching for everyone on site as it can possibly be. Your team leaders will make sure you have all the information you need and update you as necessary. You will also be responsible for providing vital feedback on sessions to the programming team
As the person responsible for the venue, you will be helping coordinate all these elements, making sure the Greenbelters enjoy the experience of being in your venue, ensuring the programme runs smoothly and that everyone is safe.
Things don’t always run smoothly but the Host is also there to help get things back on track. There are teams there to help you do all this and this guide should let you know who they are and how to prepare for the weekend.
The following guide should be read in conjunction with the Greenbelt Volunteer Handbook.
Each of our venues will have its own hosting team. Also part of the hosting team will be the Host Tech a roving team of technical experts on hand to sort out all those tricky technical bits and pieces. Some venues will also have Stewards allocated for each show, some will have stewards at busy periods, and some won’t need stewarding. Some venues will also have people recording the events happening in them. Treat everyone in the venue as part of Greenbelt and part of the Hosting Team.
The Hosting. Host Tech and Compering Teams are managed by the Hosting Team Leaders.
The Hosting team leaders for 2025 are:
Following on from our successes in recruiting and training new hosts in the past couple of years we have again recruited a number of First Time Hosts. Dave Hardman will be supporting and mentoring the first-time hosts. Each of our first-time hosts will be allocated to a Venue, but we also plan to allow them to take some turns in other venues to increase their experience. Dave will arrange these opportunities.
The Host Tech is led by Josh Cullum. This team will assist with the PA & tech equipment in our venues both by being rota’ d into some venues to sit at PA working with the Host Teams and Recorded Talks and being on standby to help with Tech and issues in venues that don’t have a rota’d PA person. Host tech will be available on the radio to come to your assistance for instance when you are faced with…..How do I plug in this electric harp? Can I have another microphone?
One of the lessons learnt from previous years is that we want to ensure that we build positive teams in each of our venues. Most team members will be allocated to one venue and will be in that same venue all weekend. Some of our venues also have Tech Crew, some paid, most volunteers (part of our Host Tech Team), most of our venues will have stewards, some will even have stage managers, one venue has its own contributors team. One of our venues will even have a dry bar. What we want to do is to have a positive team ethos, so that all in each venue can work together to make the best positive experience for our Greenbelters and our Artists/Contributors, and especially for our team. We are sure we can all do this; the challenge will be ensuring our stewards (who you may only see for one or half a shift) are welcomed into the team.
There may be several people you are working with as Venue Hosts, including those who may be on shift when you are on a break. Please look out for each other, and if anyone is overwhelmed the Village Team Leaders are there to support you, as well as the Volunteer Support Team located in the Volunteers Lounge.
Share work out between the Venue Hosts, so you all get time to:
If you are worried someone is overdoing it, or not pulling their weight, offer to help them in the first instance but use the Hosting Team Leaders and Volunteer Support if further help is needed.
Before the Festival
During Festival
Venue Hosts are required to liaise effectively with many other Greenbelt teams including:
The Hosting Team is part of the Programming arm of the festival. The Programming Office is the central hub for all things programme-related at the festival. Any questions relating to Contributors should come to the Programming Office – these may include technical questions, payment queries from contributors, scheduling questions etc. The Programme Office deals with all cash payments for contributors and any questions that the Info Desk needs assistance with.
The Programming Office must be notified of any issues in your venue relating to the smooth running of the programme (i.e., delays in start times, sessions over-running) or contributor experience (missing tech in a venue, any complaints). The office will have answers to any questions you have relating to the programme as they spend all year bringing it together.
The Greenbelt programming staff members are Paul Northup (Creative Director), Joanna Booth (Programming Manager) and freelancer Rachel Lewis (coming into support on programme production in the run-up and on show days) and they work with a small team to keep the office running throughout the festival. The staff are available 24/7 during the festival on the Programming Office radio channel. (Normally on Channel 4 – but check on-site). The Programming Office is based in a portacabin located behind the Stewards Briefing Tent.
![]() Paul Northup |
![]() Joanna Booth |
![]() Rachel Lewis |
In addition, Joanna, as Programming Manager, and the programme office, work closely with two volunteer ‘POMs’ (Programme Operations Managers) – Emma Edwards and Jacqui Short – and they are two more key figures in the mix available to support and troubleshoot for / with you.
![]() Emma Edwards |
![]() Jacqui Lawton |
Jess Jones
The member of staff responsible for delivery of the festival and many of the teams, is Jess Jones (Head of Festival Operations). She is a very busy but wonderful person and if she comes into your venue and asks you to do something please do it.
Acting on Jess’s behalf there are six Festival Operations Managers (FOMs) who take turns as the Duty Manager:
![]() Jo Rule |
![]() Karen Radcliffe |
![]() Nick Singleton |
![]() Stuart Radcliffe |
![]() Liz Chapman |
![]() Ed Walden |
They work on a duty system and through the main running hours of the festival at least two will generally be available at any time.
Each one also has areas of specialism and responsibility. The Festival Operations Managers will deal with issues that arise and take control on behalf of the festival, if required.
The Duty Manager has an overall coordination and decision-making role and acts to ensure the various requirements of the festival are met. Again, Control is the best way of getting in touch, as they will know which Operations Managers are currently available and best able to assist you.
If you have a live problem in your venue when it is open to the public that you cannot resolve, e.g. sudden power failure, not enough stewards, etc. please inform Event Control immediately. Also inform Event Control if there is an issue that affects Greenbelt beyond the doors of your venue, e.g. change in location or overspill of crowd.
They will record the problem and pass it on to whoever needs to know e.g. Production, Venue Stewards team etc.
When the problem is resolved, don’t forget to let them know so resources can be directed elsewhere, and we will know things are running smoothly again.
Event Control is operational 24 hours a day from Wednesday at 12pm until Monday morning (outside this time, please contact Production as below).
Hannah Compton
Front Desk is the reception point for many of the operational teams and has a link to the production office. It is located just outside the Lower Orchard at the back of the Glade Stage. Front Desk is managed by Hannah Compton and her excellent team is there to offer help from lunchtime Tuesday before the festival to early afternoon on Monday as everyone goes home. They open from early morning until late night each day. Make sure you familiarise yourself with where the Front Desk is located and how to get to it.
The team can log any infrastructure/furniture/technical matters you have in your venue, e.g. marquee requires closing at 8pm etc. They know the answers to an amazing range of questions and can also put you in touch with the right people. They are on the site radio network.
This is where you pick up your radio if you are first on shift, and drop off your radio if you are last on shift.
The Zone Co-ordinators will look after the area, health & safety of people in the venues, stewards, and crowds. They will come and introduce themselves to you and you should be able to spot them easily as they wear pink hi-vis.
The primary role of the stewards is crowd management, which includes getting the audience in and out of the venue (including the clicking in and out where necessary for capacity control), dealing with queries from members of the audience and assisting in the event of any problem (e.g. if we need to evacuate the venue for any reason). Most venues are free flowing, to reduce queues, but they will still be busy facilitating the flow of Greenbelters in and out.
The need for a dedicated presence of Stewards will depend on the type of venue and/or event. Even if you do not have stewards permanently designated to your venue, if you think you need them for an event, or see a large queue developing contact the Programming Office we will arrange to provide stewarding for you.
All main and performance style venues will require a stewarding presence whenever they are running. Smaller venues and more laid-back events may not require stewards in permanent attendance throughout. If you are not sure whether a venue or event requires stewarding then please contact the Zone Co-ordinators.
Every now and again something will occur on site that puts a crumple in even the best laid plans and stewards can be delayed in getting to your venue. For venues/events that require stewards in attendance, you absolutely must not commence without stewards present. If they are late arriving either contact your Zone Co-Ordinator or contact Control.
The Safety Team deals with a variety of issues:
Members of the team will risk assess the structures, visit and inspect the venues and set capacities in venues that need them. Each contributor booked by the Programming Team, will have submitted a risk assessment and the Safety Team will attend if they still have any concerns. If you have any safety concerns the team, although smaller this year, are always happy to visit and discuss with Venue Hosts.
To ensure that you are fully aware of your responsibilities, any key changes and vital information, it is essential that all Hosts for programmed venues attend the briefing session on the Wednesday/Thursday before the festival starts.
This year there is an element of training that all volunteers must attend and sign to show that they have understood the training. Additional training will be offered to those who want or need training on the use of radios and PA equipment
2024 Training:
Wednesday 21st August – 5pm in Pagoda
(Followed by BYO 8pm Drinks & Nibbles in the Green Room)
Thursday 22nd August – 10am in Pagoda
Mandatory GB Training
All volunteers need to attend Greenbelt Volunteers Training Sessions these are available
Wednesday 21st August – 1pm & 3pm in Village Hall (Check venue)
Thursday 22nd August – 9am in Village Hall.
(See https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/volunteer-handbook/#training-and-support+ )
At the briefing session, you will be able to meet other Venue Hosts and where you can pick up your Venue Host Lanyard, Venue Folder, Wrist Band, Meal & Drinks Vouchers.
Attending the Host’s briefing is an obligatory part of the Venue Host role. Failure to attend creates an immense amount of extra work for those who then have to catch up with you individually and in the worst case it can result in the delayed opening of your venue. If you absolutely cannot attend personally, please contact the Venue Hosts team leaders and send a deputy, ensuring they pass on to you the information received at the briefing.