Waking Life | Volunteer positions

Long term

Long term: Decoration and craft

As a volunteer in the creative team, you help our deco tell some tales via a range of artsy and crafty missions. From sewing fabrics to making strange signs, you are comfortable with several tasks depending on the needs of other departments. You are also an attentive listener when it comes to getting instructions and not afraid to work lengthy hours on a repetitive mission. You have a natural ease with working autonomously, have a flair for detail, and your eye-hand coordination has no equal in the Wild West.

Long term: Eco Pirate

You are one of Mother Earth’s personal heroes. Taking care of the earth we walk on, the water we swim in and all the local lifeforms is a very important task. We take this matter seriously at Waking Life and we count on your help. You’ll be patrolling the land with your pirate crew, making sure no trash stays unsorted, no garbage bin unattended, no waste misplaced. Ideally, you can work with tools and carry stuff around to help out placing bins and shaping the waste sorting areas early in the build-up. You spread environmental awareness everywhere you go and lead by example at all times.

Long term: Kitchen aid

Food is power fuel – an indisputable essential to keep everyone’s mind and body strong and healthy. Under the supervision of our chef and the kitchen team, you are taking care of the tummies in the catering area. Slicing, chopping and stirring away will be your core tasks, and we count on your extra-special-care to keep everyone’s vibe and drive in check. You take responsibility together with the team to keep the kitchen clean and stick to the health and safety instructions. Some kitchen experience is required. Healthy body for a healthy mind!

Long term: Production tigers

You’ll be in the heat of the action, assisting the production team with all the physical work needed to build-up the structures bringing Waking Life all its shapes and forms. Setting up shades for shelter, elevating the stage structures and woodworking are only some of the myriad tasks you may be called to perform. On top of a stellar stamina and natural heat-resistance, we’re valuing experience in production and knowledge of power tools. A forklift license or any other type of construction machinery is definitely a plus!

Long term: Ready, willing and able

There is no other way to put it. You are ready, willing and able to help anywhere we need you. As a natural-born communicator, you can be the face running the späti (the shop/chill-out space during build-up), assisting in runs between the site and the warehouse, helping with storing and inventory… a jack of all trades. Wherever you will be assigned, your main mission is to make sure that the flow stays smooth, the right info is communicated, and things are moving in the right direction.

Long term: Landcare

Besides our annual gathering we are engaged in a land regeneration project that is aiming at turning the festival grounds into a biodiverse, public park, where flora and fauna grow into vibrant, new ecosystems. In essence, the Waking Life landcare project and festival are an intertwined, ever-unfolding collective dream for possible, earthier, healthier, wetter futures. Tasks could include taking care of the vegetable garden, compost and chicken, maintenance and watering of plants, raising awareness about the project, trimming and shredding, and overall landscaping.

Short term

Short term: Caretakers

Those with a calling to heal, to host or to facilitate wellbeing, will flood the festival grounds with care and comforting vibes. The caretakers are performers, guides or simply empaths with an eye for anticipating the needs of others. The essence of this squad is curating a spirit of collective care, and showing how a mindful community tends to its members. That’s why we count on you and your capacity to make people feel safe and comfortable.

Short term: Tripsitters

Tripsitters offer soft and gentle guidance on psychoactive expeditions, a grounded force to turn to when the plunge goes a little too deep, working as psycare at Avózinha and hand-in-hand with the Caretakers roaming the land. Tripsitter are the mediators, the first point of contact between participants and our trained staff. Resources and training will be provided before getting on site to enable your harm reduction superpowers. A psychology, medical or nursing background is definitely a plus.

Short term: Eco Pirate

You are one of Mother Earth’s personal heroes. Taking care of the earth we walk on, the water we swim in and all the local lifeforms is a very important task. We take this matter seriously at Waking Life and we count on your help. You’ll be patrolling the land with your pirate crew, making sure no trash stays unsorted, no garbage bin unattended, no waste misplaced. You spread environmental awareness everywhere you go and lead by example at all times.

Short term: Hospitality (Casa Marmelada, radio, arts office, Apuro)

With a call for keeping things neat, tidy and organized, you are the warm and guiding presence our fellow artists and performers meet upon their arrival, and the person that will assist the art spaces unfolding their programs. In short: bringing the right people to the right place at the right time (and with the right material). You are known for your all-seeing eye, your killer smile, punctuality, and your capacity to make everyone feel at home.

Short term: Keeping it safe (steward, tree sitters)

With your keen sense of observation and assertiveness, you’re comfortable with giving instructions that need to be respected. You’ll be responsible to guide people around to where they should be (and should not be), as well as making sure everyone keeps cool under the Alentejo sun. In 2022 the land became home to thousands of new, little trees. You’ll be their spokesperson, making sure they are protected from unfortunate mishaps, such as stomping, or premature use as hammock hangers. We’re expecting you to maintain a good mood and be friendly, even when things get stiff.

Short term: Kitchen aid

Short term: Ready, willing & able (accreditation, ticketing, info point, runner, …)

There is no other way to put it. You are ready, willing and able to help anywhere we need you. As a natural-born communicator, you can be the face giving a big fat welcome to the participants at the gates, assisting organisation teams, or answering the most surreal questions at the info point. Wherever you will be assigned, your main mission is to make sure the flow stays smooth, the right info is communicated and everyone is having a good time, even under stressful circumstances.

Short term: Technical support (cinema, stage sound, tech-shop)

With experience in technical fields and in making sure the show goes on, operating electronic devices is easy as pie for you. You’ll assist our tech team in setting up and taking down the stage or in between performances, or act as showmaster at the cinema. You take responsibility for your actions, make sure that materials don’t stay unsupervised, and that the place stays tidy. You’re also a team-player and know how to communicate with your crew, with efficiency and accuracy.

Short term: Breakdown support

For clarity purposes: festival breakdown, not mental breakdown — although your help will probably keep our technical teams from having one. The breakdown team starts when the first stage closes and we start packing everything up. You’ll be handling various materials, cleaning and marking them, transporting with care, and safely store them until the next ride. No experience needed, just a sense of tidiness and organization.