Volunteering Stories - Become a Globe trotter

Photos of actors in colourful dress on display inside the Globe theatre

Volunteering Stories - Become a Globe trotter

21 December 2023

Journalism student Anna Schriewersmann encourages you to volunteer at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Would you like to be part of a creative and social project? You can help take other people on a fantastic journey into the past by volunteering at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The Globe, first opened in 1599 by Shakespeare’s theatre company, is looking for over 150 volunteers in 2024.

If you are interested in an arts career or studying a subject in the creative sector, then this could be for you. Volunteering is an investment in you. Besides giving back to a community, you meet new people and gain life and work experience. It is also good for mental health and wellbeing.

The Globe does not just stage Shakespeare plays: it also puts on other events. The Alternative Miss World event and Peace One Day Concert have all been held there, so there are a variety of productions. You could be part of a team helping to put on midnight productions and events by candlelight.

You do not need any previous knowledge of theatre. Just be friendly, enthusiastic and willing to work as part of a team.

Volunteering is also an excellent way to gain practical and personal skills alongside your studies. You will meet like-minded people, be in a cultural space and get to see behind the curtain of a working theatre.

I think with the matinees in the afternoon and the evening shows it allows people who need to work in the daytime to get involved but also works better if people have kids or busy lives to join us in the evening after work,”

explains Eleni, the Deputy Visitor Operations Manager at the Globe.

This is a great benefit, especially for students, because you can choose and plan your own shifts.

Volunteering events and stories

Learn more about volunteering events, stories and opportunities for UWL students.

University of West London student volunteers

UWL student volunteers stood outside the Globe theatre

I had not thought about how volunteering in the creative sector could benefit my personal goals in life before. I have learned that you do not have to confine yourself to your degree area to volunteer you can spread your wings and try out something new.

For people studying or just starting out in the creative sector there are some valuable benefits to volunteering. These include:

Access to network building in the creative sector
Being trusted by organisations involved in arts industries
Evidence to potential employers that you are independent and motivated in your sector outside of study
Experience of working in different situations
The potential for a first break opportunity - a voluntary position leading to a paid post

You can apply now to become a Globe Volunteer on the Shakespeare's Globe website. Volunteers have their travel expenses reimbursed and receive a hot meal if they work a matinee and evening performance. The application deadline is 5pm on Monday 15 January.

The Volunteering Team at UWL work with over 100 different voluntary organisations. For more information on volunteering email thevteam@uwl.ac.uk.