Congratulations Zoe! Junction Volunteer Receives Launceston City Council Volunteer Recognition Award
May 15 2015Fantastic Junction Arts Festival Volunteer Zoe Whiley recieved a Launceston City Council Volunteer Recognition Award in the category of Arts, Culture and Heritage on Tuesday 12 May. Congratulations Zoe, we’re so proud of you and really appreciate your contribution!
Here is a short bio about Zoe:
Zoe moved from the North-West coast of Tasmania and has been living in Launceston for the past four years. She has recently completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, majoring in theatre with UTAS and is now embarking on a new adventure in Masters of Teaching, where she is studying to teach English and drama. Studying with UTAS has equipped her with an array of skills ranging from technical theatre, performance, Front of House, bar management, stage management and directing. She has been able utilise these skills in the past two years she has been volunteering with Junction Arts Festival. At both Festivals, Zoe performed the role of Front of House Manager for the Junc Room, a role in which she has been able to constantly evolve and enhance her previous skills. Zoe believes working with Junction has been an amazing and exciting challenge as it was something she never thought she would have the opportunity to do. She hopes to continue volunteering for the Festival in any role she can.
Find out more about Zoe’s experiences as a Junction volunteer below:
1. What volunteer roles you have you undertaken with Junction Arts Festival?
I have undertaken the role of Front of House Manager for both the 2013 and 2014 Festivals. At the 2014 Festival I also assisted with looking after bar staff in the Junc Room.
2. What do you enjoy about volunteering for Junction?
I enjoy the atmosphere. Everyone is there because they want to be – they want to experience the weird and wonderful things that Junction offers every year.
3. Why do you choose to continue to volunteer for Junction?
I choose to continue because I feel like the experience betters me in a way – it opens my eyes to the amazing things that I often miss in the every day. Each Festival I have learnt a lot about myself and how I work in a management position and I always find something I can do better the next night. I have been exposed to such a vast range of people and art, theatre, music and culture that I just want ore. That is why I keep coming back.
4. How does volunteering for Junction assist your future goals and aspirations?
It has helped me to better understand how a festival works – I want to get into festival work after I have finished my degree and working on this festival has given me amazing exposure to a whole lot of different aspects that are involved in putting a festival together. Also being in management positions has taught me a lot about how to deal with people and I think that is really going to help me when I start teaching. Listening to people is key! The Festival taught me that!
5. How do you feel more connected to the community through volunteering?
I feel like I see people on the street or they see me at work and I’ able to go “oh you worked at Junction – or you came to the Junc Room a lot – nice to see you again”. It also helped me learn about a lot of companies that we have in our community and also who does what.
6. How would you explain the importance of volunteering to others?
Volunteering is so important because it gives you the opportunity to fully leap out of your comfort zone – when you’re volunteering at festivals especially – you never know what is going to happen or what you might see and there is something so exciting about that. Volunteering in exciting and enriching because it opens you up to so many different things and to a whole diverse group of people. Every volunteering experience I’ve had has changed my views in ways and taught me so much – I would encourage anyone and everyone to do it at least once in their lives.
7. Please share one of your favourite moments about volunteering for Junction.
One of my favourite moments was when The Tiger and Me played in the Junc Room. It was the first time I ever heard them and it was amazing. Everyone from the stage to the front of the warehouse was dancing and having an amazing time. It was such a fulfilling experience.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING- FIND OUT MORE HERE