Employer Profile - Winnipeg Folk Festival
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is one of North America’s top outdoor music festivals. Year-round, they also operate as a not-for-profit arts organization that presents live music, events and community programs.
From Artistic, Development (sponsorship and fundraising), Finance and Administration, Marketing, Communications, Production and Volunteer Resources, the Winnipeg Folk Festival operates with different departments to support the organization’s many endeavours and to produce the main summer festival each year.
“We have coordinators and managers or directors in each department and hire summer students and contract workers,” says Lynne Skromeda, Executive Director. “Because we work so closely with our 2800 volunteers, we see every job in the organization as a leadership position.”
Development roles are currently in demand in the areas of fundraising and sponsorship. Event experience and communication skills are key.
“We have a lot of communication with our audience, volunteers, sponsors, donors and funders and having a strong grasp of how to do that effectively would be most helpful,” says Skromeda.
Festival work is a unique employment environment, where those involved are passionate about arts and entertainment.
“Beyond the entertainment aspect, we have strong values, we build community which gives people a sense of belonging, and we make connections that encourage empathy and understanding,” says Skromeda. “We create experiences of discovery and learning of both people and music which make for a positive and happy environment both at the festival site and at our office.”
The 45th annual Winnipeg Folk Fest runs from July 5-8, 2018 in Birds Hill Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada on Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis nation.
