SO Festival 2011 Starts Search For Volunteers

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Event organisers East Lindsey District Council and Magnetic Events chose Tuesday 15th March, which marks 500 days to go until London 2012 opens, to start their search for people who’d like to get involved in the three day SO Festival extravaganza.

SO Festival 2011 takes place between 22nd and 24th July in Skegness and East Lindsey District Council and Magnetic Events are looking for people to volunteer in many different areas, from helping out on information stands and stewarding through to getting involved in Games Time, the SO Festival’s headline attraction.

“Last year we had some four hundred people taking part in Traffic Art, which saw Tower Esplanade transformed into a giant work of visual art during SO Festival,” says Semantha Neale, Business Manager, Health, Arts and Events Service at East Lindsey District Council. “This year we want to see even more people getting involved throughout May, June and July. We really want them to play an active part in the festival.

“With Games Time coming to SO Festival 2011 and the festival taking place over Open Weekend, there’s a really strong connection between the festival and London 2012 so we thought what better day to launch our search for 500 volunteers than the day that marks 500 days to go until the Olympics opening ceremony.”

Of the 500 volunteers being sought, 200 people are expected to take part in Games Time, a community celebration which will bring the spirit of the Olympic Games to Skegness.

“Games Time is one of four large-scale art events to be funded by Legacy Trust UK,” says SO Festival Director Robin Morley. “It is being managed by Déda Producing and we’re delighted that they have decided to come to SO Festival 2011.

“Games Time will be a fabulous oversized board-game that comes to life, with dancers, breath-taking carnival costumes, music and fireworks down by the seafront. We need people to get involved and help bring Games Time to life by helping to produce costumes and props or by joining one of the dance and music teams.”

Games Time is part of the Community Celebrations programme funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to create a cultural legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.

Arts Council England has also provided significant funding to bring SO Festival 2011 to life.

People interested in volunteering should register with the national volunteers database which can be found online at http://www.do-it.org.uk. Further information about SO Festival is also available online at http://www.sofestival.org