(Special thanks to Eric Platt and the Fringe Festival for providing a Volunteer Manual format from which I could steal. THANKS!)

WELCOME TO 20/20 2007! Thank you! I know there are many ways in which you could have spent your time during these fall days and you chose to volunteer with the kick-off to the arts scene here in Cincinnati, the 20/20 Arts Festival. You have given us the best possible gift: your time and energy. You are a crucial component to making the 20/20 Arts Festival a success! We want you to have fun and “enjoy the arts” while you represent us at the 65 events that comprise the Festival.

If there were three things I had to tell every volunteer that would help them understand better what to expect during their time in the venues they would be: 1) If you are unsure of your job, find a way to be useful (even if you know what you are there to do, if there is an additional need, try to fill it). 2) It’s all about the ART. This is why we’re here! 3) Enjoy your experience and be sure to tell all your family and friends to come experience this great arts scene we have here in Cincinnati!

We hope that this volunteer training guide answers all the questions you may have—but it probably won’t. Please never hesitate to pick up a phone at your venue and contact me (Kristin Suess) for more information. The arts build community and are something we can be proud of here in Cincinnati. You are a part of this—you help to keep the arts as a vibrant force in our cultural landscape. We love our volunteers! And thank you for your time and efforts on behalf of the 20/20 Arts Festival!!

Kristin Suess, Volunteer Coordinator

ksuess@etastart.com

Cell: 967-3266

Quick 20/20 Facts:

1. 20/20 is a fun, eclectic arts festival that celebrates the arts in Greater Cincinnati for 20 days and nights each fall.
2. 20/20 is presented by Enjoy the Arts/START, a membership organization that has been connecting audiences with the arts in Greater Cincinnati for 26 years. (The 20/20 Festival was originally conceived as a way to celebrate Enjoy the Arts’ 20^th anniversary in 2002.)
3. Anyone can be a member of Enjoy the Arts through our ETA (student), START (30 and under) and Passport (over 30) membership programs. Members get great discounts throughout the Festival and year round!
4. Now in its sixth year, 20/20 will kick-off Friday, September 28 and will go through Wednesday, October 17.
5. Buzz Stops: Critical mass of events in specific neighborhood or district. Sept 28: Main Street, Over-the-Rhine; Oct 5-7: Northern Kentucky; Oct 12-14: Downtown Cincinnati /Over-the-Rhine; Oct 18: Mt. Adams.
6. 20/20 events take place in 27 different Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods. Those are Bellevue, Brighton, Carthage, Clifton, Clifton Heights, College Hill, Covedale, Covington, Devou Park, Downtown, Eden Park, Erlanger, Florence, Hyde Park, Kennedy Heights, Mainstrasse, Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, Newport, Norwood, Oakley, Over-the-Rhine, Sharonville, Silverton/Pleasant Ridge, West End, Westwood, Winton Place.
7. There are 65 events on the 20/20 calendar this year.
8. There are 76 arts and community partners working on events for 20/20.
9. For more information, contact Kristin Suess at Enjoy the Arts, (513) 621-4700, ksuess@etastart.com; the calendar of events is available at www.20day20nights.com

YOUR GUIDE TO VOLUNTEERING AT 20/20

This section is all about what the 20/20 Arts Festival expects from volunteers, what volunteers can expect from 20/20, and how volunteers work to make the 20/20 Arts Festival happen.

Volunteer Rights & Responsibilities:

Everyone who works with 20/20—volunteers, staff, and the participating groups—has certain rights. In addition, everyone who works with the Festival is expected to adhere to a certain code of conduct and take responsibility for themselves. Your rights as a volunteer are as follows: 1.You have the right to be treated with respect regardless of race, sex, color, religion (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, age, ability, marital status or national origin or ancestry. 2. You have the right to receive recognition for the work you do. 3. And, for the first shift you cover, you have the right to earn a cool T-shirt, see/participate the event you are covering, and after 3 (if your first shift was during Oktoberfest) or 4 additional shifts you earn the appropriate Enjoy the Arts membership (ETA, START, or Passport).

The code of conduct that we expect you to follow is: 1.You agree to make every effort to represent the 20/20 Arts Festival in a positive manner. 2. You agree to treat your fellow volunteers, performers, staff and patrons with respect. 3. You agree to make every effort to do your job well.

The Benefits of Volunteering:

Reach Out & Touch Someone:

If you need to contact me, my cell is 967-3266, email is ksuess@etastart.com

Positions:

20/20 EVENT REPRESENTATIVE

• Add to the fun, happening atmosphere at your designated event
• Be the official 20/20 presence
• Hand out calendars, potentially hawk 20/20 merchandise and ETA membership (at least talk both up and let people know where they can procure if interested)
• May be utilized by presenting organization for variety of tasks (usher, take money at door, carry equipment, help break down - whatever needs to be done)

DISTRIBUTION

• We need people to distribute 20/20 calendars at various locations. We have a list, we just need help getting them out there.

There may also be some specialized positions at certain events.

What Should I Wear?

Any 20/20 T-shirt or Monkey gear shirt from past or present Festivals; otherwise, what you wear is up to you.