Volunteers

We owe our success to a great team of volunteers who help Hot Bed Press a a wide variety of ways including helping to run the workshop, manage exhibitions and events, support members and lots more besides.

We currently have 8 volunteers who work with the Technician in keeping the place ‘spick and span’ and making sure that stocks of ink, papers and general materials are in good order and readily available to members. They welcome new members and help them settle/acclimatise to the busy workshop, and help in getting the place ready for courses.

Volunteers receive free hours usage of Hot Bed Press in return for hours given and work between each other to offer skill-share sessions to teach each other new printmaking skills and pass on snippets of knowledge.


Could You Become a Studio Volunteer?

We are always looking for new volunteers to help us as we continue to grow. We usually accept offers of people to volunteer through our membership as we can be sure each volunteer knows the studio and how we work. Occasionally however we do have people we do not know offering to volunteer, usually printmaking graduates. In this case we interview the ‘candidate’ and discuss the potential and go from there.

What does volunteering involve?

We aim to have volunteers supporting the workshop and studio during our opening times. Duties range from the daily tidy and upkeep of the workshop, to helping members use equipment and, at the end of their session, pay for their time and materials. Some volunteers work to supporting administrative roles and help with such tasks as mail-outs, or help at events such as print fairs and exhibitions. With all activities you are trained and supported by staff.

We also welcome volunteers who have specialist skills they wish to bring to Hot Bed Press, such as professional expertise on our Board of Directors.

The Benefits of Volunteering?

You may wish to volunteer purely for the experience of being involved with a working print workshop and for the skills and insight you will pick up being in a creative environment. In addition, we offer a number of benefits:

• Free membership. This is worth £75 a year.

• Hours payback. In exchange for hours volunteered you receive free hours to do your own work. You become eligible for hours payback once you have volunteered regularly for a month (though you will still be required to pay for materials).

• Concessions on workshops, masterclasses and talks. As a volunteer you automatically get members rates on our education programme. From time to time we also offer volunteers half price places on courses.

• In addition to a Health & Safety Induction, you will receive training appropriate to supporting the workshop.
What do we ask of you?

For both parties to benefit from volunteering we ask you to commit yourself to volunteer on a regularly day each week for at least three months. To avoid confusion, the hours payback should not be used on the day that you are scheduled to volunteer.

If circumstances change and you step down from volunteering, a maximum of 26 hours payback can be used before you would be required to take print membership.

What do I do next?

Please get in touch. Either phone us on 0161 743 3111 or email Andy Magee at info@hotbedpress.org to arrange an initial visit. We can show you around the workshop and talk to you about your possible volunteering.