Wigtown Book Festival began in 1999 and in the past 16 years, has blossomed into one of the most vibrant literary events in Britain. The biggest literary festival in Scotland, outside Edinburgh, the company is now a registered charity which showcases established, as well as new and aspiring writers.
It contributes greatly to the economy and national profile of Dumfries and Galloway, bringing more than 8,000 visitors a year. For more information please visit: www.wigtownbookfestival.com.
Wigtown Festival Company is offering two internships to individuals with a keen interest in event management and the arts. The successful interns will gain experience in the logistical management and day-to-day preparation and presentation of the event. They will develop skills in: events management, office administration and marketing. The roles will also require the successful individuals to communicate at all levels with festival staff, the board of trustees, volunteers, authors and members of the public.
These are unpaid roles offering experience at a high level that will suit individuals interested in a career in events or arts administration. The Event Assistant and Marketing Assistant will be directly accountable to the Operational Director.
Full-time from Monday 7 September to Wednesday 7 October (including festival weekends). Travel, expenses and accommodation in or near Wigtown will be provided where required.
Application: a letter, no more than one side of A4, outlining why you would like the opportunity of an internship with Wigtown Book Festival and clearly stating which of the two internships you would prefer. You should use the letter to highlight what you could bring to the role. Please send to Anne Barclay, Operational Director at [email protected] no later than 5pm on Monday 10 August. Please telephone 01988 402036 if you have any queries.
Candidates will be advised if they have been invited to interview by Friday 14 August and interviews will take place on Wednesday 26 August 2015.
Here’s what some of our past interns said:
In September 2011, I headed to Wigtown to do an internship with the Wigtown Festival Company – a great opportunity, given my interest in festival administration. The internship had promised experience in events (press, marketing, promotion, et al.) and I found I was not disappointed. From the first day, I was submerged into the festival preparation – setting up press boards, implementing micro-marketing schemes, and meeting everybody in the team. Fortunately, everybody there was lovely and welcoming, so it was easy to settle in.
Because the team is small, it was necessary to help out in all areas of festival administration. The opportunity was given to focus on any sections in which I was particularly interested and I gained great experience. That said, it was hard work! Events require long hours and no two days were ever the same. But it was absolutely worthwhile. Besides making some great pals, I learnt more about the running of a festival than I had ever thought possible in a month. Kathryn Buchanan
I worked with the Wigtown Festival Company as one of their interns for the 2013 festival. For the month I was given accommodation in the centre of Wigtown and got to see all aspects of the festival coming together. I helped the team to take bookings, answered queries from audience members and authors alike and watched the town transform in to a festival hub complete with radio studio and sandy beach. My role as Box Office and Marketing intern helped me gain valuable arts administration skills and also taught me that one festival day is never like another- I learned to be flexible and highly responsive to whatever was needed. As well as working hard I also had the best time and I can honestly say that my month with the Wigtown Festival Company was one of the most rewarding and fun experiences I’ve ever had in a workplace. If you work with Wigtown you’ll be expected to work hard but you’ll also be welcomed in to the town by the most lovely staff, volunteers and locals who will always be around to help. Hannah Wright
Internship 1: Marketing Assistant
Intern duties
The kind of tasks you will undertake include:
• Updating a press board and press file of all national and local media coverage of the event
• Programme distribution
• Micro marketing for individual events – creating and circulating promotional flyers and specialist group offers
• Production of Wigtown Daily, the festival’s daily newspaper
• Requesting and overseeing distribution of sponsor branding
• Maintaining database of press visits and issuing passes
• Collating and distributing author goody bags and festival passes
Skills required:
• Versatile – can turn your hand quickly to a multitude of tasks
• High-level of communication skills both oral and written
• Good time keeping, flexibility and initiative
• Good team member
• Excellent knowledge of MS word and excel
Education Level
At least: A – Level / Scottish Highers / BTEC or NVQ equivalent
Internship 2: Event Assistant
Intern duties
The kind of tasks you will undertake include:
• Tracking books and posters to be received from publishers
• Distributing books to event hosts and chairs
• Supporting Wigtown Education Programme – managing school bookings and transport enquiries
• Distributing visit information to Festival guests
• Distribution of audience survey forms and collation of information on return
• Event set up and general management and take-down
Skills required:
• Versatile – can turn your hand quickly to a multitude of tasks
• High-level of communication skills both oral and written
• Good time keeping, flexibility and initiative
• Good team member
• Excellent knowledge of MS word and excel
Education Level
At least: A – Level / Scottish Highers / BTEC or NVQ equivalent
