The Marlowe
Blow your own trumpet!

Blow your own trumpet!

We’ve partnered with The Philharmonia to bring The Virtual Orchestra to Canterbury and are looking for volunteers to help with this exciting new project.

The Virtual Orchestra is a free experience for all the family that gives everyone the opportunity to experience a symphony orchestra up-close. It is open to the public from Saturday 30 March to Sunday 28 April.

The Sidney Cooper Gallery, St Peter’s Street, will be home to a 10-room installation that showcases the internal workings of the Philharmonia as the orchestra performs Holst’s The Planets. Virtual reality headsets will transport visitors to a concert hall stage where they will see and hear the orchestra up close in 360-degree virtual reality.

The Virtual Orchestra is designed to bring the experience of orchestral music to everyone. Virtual Orchestra volunteers will play a vital role in this work, providing a warm and friendly welcome to the installation and helping visitors to get the most out of the experience.

We’re looking for a large number of volunteers to help facilitate and run the project alongside their experienced team of event and technical managers. Whether you’re looking to give something to your local community, build your CV, or involve yourself in a nation-wide audience engagement project, please do get in touch.

Volunteer duties include:

  • Welcoming visitors to the installation
  • Helping with surveys and evaluations
  • Setting visitors up with the Philharmonia’s VR headsets (no previous VR experience necessary).

Volunteer shifts are 10am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday, and noon to 5.30pm, Sundays. Half days are possible and can be arranged – just state that you are only available for these when you get in touch. There is no minimum or maximum number of shifts to which a volunteer can sign-up, but it would be great to see a number of returning volunteers to keep continuity for public and ensure everybody has the best possible experience.

Volunteers, who must be aged 18 and above, can claim up to £10 a day for subsistence on production of receipts.

Training is at the Sidney Cooper Gallery from 11am to noon on Sunday 31 March, but volunteers can also receive quick on-the-job training on their first shift if they are unable to make this session

Post-event job references and letters are available on request on completion of volunteering duties should this be useful.

Find out more and sign-up.

Or, you can contact the Philharmonia’s Tom Spurgin by email or 020 7921 3932. Any questions can also be directed to Tom at the above contacts. The deadline for volunteering is Friday 29 March.