Apply to volunteer here

DanceWize NSW volunteers are peers to the communities of people who use drugs at music festivals.

To volunteer with us, you should have lived experience of drug use, love attending music festivals and have existing drug harm reduction knowledge.

After assessing your application, our team will contact you to get to know you better,

You will then need to complete some online training modules and attend an online group induction.

Our Volunteers

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Our Volunteers 〰️

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Education

Volunteers will bring their vast personal lived and living experiences to be able to answer questions that patrons might have.

Volunteers assist patrons to learn more about;

  • recreational drug use

  • polydrug interactions

  • myth busting

  • drugs and the law

  • referrals to services

Our education space is typically connected to the front of our care space or a dedicated education tent in a more prominent location.

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Care

Volunteers will provide 1:1 support and care to patrons experiencing distress or overwhelm.

Volunteers will provide care in the form of;

  • resources and consumables

  • safe space to rest

  • a cup of tea or a snack

  • monitoring of symptoms

  • escalation to medical

Our care space will always be located near on-site medical. Volunteers will monitor our patrons carefully and determine if they need further care or support.

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Rovers

Volunteers will monitor the festival grounds and update the team on any trends and provide support to anyone in the field.

Volunteers rove the festival grounds in pairs and;

  • guide patrons to support

  • look out for signs or overdose or distress

  • hand out consumables like water, fresh fruit, ear plugs and lollipops.

Our rovers will typically have radio contact with a DanceWize representative in the dedicated control centre. They will provide guidance on assistance and liaise with other stakeholders like medical.

Eligibility

Be able and willing to volunteer

X

Be comitted to ongoing training and learning

X

be able to travel to festivals across nsw

X

We provide you with entry to the event and typically, you are only expected to work half the event so you always get some time to go and enjoy!

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Apply to volunteer here

FAQs

  • No. We understand the pressures of everyday life, particularly with families, study or full-time work, so we only ask that you commit to as many as is realistic.

  • Of course! We attend multiple festivals across NSW - from the vineyards of the Hunter to the beaches of the Illawarra and all the way out to Mudgee. All of our training can be done online as well. 

  • No. We have KPEs who work in health services, education, hospitality, rurally, as full-time mothers, students, and more. Diversity is key. 

  • No. We attend rural/regional events as well as Sydney-based events  - we have a strong culture of carpooling among our volunteers. Around half of our team drive, so we are sure you'll find a lift.

  • Maybe. While a WWCC is not required to volunteer at 18+ events, you will need one to volunteer at events that allow underage patrons. We recommend you apply for your WWCC (which is free for volunteers) when you join the team, so that you don’t miss out on any events you’d like to work. 

  • Yes, however it is important that you are able to focus on your role while you are working a shift. We will do our best to ensure you have the same shifts, but sometimes we cannot guarantee that you will both work the same shifts.

  • Yes, certainly! We do ask for a certain level of commitment though due to the rigorous training program, so if you're only here for a month, it may not be the right program for you! 

  • Yes! Having lived and living experience is important to providing an authentic and trusted peer service at these events, and that includes our peer-allies who may not directly be in the scene anymore. That being said, there is still an expectation our volunteers stay up to date with trends and news within the scene even if you're not an active participant.

If you would like to know more, please contact NUAA on (02) 9171 6650 or free call 1800 644 413 or email dancewizensw@nuaa.org.au.