Be one of the 600+ people who contribute time, expertise, and good will to make Lotus events happen!

Lotus relies on our incredible volunteers to support with all aspects of operations from planning programming as a committee to helping out at the office. Although we need the most volunteers to help with the festival, Lotus offers volunteer opportunities year round.

Lotus’ volunteer application process is changing. Create an account on Civic Champs to register for an event!

GENERAL
VOLUNTEER

Volunteer to do office help and postering, assist with Special Events (Edible Lotus, Volunteer Party, Workshops, etc.), or for current sitting Board Members and Committee Members.

BLOSSOMS
VOLUNTEER

Volunteer to help put on our Blossoms World Bazaar, an event full of cultural activities and music from around the world.  There are hands-on craft activities and interactive dance, drumming, and more.  There are also positions for setting up and tear down.  The Bazaar is typically held in late March or early April.

FESTIVAL
VOLUNTEER

Volunteer for the Lotus World Music & Arts Festival.  You can read the job descriptions for this event on our website.  The Festival typically takes place in late September.

Current Lotus volunteer opportunities:

General office assistance — helping with mailings, postering, and/or ad-hoc program and event tasks. Schedule varies. Email volunteer@lotusfest.org for details and to signup.

Committees — want to become more involved with Lotus program planning and logistics? Committee work might be for you! Read more about Volunteer Committees here, and email volunteer@lotusfest.org for more information.

Lotus Blossoms: With school and public events taking place in March and April, Lotus Blossoms is the educational outreach component of the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation. Volunteer opportunities include the annual Lotus Blossoms World Bazaar.

Frequently Asked Questions
(for Volunteers)

The Lotus World Music & Arts Festival is held at indoor and outdoor venues in downtown Bloomington. The venues may include the Buskirk Chumley Theater, various downtown churches, large tents on downtown streets, the Convention Center, and other private establishments. 

You must apply online (sorry, no exceptions). The online volunteer application is available HERE. If you have questions about the process, e-mail us at volunteer@lotusfest.org. 

Upon submission, you will receive a confirmation that we have received your application.  Volunteers must make sure that they have a reliable system for collecting e-mail and telephone messages .

The Volunteer Coordinator, does all the assigning of volunteers, and when necessary, checks with other staff to choose the best person for the job. We are working with the preferences of hundreds of volunteers and the demands of a complex event. Once you have been assigned a shift, please try to fulfill your commitment. If something does come up, please call or e-mail us as soon as possible so that we can work to fill your shift. Call (812-337-0417) or email our volunteer coordinator with questions at volunteer@lotusfest.org

Returning volunteers receive first priority for shift preference, and length of service may influence the choice of position. All applications received on or before the Application Priority Deadline (the second Tuesday in August) will receive preference over applications received after the deadline has passed. People who volunteer for more than one shift will most likely receive their top job choices. Please remember that we will be accepting applications after the deadline date and would love to have you volunteer. 

Yes. On the application form you can identify your preference for job areas and tell us what shift times work best for you. We will work as hard as we can to make sure everyone gets a shift they will enjoy. 

Information on confirmed Festival artists and the night(s) they are performing can be found on this site. You can use this information in your decision-making process, but please remember that every year there are last-minute changes to the festival lineup. 

Your volunteer assignment will be sent to you in late August or early September, along with more details about your Volunteer Orientation. 

The standardized length eliminates a mid-evening shift change, allows Festival patrons a  much smoother night, and creates a much stronger volunteer team. 

2022 Volunteer Orientations will be held on Saturday, September 10 from 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, September 13 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E Kirkwood Ave, in the Auditorium on the first floor.

We need strong, energetic people for Set Up and Tear Down; people with sales experience for our Admissions and Merchandise areas; good hosts for Artist Hospitality; safe drivers for our Artist Shuttle; and all around Lotus lovers to work at the venues. For more detailed information, please go to the Volunteer Job Description Section. 

Because the Festival brings thousands of people into downtown Bloomington, street parking will be understandably at a premium. There are now a number of parking garage options available both north and south of the square off of Walnut and College. You can also bike, walk, or take the bus (the Bloomington Transit Service has a downtown depot). For details about Bloomington downtown parking rates and policies, please visit the City’s Parking Services web page. 

Please plan to be at the Volunteer Headquarters (location TBD) 15 minutes prior to the start time of your shift to start your check-in process. 

Your check-in process is in two parts. First, go to Volunteer Headquarters (location TBD). Once there, you will sign in and receive your volunteer button and any last-minute information. This is also where you will come to receive a Festival admission wristband on Friday or Saturday night. Next, go to your shift assignment and let your House Manager know you are there. He or she will have a clipboard and a nametag and will let you know what to do next. Have fun! 

Please Note: If you have a shift outside the normal Festival hours, you will be told where to check in at your Orientation session. 

You will be on a Friday Admissions list at Volunteer Headquarters. You can go there on Friday to pick up your wristband, after 5 pm 

The Lotus World Music Festival is the flagship event of the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation and is organized and administered by the Executive Director, a team of dedicated staff, and hundreds of volunteers like you. 

Our Volunteer Coordinator  works closely with the various committees, creating shift assignments that align with Festival needs. 

A Festival Volunteer Manager is an experienced Festival volunteer who is in a position of responsibility during the Festival, specifically supervising the work of other volunteers in one area. You will find Volunteer Managers in positions such as House Manager, Ticket Sales Manager, Wristband Exchange Manager, and Merchandise Manager. 

Unfortunately, no. It is really important that all volunteers are focused first on the work they are doing for the Festival. We request that you make childcare arrangements for the times you will be on shift. 

On occasion, we do. We have a teen volunteering program, in which we hold up to 20 positions for teens, ages 16 or 17, to volunteer in the Visual Arts Village and Lotus in the Park. This year we will add monitor positions, at one of our church venues, to the list. In order to apply, potential candidates must send an essay of 150 to 200 words in length, stating why they would like to volunteer and what they hope to gain from the experience, as well as how they view their potential commitment. They should send their essay as a word document to volunteer@lotusfest.org. Candidates who have been accepted will be contacted via email or phone for the next step in the application process. 

If your availability changes before the first day of the Festival, please call (812-336-6599) or e-mail the Festival at volunteer@lotusfest.org as soon as you know there is a change in your schedule. We appreciate your timeliness, as your shift is very important and we will have to work to find someone to fill it. 

If your availability changes on or after the first day of the Festival, please email volunteer@lotusfest.org as there will not be anyone in the Lotus offices to answer the phone.

You can call 812-336-6599 or email volunteer@lotusfest.org

Festival Volunteer Policy

To volunteer at any Lotus event, volunteers must agree to the following policy with the Lotus Education & Arts Foundation:

I agree…

  • To complete and submit a General Volunteer Application and any additional forms, waivers, and orientations required for specific events, even as a returning volunteer. 
  • To abide by the policies of Lotus including, but not limited to, zero tolerance for use of controlled drugs and alcohol, and for harassment of any kind, while working my shift.
  • To arrive on time and stay for the duration of my shift.
  • To treat other volunteers, staff, performers, and patrons with respect.
  • To notify the Volunteer Coordinator or appropriate Lotus staff if my availability changes after I have already accepted my shift.
  • That the service of any volunteer is accepted at the discretion of the organization and staff. 
  • That Lotus may decide to terminate my relationship with the organization at any time.
  • That I assume responsibility for the risks associated with COVID-19 and other contagions while working with the public and other volunteers.

NOTE: Volunteers for most positions need to be 18 years of age or older. A limited number of positions for volunteers aged 15-17 are available.

Video: STORIES OF PEACE: 2018
Creating a More Peaceful World: Lotus Volunteer Stories, Lotus Education and Arts Foundation

This video highlights the hard work of Lotus volunteers; communicating the values that Lotus aims to showcase. Those values include diversity, community, and multiculturalism. A collective story of peace is told through the Lotus World Music Festival’s exhibition, but none of that would be made possible without our volunteers.

Media School Student Team: Emma Hamilton, Karli VanCleave
Community Partner Contact: Tamara Loewenthal

 Photo: Kevin Atkins