Current crewing opportunities
Overview
Crewing can be an amazing experience - but it's not for everyone - and in particular we have to make sure we have the right people who can work together and gel as a team. We're always keen to talk to anyone who is interested in crewing so that they can find out if it's something they want to do and we can see if there is a place for them on the team. So if you're interested in one of the roles below, do get in touch with our crew manager Kate Rogers - we'll give you a quick interview and see if we can offer you a place on the team.
All our crewing roles are for volunteers - but you won't need a festival ticket, we'll feed you throughout the event, and there is a big crew party on the last day for everyone who is helping take the event down. Ultimately the real benefit of crewing is that you'll be part of an amazing team of people and can take pride in your role in creating the Empire events that players love. You'll be part of the biggest LRP event crew in the country (there are over 300 of us!), working with incredibly talented people, and hopefully have an amazing time.
The crew roles described below are specific areas that we are actively looking to fill at this time, so if they sound interesting then it's definitely worth contacting us to discuss it. If you're interested in helping with something that isn't listed below then it may still be worth getting in touch, but bear in mind that we may already have enough people helping out in that area.
Encounter Tents (2 spaces)
Our encounter tent specialists are technical and design wizards who work magic with sets to help us prepare and run the encounters that take place off Anvil in tents. If you’ve got skills rusting away because you studied theatre design but never worked in it, or you help build am dram sets, or you love realising or improving other people’s visions this role might be for you.
We're looking for two more people to join our encounter tent team in plot production. Our team are responsible for designing sets and building and running scenes in the encounter tents. They work closely with the plot team and there is a lot of crossover with the other teams in plot production. We need volunteers from an hour before time in on Friday up until an hour after time out on Sunday.
This really is a role for someone who is looking to expand their volunteering in LRP because they love the hobby. You will be able to arrange for a few hours to relax if you want to (or take on a short NPC role or two), but you will be a member of the plot crew which means you'll be busy working throughout most of the event so you won’t be able to play a political character, and engage with the wider plot of the game.
Being part of the plot production team for the encounter tents means that you'll have a chance to experience a part of LRP design that doesn’t happen in many places - the short immersive experience encounter set up, with a props, costume and set store to support it. It's challenging work but you'll get to create some amazing experiences for players and see the reactions that creates.
How much of the event will you see?
- You will be unlikely to play a character other than the occasional NPC, but may enjoy the event facilities around the responsibilities of your volunteering role
Requirements
- Crew throughout the event rather than playing
- Cope with some lifting and shifting of objects throughout the weekend
- Bring enthusiasm and energy to creative encounter tent set design in a fairly high stress environment
- Be ready to fit in to an existing team and learn from their experiences
- Be willing to consider some skype planning calls between events, if you enjoy the experience and become a longer term member of the team
Crucially, you need to be confident that you will get more fun out of this backstage experience than your roleplaying experience is currently giving you. You will be joining the plot production department as a full time member of the team so balancing both will not be possible.
Litter Picking (4 spaces)
We're looking for half a dozen recruits to join the Site Crew team to do the litter-picking of the site after the event. The huge majority of our players are really good at cleaning up after themselves - but we still need to sweep the site to try and pick up the missed tent pegs and the bits of rubbish that have been missed or blown. There is always some rubbish that has blown into the farm ditches, and they need to be picked clean.
It's not a difficult job, and it's not unpleasant for the most part, though it's not a job for the extremely squeamish as there is the odd piece of litter that is unsavoury in nature. There are litter pickers and gloves available for every member of the team. You do need to be able to walk long distances, since you need to walk back and forth across the fields repeatedly.
You don't have to be on site early unless you want to be, but you will need to stay the extra day after the event finishes. We can only litter pick the site properly once everyone has left, so we need the team to start Sunday evening but work through most of Monday to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
During the event you're free to play a character and join in with the game as any other player would.
How much of the event will you see?
- As one of the litter pickers you will be working after the game on Sunday and then Monday through to the afternoon. This will leave the weekend free to play a character.
Requirements
- Remain on site until Monday afternoon
- Be prepared to work in all weathers
- Be happy to walk long distances.
Site Crew (8 spaces)
We’re looking for more recruits for the Site Crew team, the ones generally referred to as “the Red Caps.”
This team is responsible for preparing the site before the event and for clearing the site afterwards. This includes erecting and dropping the PD tents that are deployed as well as numerous other jobs like collecting benches and rubbish bags. We also get called in when the going gets tough and the weather gets bad, helping out players and all the other PD teams to make the game happen, no matter what the conditions are. We are the face of PD in the field before and after the event.
We work hard before the event to set up and after the event too. However, while the event is running most of the site Crew get to play a character and join in with the game.
Being part of the Red Cap Team means being able to make lots of fun out of hard work - but it isn’t for everyone. We have a lot of practically capable people - if that’s you, great - but you don’t have to be very strong (or a tent expert) to be useful. What you do need is a degree emotional and physical stamina - we work through good and bad weather and everyone on the Red Hats team shares the job of being committed and focused.
How much of the event will you see?
- Although as site crew you are "on call" for a lot of the event in case of emergency, you can also play a character and take a full part in the game around your shifts before and after the game
Requirements
- Be on site on Thursday morning and until Monday (or longer if you can)
- Be prepared to carry out physical work in all weathers
- Be prepared to time in a little late on Friday and finish playing a little early on Sunday when necessary to get the job done
- Be prepared to walk away from role-play in an emergency in order to carry out your crew role.
- Take instructions well, but be prepared to take your own initiative from one task to the next
- Be willing to learn new skills (or apply existing skills to new ways of working)
Referees (6 spaces)
Our referees are one of the most visible roles we have, helping players engage with and enjoy the game, throughout time in. They offer friendly advice, carry out functional tasks recording in game actions using our tablets, and step in to ask questions when it seems that someone might not be playing by the rules. These are full-time volunteer roles and whilst you will be able to take breaks when you need them, you will not be able to play a character taking part in the game alongside your role as a ref.
Many of our refs specialise either as a Field Ref - who build up an in depth knowledge of the most commonly cast rituals, or commonly used items, particularly those that interact with plots in order to answer queries quickly and efficiently - or as a Skirmish Ref - who are experts in watching combat and being able to see whether players are abiding by the rules; make judgements about how hard they are hitting; decide whether they are fighting in a safe location, and know to de-escalate conflict between players (rather than characters) if it arises. You may either request to join the team as one or the other type of Ref, or join as non-specialised and try out both. You will be given the opportunity to spend a good deal of your first event shadowing other referees to get used to reffing Profound Decisions style.
How much of the event will you see?
- You will be unlikely to play a character, but may enjoy the event facilities around the responsibilities of your volunteering role
Requirements
- Excellent customer service skills
- Have either a year's experience as an Empire player OR significant experience of reffing other systems and be prepared to learn the core Empire rules thoroughly before your first event
- Take instructions well, but be prepared to take your own initiative from one task to the next
- Be comfortable wearing a radio and earpiece at all times and using a tablet to record entries in a database
- Be comfortable walking long distances over the course of the event to reach the players who need a referee in all different areas of the field
- Be on site on Friday at 4pm until the end of the event at 3pm on Sunday afternoon
If you would love to ref, but can't meet the walking requirement do let us know. We have 1 place available refereeing from the Imperial Regio.
Security (4 spaces)
Live roleplaying events are generally relaxed and friendly environments so we work with a small SIA registered security team. We supplement that team with with volunteer marshals who work alongside security and help them keep a watchful eye on the site each night. We have spaces for both SIA registered security and volunteer marshals at present, in order to cover all our night shifts well and make it possible for each team member to have one night off.
The team covers Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 01:00 to 08.30 in the morning. Depending on your need for sleep, you can get quite a lot of play as a character in the game fitted in around your shifts, though you do need to make sure you save enough energy to do the job well. The team work closely with first aid, and with the conduct team and participant welfare, in order to make sure everyone stays safe whilst enjoying the event. In bad weather conditions they are also responsible for securing tent structures that are at risk, and dealing with other issues as they arrive.
How much of the event will you see?
- Whilst getting enough sleep to cover your shifts is a priority, you may spend time between shifts playing a character and enjoying the event"
Requirements
- Be able to work 1am - 8.30am shifts on security, either 2 (when we have enough cover) or 3 nights per event (Thurs,Fri,Sat)
- Be able to walk around the site as part of that shift
- Be sober for your shift in order to be a fully responsible team member
- Be able to do physical tasks such as assisting carrying a person