Kick-Starters

We’re on the hunt for enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our Kick-Starter Programme, a skills development programme for young people (or the young at heart) interested in the media or creative industries who are looking to gain valuable experience for their future careers. You will volunteer alongside our fun and friendly festival team to produce HowTheLightGetsIn Hay-On-Wye 2026, from the 22nd-25th May!

The festival is a unique event which sees world-leading thinkers and performers gather at our beautiful festival location along the river in Hay-On-Wye. Not only will you learn new skills and meet new friends and contacts, you will also get the unique experience of seeing festival debates, live music, film, and comedy from behind the scenes as part of our team.

Places on the Festival Kick-Starter Programme are available to people over 18 from around the UK and beyond. Kick-Starters can get involved with a variety of roles, and can expect to gain experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Events Management – managing one of our multiple venues means keeping things running on time, ensuring the venue is ready for events to start, and working with both the tech and production team to get sound and set up just right for each event.
• Production Assistant – playing a key role in the behind-the-scenes of our events, ensuring
  speakers are where they need to be and assisting the production team on prep before events.
• Press Tent - working with our press team to assist in managing and working with the
  press over the festival weekend.
• Media Production Assistant – working with our media production team to assist in ensuring all of our interviews, debates, and talks are filmed to the highest quality across the weekend.
• Green Room Assistant - looking after and checking in our renowned speakers, comedians and artists.
• Arrivals Tent Assistant - helping the team check guests in and sell programmes.
• Subscribers Lounge Assistant - managing our Subscribers Lounge to ensure our guests and members of the press are looked after.

Kick-Starters must be available from Thursday 21st May - Monday 25th May, as we run training sessions on the Thursday. We recommend Kick-Starters arrive on Wednesday 20th May to set up ahead of training the next day.

All Kick-Starters will need to camp at the festival, and bring their own camping equipment (or provide their own external accommodation). We provide Kick-Starters with meal vouchers for each day they work at the festival.

Kickstarter applications for HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2026 are now open! Link below to apply:

https://HowTheLightGetsIn.regfox.com/htlgi-hay-kick-starters-2026

If you have any questions about the Programme, please email kickstarter@artandideas.org