Beltane 2006: Torchies & Stewards

Welcome to the Beltane 2006 Stewards and Torchbearers Recruitment Page

Late News: there may still beroles available with the Elemental Point Guards (stewards and torchbearers who stay with a particular element) and with Front of House. If you're interested, please contact "volunteers at beltane dot org".

Stewarding Instructions

Being a processional steward is a great way to get involved in Beltane if you don't have a lot of free time. Processional stewards see as much of the procession as the torchbearers they walk between, and they perform a valuable function in keeping the audience back both from the procession and from the various performances around the route.

It doesn't matter if you've not done any stewarding before: almost all you need to know can be picked up in a couple of training sessions, and on the night you will never be far from a more experienced steward who can assist should a situation develop.

The commitment: to be a processional steward at Beltane, you will need to:

• If you can, attend the practice on Calton Hill at 6.30 on Wednesday 19 April (this should ensure that you know roughly what's going on when we have the two compulsory rehearsals)
• Be at the first walkthrough at noon on Sunday 23 April
• Attend a performers' health and safety briefing and complete a release form. There are two of these - one after the walkthrough on Sunday 23 April (5pm in the Bongo Club) and on Tuesday 25 April (7pm at the tePooka office on Lady Lawson Street)
• Come to the final stewards' training course on the evening of Wednesday 26 April. This session, with one of the Blue Men, should wrap up and integrate everything you'll have learnt so far
• Come to a "fire-proofing" session not later than Friday 28 April to spray the outer clothes you'll be wearing on the night with fire retardant.
• Be on the Hill at noon on Sunday 30 April for the final walkthrough (we would hope to see as many people as possible on the Hill at 10am to help with set-up)
• Meet up again at about 6pm to get ready (dressed in appropriate colour, costumed and face painted) before heading up the Hill to be in position for 9pm
• Ensure you have Monday 1 May off work - it's a Bank Holiday, but there's a fairly strong chance you won't be up to working.

If you'd like to join us, please email steve at torchbearers dot org dot uk or digitalraven at gmail dot com - and thanks!