Why festival directors are working for free

Is working for nothing a stepping stone to getting a paid festival job or just a way of being exploited?
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I’ve been attempting to research this article since September last year, but the organising of my own festival got in the way.

The two festival directors I initially approached had said, yes, we’d love to talk about that but we’re too busy at the moment, juggling our unpaid festival directing work with our paid Williams. Both have since moved on after running successful, innovative and well attended festivals. They no longer direct festivals, citing burn out as the major reason for not continuing.

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Lisa D’Onofrio
About the Author
Lisa D’Onofrio is a literacy and literature facilitator and community arts manager/practitioner who directs the Castlemaine Children’s Literature Festival.