PEOPLE with a passion for the arts are being encouraged to volunteer at Brighton Festival 2017.

A drop-in session will be held on Thursday, March 2, hosted by various departments of the three-week event. The event takes place from 6pm to 8pm at the Brighton Dome cafe-bar.

Volunteers will assist in coordinating events across Brighton and Hove from April, with the festival getting underway on May 6.

Duties will include greeting the public and directing customers as well as helping with the festival’s outdoor promotions and community schemes.

Along the way, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about the mechanics of a major arts event including marketing, press, artistic planning, creative learning and visitor services.

The work is flexible; participants can work weekdays and weekends, daytimes and evenings from April.

Hannah Collisson, senior press officer at the festival, said the volunteers could offer their services in the department that was best suited to them.

“It depends on their individual interests. People attend the session and we take it from there.”

Brighton Festival is the biggest multi-arts event in England and this year sees musician, poet and novelist Kate Tempest assume the role of guest director.

She follows in the footsteps of Laurie Anderson, who directed last year’s 50th anniversary edition.

Tempest’s chosen theme is the “Everyday Epic” and the programme has an emphasis on empathy and connectivity.

Tempest is keen to broaden the festival to every area of Brighton and Hove and there will be arts hubs in community centres in Whitehawk and Hangleton.

The guest director’s rallying call for the festivities is “art is social. It should be a part of life. No big deal – just life itself”.

The line-up includes theatre, dance, visual art, film, music, debate, comedy and spoken word.

For more information visit: brightonfestival.org