Get Involved!
The Dream Society runs on heart, hustle, and a whole lot of volunteer magic. Every concert, every connection, every unforgettable night of music happens because people in our community step forward to lend a hand. From greeting guests at the door, to helping artists feel at home, to making sure the lights go up on time, our volunteers are the reason The Dream Society is alive and thriving. We couldn’t—and wouldn’t—do this without them. And the best part? Volunteering isn’t just about helping us out; it’s about joining a circle of people who share a love of music, creativity, and community. If you’re not already part of the crew, we’d love for you to think about joining it. And if you're wondering why other folks have jumped in, here are just a few of the reasons they've shared with us...
Why You Should Help
Give Back to the Arts
Every hour you give helps keep live music thriving in our community. Volunteering is a way to
share your love of the arts and make sure they remain accessible to everyone.
Enjoy Free Shows
One of the perks of volunteering? You get to experience incredible live performances up close—
and often for free—while helping to make the magic happen.
Meet Great People
Volunteering brings you into a welcoming circle of music lovers, artists, and community builders.
It’s a chance to make new friends who share your passions.
Earn Volunteer Credits
Every shift you work earns you volunteer credits. Use them to move up membership lists,
get priority for popular shows, or snag first dibs on the best volunteer spots.
Ways You Can Help
Artist Host
Artist Hosts providing lodging for our artists. Ideally, that's in a separate suite or, better yet, in an apartment or home they occasionally rent out. In most cases, we only need a bed or two. But occasionally, we bring in full bands who need more space. In a pinch, we rent them hotel rooms, but it's a huge help when a volunteer can put our artists up for a night or two. We're hoping you'll do this in the spirit of generoisty, or because you love spending time around artists. But if that's not enough, we can also offer you a charitable receipt for every night you lend us your space.
Bartender
Bartenders are in charge of keeping our music fans well-lubricated. They also serve up snacks like chips, pretzels, and popcorn. They need to know their way around a bar and, just as importantly, they need to be comfortable with the fancy machines we use to ring in our sales. Note that all bartenders must have completed the BC government's Serving It Right course. If you've not yet taken it, we will happily reimburse you for the examination fee once you pass.
Training provided
Board Member
The Dream Society is always on the lookout for music lovers who have the skills and expertise it needs to govern itself effectively. Board member must be Platinum Members of the DOP society, be willing to regularly attend meetings, and be willing to serve on one or more of the boards committees. If that sounds like you, please make yourself known!
Communications
We got A LOT of email. And we do mean A LOT! So if you've got a way with words, we'd love it if you could help us respond to some of those emails. In many case, you'll be saying nothing more than, "Thanks for your kind words!" But occasionally, you'll be dealing with someone who, for whatever reason, isn't feeling the love. Whatever the case, we'll be here to help and simply ask that you do your best to be kind and helpful.
Driver
No need to tell you, our Drivers need to have a valid driver's license. And most of the time, they'll be using it to drive our artists to and from the show if they're not staying close enough to the venue to walk or don't have their own vehicle.
Events Committee
As a member of our Events Committee, you'll be spending time with 5 or 6 other people who may know even more about music than you do. And you know a lot! Otherwise, you wouldn't be allowed to serve on this committee. That's because this is the committee that books all of our shows. They choose the artists; they choose the ticket prices; they choose the venue. Big responsibility, right? But incredibly satisfying when you get it right. If you're interested in serving on this committee, be sure to let us know what genres of music you're an expert in as we want a diverse group on this committee.
Finance & Admin Committee
As a member of our Finance & Admin Committee, you'll be spending time with 5 or 6 other people who have a knack for managing money and keeping things organized. We try to automate as many things as possible with our web site, but we still need a few good humans to tell us what should be automated. And when we can't automate something, we need those same good humans to do a little accounting and paper-shuffling.
Front of House
Front of House volunteers do a wide variety of roles. Before the show, they're welcoming our guests at the door and showing them to their tables. During intermission, they're gathering empty cans and glasses and taking them to the kitchen. And after the show, they' and everyone else on duty are cleaning up the venue so it's ready for the next show..
Kitchen
Kitchen volunteers are stationed in the kitchen but, don't worry, you need not know how to cook. You may be asked to make some popcorn and pop something in the microwave, but that's as much cooking as you'll be doing. But you'll also be helping with the dishes: loading the dirty ones into the dishwasher and delivering the clean ones to the bartender. In between loads, you'll have ample time to enjoy the live music.
Marketing Committee
As a member of our Marketing Committee, you'll be spending time with 5 or 6 other people figuring out the best way to let people know what The Dream Society is up to. You'll also help us figure out what people think of our events and what sort of events they'd like in the future. On top of that, you'll also be our membership liaison, passing on their ideas, kudos, and concerns.
Shift Leader
Shift Leaders are the quarterbacks at our events. From beginning to end, they're in charge of helping the rest of the team get their jobs done. If a team member is a new volunteer, or volunteering for a new role, they'll be teaching them their role. And if everyone already knows their role, they'll be filling in wherever help is needed.
Training provided
Volunteers Committee
As a member of our Volunteers Committee, you'll be working with five or six other people to recruit, vet, coordinate, and celebrate The Dream Society's amazing volunteers. You'll also be helping us get better at that by developing and document our volunteer-related policies and procedures. It could add up to a lot of hours during the first few months, each of which will earn you a volunteer credit.