The National Arts Centre relies on volunteers at all levels of the organization and values the time, talents, and passions volunteers contribute to achieving our mission. Volunteer involvement extends our capacity to meet the increasing demands for our services.

Engaging individual volunteers links us to people with diverse skills, cultural backgrounds, ages, and abilities that strengthen our capacity to meet the evolving needs of our community. We are committed to creating a warm, safe, and inclusive environment where the unique gifts of volunteers are recognized and nurtured, and where dedicated staff and resources support meaningful volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are provided with training and support in order to carry out their work effectively and are recognized for their valuable contributions.

The NAC operates in English and French and is always looking for bilingual volunteers. The ability to speak more than one language is often helpful in working with guests. Some volunteer opportunities absolutely require the ability to understand and speak both English and French. Such requirements are noted in the details of each volunteer opportunity.

The ideal volunteer at the NAC is 15 years of age or older. Some exceptions may apply. All volunteers over the age of 18 are required to complete a Police Record Check. Please contact us for more information.
 

Volunteer opportunities include

Greeting and Wayfinding

Hours: Minimum of 30 hours per year (roughly 2 shifts per month)

Description

  • Greeting and wayfinding are public-facing tasks.
  • Ideal volunteers for this role are bilingual and personable. They must have a good sense of direction and a solid knowledge of the layout of the NAC and the surrounding area. Being able to multi-task and being comfortable with guests of all ages and abilities is important.

Responsibilities

  • Volunteers will greet guests and assist with wayfinding and providing directions as needed.
  • Ideally, volunteers in this role will be people focused and be able to sense our visitors needs.
  • At the beginning of each shift, volunteers are provided with a print copy of the NAC Daily Service Notes that describes that day’s events.

Note: If you are part of the Greeting and Wayfinding roster, you will receive a monthly newsletter. Volunteers in this category will also be offered opportunities in administration and special event support.

Administration

Hours: 10 to 20 hours or more depending on the task.

Description

  • Administrative volunteers are not public facing. 
  • Ideal volunteers for this role are able to follow instructions and are comfortable with a variety of administrative tasks both physically and technically.
  • This role can be carried out remotely for specific tasks.
  • A space in the Volunteer Coordinator’s office will be provided for in-person administrative support.

Responsibilities

  • Volunteers will be handling sensitive information such as mailing information, emails and full names. These volunteers understand that they are bound by the NAC policies and procedures for privacy. 
  • Roles include but are not limited to: 
    • Letter Stuffing
    • Data entry and digitization
    • Volunteer Newsletter support
    • Organization of T-shirts or information for events
    • Email administration support 

Youth Volunteers

Hours: 20 to 40 hours

Description

  • Youth Volunteers will be engaged in a variety of tasks both public facing and administrative depending on their interests.
  • This program is intended to help students engage in volunteering opportunities to complete their required volunteer hours. After a volunteer completes their hours, they will be offered to stay on as a volunteer in our Greeting and Wayfinding roster or as a Special Event Support volunteer.

Responsibilities

*See other roles in addition to the following*

  • Ideally, volunteers in the program will be open to a variety of tasks from all three of our volunteer positions. 
  • Occasionally, volunteers will be provided with specific opportunities that fit for them specifically. These roles may not be a standard volunteer role within the NAC but will follow best practices. 

Special Event Support

Hours: as required

Description

  • Special Event Support is a public-facing task.
  • Ideal volunteers for this role are bilingual and personable. They are able to follow instructions, are comfortable multitasking, calm in a high-volume setting, and able to respond to complaints in a respectful manner. For some NAC events, volunteers may be asked to wear specific attire.

Responsibilities

  • During special events, volunteers may be asked to greet VIP guests, be a seat-filler*, or assist with event support.
  • Special events may include cultural events or educational events.
  • Specific NAC events include but are not limited to:

*Note that we prioritize volunteers who have a greater time commitment with us that are part of our Greeting and Wayfinding roster.

“Our volunteers at the NAC are the pulse of our community. Their passion for the arts and care for our visitors is what makes our program so special. I, for one, deeply value their contributions to creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all who come here.”
Karalee Compeau, Volunteer and Visitor Experience Coordinator