Volunteering is a great way to be part of the GT Earth Day Parade community and to meet like-spirited people. Volunteers make it possible for Little Artshram and our friends and collaborators to offer community based art events like the Earth Day Parade, while acquiring hands-on puppet & mask building skills.

More than 43 individuals volunteered nearly 1350 hours to Little Artshram during last years parade-building and community event.

Our workshops begin this first week of April and continue through the 25th. Parade day is April 26th.

Here is a list of volunteer needs/jobs, and please check back because we will keep it updated!

1. Coordinator and Musicians for Community Picnic & Local Music Concert in Hannah Park

This opportunity is available for a well organized person along w. a collaborative group of folks who will join in and take on the final tasks and planning w. the Eday organizers and Oryana of the after-parade gathering, at Hannah Park on 6th Street. We envision it as more of a “Community Sing-along” involving everyone present, scheduling acoustic music, singer-song-writers, along w. organizing the space for the community picnic to take place (Giving some direction to folks as they arrive, setting up 8 ft. tables and helping organize the Oryana food donation, reminding/announcing our zero-waste practices etc.) The Community Picnic happens directly after the parade, at approximately 3:15 until 4:30 or 5 pm—depending on final plans. We are working to raise funds to pay artists and musicians who are helping lead and supervise various Eday parade workshops and those who may step forward to coordinate the Community Picnic. For one person w. a collaborative working group of support, willing to meet and also work w. the parade organizing crew.

2. Cardboard Collector/Runner

This job is offered each day of our workshops: April 1, 2 and 3rd (Spring Break @ GT Circuit) and April 8, 15, & 22nd (at the GLCM) and involves tracking down, picking up and delivering single-thickness cardboard to our workshop location—-and at the end of the workshops picking up un-used scraps and delivering them to a local recycling site. For one (1) person per workshop

3. Set-up Crew

Each day, of our workshops, one hour BEFORE it has begun, we set-up the workshop site with various puppet-mask-making stations that workshop participants will cycle around through as they create their mask/costume. For three (3) people each workshop

3. Tools and Materials Assistant

Each day we have a job for a person to oversee, keep track of, and make sure all of our special Earth Day Parade tools and materials are in tip-top shape and working order. A general rule is that children/youth are NOT to have use of box-cutters/staplers/and other potentially difficult and dangerous tools to operate. The Tool and Material assistant will help cut cardboard and make sure we are all carefully keeping track of tools.
For two (2) people per workshop

4. Parade Workshop Assistant

The Assistant Artist is a job offered throughout the month of workshops working alongside of the Parade artists’ on specific masks, puppets and costumes and helping to lead discussion/info-sharing/design brainstorming w. the workshop attendants. We are working to raise funds to pay a stipend to each workshop assistant.

For 3 folks per workshop, and committed to being present for parade day, April 26th

5. Puppet and Mask-Maker

This job is offered to folks each day of the workshops, and is for artists who have skills in cardboard building and papier-maiche puppet and mask-making or those who are quick learners. The Puppet and Mask-Maker’s will work one on one and in small groups w. children/youth/adults who are designing, constructing and creating their Earth Day Parade masks/costumes. We are working to raise funds to pay a stipend to each volunteer puppet/mask-maker.

For 3 folks per workshop, and committed to being present for parade day, April 26th

6. Clean-up Crew

Each workshop requires a well-organized clean-up crew..It involves one hour after the workshop has ended, we stay at the workshop site to clean-up, pack-up and prepare for the next day’s workshop. For three (3) people each workshop

If you can not be with us in a “hands-on” kind of way:

HOW IS this Community Event funded?

The Earth Day Parade is funded entirely by donations and sponsorships. We do not charge a fee to folks attending workshops, asking only for a SUGGESTED DONATION of $20 per mask/costume/person.

The Earth Day parade costs are minimal and include: materials and supplies we are unable to scavenge, for space rental, artists stipends for their design contributions, leadership and supervision of the workshops, and for permit fees and liability insurance that allows us to be in the streets on foot.

If 250 community members gave $20 we would have our entire budget covered!

To become a Community Partner and give to the Earth Day Parade see the attachments below. You may also directly contact us. Little Artshram is a 501.c 3, tax deductible and non-profit organization.

We accept both cash donations and checks made out to:
Little Artshram, P.O. Box 844, Traverse City, MI 49865

You can check out details about Community Partner levels here:

info@littleartshram.org
www.littleartshram.org
231-735-8370