Placement: Powerhouse Festival Volunteer

About the placement 

This placement provides students with practical industry experience during the first three weeks of operation at Powerhouse Parramatta. Students will complete five shifts between Saturday 7 November and Sunday 29 November 2026, rotating through different areas of the visitor and event experience. 

Students will have the opportunity to experience different aspects of event delivery, tourism, guiding and visitor operations. The placement is designed to complement classroom learning by giving students the opportunity to practise their skills in a major cultural destination during its opening period. 

Students will work alongside Powerhouse staff and volunteers while building confidence in visitor communication, wayfinding, event operations, customer service, local destination knowledge and teamwork. 

Placement Rotations 

Across the five shifts, students may rotate through areas including: 

Visitor Welcome & Tourism Experience 

• Welcome visitors to Powerhouse Parramatta and the surrounding precinct. 

• Provide information about the museum, festival activities and visitor facilities. 

• Respond to common visitor questions and provide a positive first impression of the destination. 

• Develop confidence communicating with visitors from a range of backgrounds. 

Wayfinding & Guiding 

• Help visitors navigate between Parramatta Station, Parramatta Square, Powerhouse Parramatta and key locations in the surrounding precinct. 

• Build knowledge of Parramatta as a visitor destination and confidently share relevant local information. 

• Practise giving clear directions and information to individuals and groups. 

• Support accessible and inclusive visitor journeys. 

Event Operations 

• Experience the practical delivery of major opening events and festival activities. 

• Assist with event set-up, pack-down and operational requirements. 

• Support visitor flow, crowd movement and event-day logistics. 

• Observe how teams communicate, respond to changing conditions and deliver events in a live environment. 

Programs & Activations 

• Support workshops, talks, creative activities and community events. 

• Assist visitors to participate in activities and understand what is happening across the site. 

• Observe how public programs and activations contribute to the overall visitor experience. 

• Work alongside staff, artists, facilitators and other volunteers. 

Industry Learning & Reflection 

• Participate in pre-shift briefings and end-of-shift debriefs. 

• Build knowledge across shifts and apply previous learning in new situations. 

• Reflect on visitor experience, event delivery and operational challenges. 

• Identify skills and experience that can be applied to future study, placements and employment.