VOLUNTEERS are needed to help run the first ever Selby Arts Festival.

The festival runs between July 22 and 30, and will see dozens of events taking place throughout the town, with headline acts at Selby Abbey including musician Seth Lakeman, and comedian Ed Byrne.

York band The Grand Old Uke Of York are also set to perform, and there will be theatrical and artistic events run at locations around the town throughout the festival.

Organisers are looking to find people who will volunteer to help with festival’s marketing and public relations team - through social media, blogging and photography - and with the festival’s technical and production staff, helping put the events together.

Stewards are also needed to help out at a minimum of three shows, one of which can be an event or gig of their choosing.

David Edmunds, Selby Arts Festival Director, said he wanted to “make sure it is an event to remember”, and wanted to hear from enthusiastic volunteers aged 16 or over.

He said: “We always wanted the Festival to have a significant volunteering programme, volunteers are the heart and soul of a festival like this and we are excited about finding some brilliantly enthusiastic people to come and join the team.

“Volunteering is really rewarding and we promise our volunteers will not only learn some new skills, meet new people but will also have a great time being part of the first Selby Arts Festival volunteering team, if I wasn’t directing the festival then I would absolutely be volunteering on it.”

Briefing sessions will be held on Thursday, May 4, and Saturday, May 13, for people to find out more about taking part and the requirements of volunteers.

Two training days will also be held in early July ahead of the festival for the technical, production and the stewarding teams . Anyone interested in volunteering for the festival or who would like more information, should email saf@departsltd.com

Applicants should state which volunteer briefing date they can attend, and more information will be sent out in the coming weeks about the location and timings for the events. Anyone unable to attend the briefing events can still email contact details along with information about themselves and which volunteering role they are interested in.For more information on volunteering, and for the full lineup of the Selby Arts Festival, go to selbyartsfestival.co.uk