Volunteering at Jacob’s Pillow

Volunteering is a great way to join the Jacob’s Pillow community of passionate artists and art enthusiasts.  As a volunteer, you are a vital part of Jacob’s Pillow’s mission to support dance presentation, education, and preservation and often serve as a first point of engagement with the public.

Give Pulse

GivePulse is our new volunteer management portal. Current volunteers can use the link above to access the login page of the portal. New volunteers need to contact Volunteer@jacob’spillow.org to create an account. 

Please note, if you have forgotten your password you must go through GivePulse to reset it. Jacob’s Pillow staff are unable to help with resetting passwords.

Volunteer Expectations 

• Standing for long periods of time 
• Working in outdoor environments with the possibility for heat and direct sunlight exposure. 
• Access to internet in order to sign up for shifts
• Willingness to work any duty assigned

There are a number of ways to volunteer for Jacob’s Pillow during the summer and year-round. Here are a few of our volunteer positions:

Ushering (Summer Only)

Ushers are assigned to either the Ted Shawn Theatre performances,  Henry J. Leir Stage performances, or Site-sepcific performances and are the primary customer service representatives for Jacob’s Pillow during performances. Responsibilities include:

• Directing patrons to their assigned seats. 
• Ensure smooth and efficient audience traffic flow to help patrons get seated on time. 
• Tearing and scanning tickets. 
• Remaining after the performance to help with tidying and closing the performance space. 
• Handle patron questions and needs.

Volunteer Greeters (Summer Only)

Volunteer greeters are assigned to positions around the Pillow campus to help ensure patrons get to where they need to be. Responsibilities include:

• Wayfinding around the Pillow campus. 
• Talking to patrons about the performances, companies in residence,  and Pillow history. 
• Handle patron questions and needs. 
• Driving the golf carts (by request only).

Retail Volunteers (Summer Only)

Retail volunteers assist in the Pillow store. Responsibilities include: 

• Welcome customers to the store 
• Help customers find items 
• Work with the Retail Manager and Retail Associate(s) to keep the store presentable

Office Admin Volunteers (Year Round)

Office Administration volunteers help within the Pillow Office. Responsibilities may include:

Note: Standing for a long period of time and working outside in the heat / direct sunlight are NOT expectations for this position.

Groundskeeping & Jacob’s Garden (Year Round)

Help maintain our beautiful site and our working garden, Jacob’s Garden, during the summer and throughout the year. Gardening volunteers will help with weeding, harvesting, watering, and processing. Each volunteer is responsible for bringing their own pair of gardening gloves and face masks. All tools for gardening will be provided by Jacob’s Garden.

Special Events Volunteers (Year Round)

Special Events Volunteers work with departments such as community engagement and philanthropy on events both on and off the Pillow campus. Responsibilities for this role depend on the event, please contact Volunteer@Jacobspillow.org for more details.

Volunteer Benefits

Benefits and perks for volunteering are based on the number of hours worked throughout the year and during the festival season. Potential benefits include: 

• Free and discounted tickets to performances in the Ted Shawn Theatre and Henry J Leir Stage* 
• Invitations to exclusive staff and volunteer events 
• Free admission to morning classes during the festival season 
• Discounts in the Pillow store 
• Raffles throughout the summer 

Please click here for more information regarding the benefits.

*Tickets are subject to availability and the discretion of the Box Office Manager