VOLUNTEER SCOUTS HELP SPOT NEW MUSICAL TALENTS FOR ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

Every year, 30,000 volunteers help create Roskilde Festival. Now, we have created a new team of volunteer scouts who act as the eyes and ears of the festival’s bookers, checking out new talents and providing input for the programming.  

By Vera Francine Claver, communications intern at Roskilde Festival

“There are a lot of great shows at the Danish venues these days and we want to experience as many of them as possible. The new volunteer team helps us to be able to examine every corner of the musical landscape and create even greater diversity in our programme”, says Thomas Jepsen, Roskilde Festival’s head of music.

Volunteer scouts create more diversity 
We have asked two of the new volunteer scouts about their work as volunteers at Roskilde Festival, what it means to them to be a part of the scouting team, and why they believe it is important to involve volunteers in the programming.  

Caroline Lassen Skylv is 21 years old and lives in Copenhagen. She studies Leissure Management and is also involved in creating Surround Festival, a festival for new musical talents in Denmark.

Why did you apply to become a volunteer scout for Roskilde Festival? 
"I like to be close to the music. It is exciting and fun to be a part of a festival as huge as Roskilde Festival and get the opportunity to work with both new and well-established musicians. Also, I think as volunteer scouts we bring some more diversity into the booking team."

"All applicants were anonymized until we got to to the interview part, and we are quite many womwn who have entered the team. Maybe we can contribute with some new perspectives." 

What makes this new volunteer position important? 
"We all experience concerts differently and I feel, as volunteer scouts, we have a voice, and that voice is being appreciated by the festival’s bookers. We have already been a part of planning the music program for First Days."

"The new volunteer team can contribute with new perspectives on different aspects of the Danish music scene, and this is important as there are so many artistic talents out there who deserve the spotlight."

Giving room to new talents  
Selma Eistrup Madsen is also a part of the new scouting team. She is 20 years old, studies in high chool, and also works at the venue Hotel Cecil.  

What are you doing as a music scout? 
"We keep an eye on who plays where, and what concerts might be of interest to Roskilde Festival. We also participate in creating the program for First Days."

"Giving room to new talents is a big part of Roskilde Festival. With that in mind, I think is is great to have a lot of eyes and ears out there and also to be a diverse group of scouters in terms of gender and age."  

What are you looking for when you go scouting at a concert? 
"When I enter the venue the first thing I do is to feel the vibe among the audience. Whether I personally like the music is not that important – what is more important is that the artist can reach the audience and create an atmosphere."

"I also consider what stage at Roskilde Festival might be suitable for the artist. Some blossom at the smaller, intimate settings, others needs a space where they can go crazy and create something very energetic."  

In this video you can follow Caroline Lassen Skylv scouting for Roskilde Festival at a concert with the Danish artists Basit and Kedde.