Festival Assistant (Canada Summer Jobs)

Summer 2026 – Pending Canada Summer Jobs Funding

PoMoArts is seeking a creative, detail-oriented, and enthusiastic individual to support Art Out Side, Port Moody’s city-wide multidisciplinary arts festival taking place August 7–16, 2026.

Working closely with the Festival Manager, the Festival Assistant will gain hands-on experience in the planning, coordination, and delivery of a large-scale public arts festival that activates parks, public spaces, businesses, and unexpected sites across the city.

This role is ideal for a motivated emerging arts professional interested in festival production, community engagement, artist support, and arts administration.

The position is contingent upon funding approval through the Canada Summer Jobs program.

About the PoMoArts

PoMoArts, the Port Moody Arts Centre Society, is a not-for-profit community-arts organization that creates art experiences to engage, challenge, and awaken opportunities for connection. We provide art education, exhibitions, and community art experiences in the City of the Arts with various partners and artists each year.

We are supported by a thriving community of artists, volunteers, donors, businesses, associations, and decision-makers. We are an arts centre run primarily by artists, committed to developing, promoting, and celebrating meaningful arts experiences in Port Moody. We offer a full range of visual, ceramic, fibre, media, performing arts and music programs for people of all ages and experience levels. We curate exhibitions of local and regional artists, emerging and established. We create meaningful community art experiences with our partners that explore social issues, lift voices of those less heard, and support community dialogue.


Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Festival Manager, the specific responsibilities include:

Festival Planning & Administration

  • Assist with coordination of artist contracts, schedules, and logistics;
  • Conduct research related to sponsorship, artist fees, suppliers, and technical needs;
  • Support documentation, scheduling, and record-keeping;
  • Assist in preparing accessibility checklists and participation metrics;

Marketing & Communications Support

  • Assist with preparation and distribution of marketing materials;
  • Support the creation of basic graphics and promotional content;
  • Help track engagement and audience data;

Artist & Community Engagement

  • Support communication with artists, sponsors, and partners;
  • Support volunteer coordination by assisting with communications, scheduling, orientation materials, and on-site supervision during festival events;
  • Assist with planning and facilitating community engagement activities;
  • Support evaluation processes for artists, partners, and audience experience;

Festival Installation & Event Support

  • Assist with installation and de-installation of artist projects across multiple sites;
  • Provide on-site support during festival events;
  • Support opening and closing celebrations;
  • Assist with equipment handling and site preparation;

This position includes a mix of administrative, creative, and physical tasks.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone who is:

  • Pursuing or has completed post-secondary education in fine arts, arts administration, museum studies, cultural studies, communications, or a related field;
  • Highly organized and detail-oriented;
  • Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team;
  • A strong communicator (written and verbal);
  • Interested in public engagement and community-based arts;
  • Comfortable with basic administrative systems and scheduling;
  • Physically able to assist with art installation and site preparation;
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook);
  • Available to work occasional evenings and weekends;

A successful criminal background check is required prior to employment.

Assets:

  • Familiarity with event and/or festival planning, implementation and evaluation;
  • Knowledge of an additional language;

Other Eligibility Requirements for the Canada Summer Jobs Program

  • Must be between 19 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, for the duration of the employment;
  • Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations;

Remuneration: $19/hour

This is a full-time (35 hours/week) 16-week youth employment opportunity scheduled to take place from May 11 – August 28, 2026. The position and its duration are conditional upon Canada Summer Jobs funding.


How to Apply

Please submit your application, jobs@pomoarts.ca according to the following guidelines:

  • PDF format only with your COVER LETTER and RESUME
  • Your cover letter should clearly indicate why you are interested in this position, what you hope to learn, and what impact it will have on your professional development
  • Must use “Festival Assistant Application” as the subject of your email

Application Deadline: March 8th, 2026

PoMoArts is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or (dis)ability.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...