Bumberworks

Want to learn how to run your own music festival or produce your own concert? Are you between the ages of 17 to 25 and interested in... concert marketing, audio engineering, lighting design, backstage hospitality, talent buying, stagehands, front-of-house operations, multimedia design, festival operations, or fundraising for non-profit organizations?

BumberWorks is a free education program that aims to remove barriers of entry into the live-music business for young adults, ages 17-25. We have partnered with The UC Theatre’s Concert Career Pathways and The Crocodile to create a six-month program focused on teaching the behind-the-scenes aspects of concert promotion and production. Through remote and in-person learning, participants will acquire knowledge through educational workshops, shadow shifts, and mentorship. Additionally, participants will receive hands-on experience through our mutual network of professionals and partnered venues in and around Seattle.

Festival as a Classroom

Some organizations build classrooms- we build festival spectaculars where our education program participants will watch our successes and failures in real-time. Strategically tied into the main campus festival, the Bumbershoot Workforce Development Program has partnered with The UC Theatre to expand its Concert Career Pathways Extension (CCP-X) program remotely for Seattle-based participants. This is a tuition-free program designed to remove barriers of entry for underserved communities while supporting the next generation of industry professionals. We are simultaneously laying the groundwork for a more equitable and inclusive arts and music scene.

Participants, ages 17 to 25, will work alongside seasoned live event and concert business professionals who will provide mentorship and teach the technical, creative, and business aspects of the live entertainment industry via:

• Workshops
• Speaker Series
• Shadow Shifts
• Paid internships at local partner venues
• Industry Tours
• Networking opportunities

The seven-month Bumbershoot Workforce Development program (April to November) will teach marketable skills through training and hands-on experiences

• Event production
• Sound Engineering
• Marketing
• Talent Buying
• Event budgeting
• Education and Development

We also understand that life skills are equally as vital. Our comprehensive approach will weave a support system for young people; from transportation, fair compensation, meals, and social and emotional learning-specific sessions, in order to focus on teamwork and conflict resolution. We assist our participants with shaping their professional and personal life experiences.

In 10 years Bumbershoot will be staffed and run by the program graduates. This is how we and other institutions activate social change and how Bumbershoot becomes much more than a two-day music festival.

Workforce Venue Partners, 2025

The Crocodile
Neumos
Friends of Waterfront
MoPOP
Earshot Jazz
Grammy U