About the East Bank Academy
East Bank is continuing its work with A New Direction, operators of the Good Growth Hub - an award-winning charity generating opportunities for children and young people to develop their creativity through the East Bank Academy.
For the Festival, the East Bank Academy will create 16 commissioned roles, 10 of which are live now and a further 6 to be announced across the summer, connecting local young people to paid opportunities and employment within the cultural sector and creative industries. These roles will feature Social Media and Marketing, Photography, Content Creation, Event Production and Sound & Lighting related roles.
The festival is supported by the Mayor of London and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The Festival from East Bank is an annual cultural programme hosted at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, bringing together East Bank's founding partners - BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion, UAL, Sadler’s Wells East, V&A East and UCL East.
In 2026, the headline theme is The Music is Black, anchored by V&A's landmark exhibition 'The Music is Black: A British Story'. The festival extends this theme across live music, dance, talks, workshops and community events programmed by East Bank partners and associated collaborators throughout the Park.
About Continental Drifts
Continental Drifts is an award-winning London-based event production company who are producing this year’s Music is Black festival for East Bank. They were established in 1996, specializing in comprehensive event production, artist management, and site production. They produce major national events including producing stages at Glastonbury, Camp Bestival & Wilderness.
They also produce many London-based festivals such as the Commonwealth Games Live site in the Olympic Park, various GLA events (Diwali/Vaisakhi/St George's Day), Great Exhibition Road Festival, hackney Carnival as well as community festivals like Lewisham Peoples Day, Green Together Festival and Royal Docks Summer Splash.
About the role
We are looking for a motivated, hands‑on Junior Technical Support Assistant (Audio & Lighting) to support live performance delivery across The Music is Black Festival series.
This is a supported, entry‑level role designed for someone looking to build experience within live events, sound and lighting. You’ll work closely with professional technical teams on site, gaining exposure to real festival environments while contributing to the safe and smooth running of performances.
Audio Support
- Supporting wider East Bank Academy cohort with any advice and hands-on support for audio recordings – e.g. zoom or mics
- Supporting audio set up – mics etc – for Good Growth Hub Creative Careers events as needed
- Supporting DJ set ups for Growth Hub careers events as needed
- Assisting audio technicians during set‑up, sound checks and live performances
- Supporting microphone set‑ups, cabling and basic signal checks
- Helping manage on‑stage and backstage audio equipment
- Supporting changeovers between artists and performances
- Observing and learning live sound processes in a professional environment
Lighting Support
- Assisting with basic lighting set‑ups under supervision
- Helping position, focus and strike lighting fixtures
- Supporting cable management and safe rigging practices
- Assisting lighting operators during rehearsals and live shows
On‑Site & Production Support
- Supporting load‑in and get‑out across festival days
- Assisting with equipment movement and stage readiness
- Following health & safety guidance and on‑site protocols
- Communicating clearly with technical leads and production staff
- Being proactive, observant and responsive during live events
Learning & Development
- Gaining hands‑on experience within a live festival technical environment
- Working alongside experienced audio and lighting professionals
- Understanding technical workflows, terminology and best practice
- Building confidence working on live stages and performance sites
- Exposure to professional standards within arts and music production