UNMUTE.
The Field Handbooks

For the people who hold the room.

UNMUTE runs on the quiet labour of ambassadors and volunteers. Eleven roles, eleven handbooks. Read what each one asks, agree to the consent and confidentiality our community lives by, and apply. Every application is reviewed and approved by Dr. S Pujah's office.

Community Guidelines →The UNMUTE Constitution →Full T&Cs (PDF) →
Ambassador handbooks

Five Ambassadors. One chapter.

Each chapter is held by a team of five — Community, Story, Music, Volunteer, Content. Six-month terms, certified by UNMUTE.

Ambassador

Community Ambassador

You grow the room — the warmth at the door, the reason a stranger feels safe enough to stay.

6 months · 8–12 hrs/month · one chapter event/quarter
Responsibilities
  • Personally invite 25+ new attendees to each chapter event.
  • Greet at the door — every guest by name when possible.
  • Send a thank-you note to first-time guests within 48 hours.
  • Hold the chapter WhatsApp circle with weekly warmth (never noise).
  • Recruit 2–3 greeters and one WhatsApp moderator.
Rules of engagement
  • Confidentiality first: what is shared in the room stays in the room.
  • No personal contact data is ever copied, shared or used outside UNMUTE.
  • Lead with listening; never sell, never solicit, never recruit for other causes.
What you receive
  • Certification as UNMUTE Community Ambassador (6-month term).
  • Listed on the UNMUTE website chapter wall.
  • Direct mentorship from Dr. S Pujah's office.
Ambassador

Story Ambassador

You find the voices — the bridge between a private wound and a public mic.

6 months · 8–14 hrs/month
Responsibilities
  • Source 4–6 storytellers per chapter event across formats (written, spoken, performed).
  • Run a gentle rehearsal call with each storyteller — never editorial.
  • Collect signed content-use consent from every storyteller.
  • Curate submissions for the central UNMUTE Story Library.
  • Recruit Story Booth volunteers and written-story readers.
Rules of engagement
  • Never publish a story without written consent.
  • Anonymise where requested; honour withdrawal at any time.
  • Treat every story as sacred — no edits without the storyteller's permission.
What you receive
  • Certification as UNMUTE Story Ambassador.
  • Editorial credit on every story you curate into the Library.
  • Invitation to the annual Storykeepers' circle.
Ambassador

Music Ambassador

You hold the soundscape — the in-breath between stories, the closing note that lingers.

6 months · 6–10 hrs/month
Responsibilities
  • Curate one live musician per evening (singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, choir).
  • Build the ambient playlist for arrival and closing.
  • Coordinate sound-check 90 minutes before doors open.
  • Collect licence / consent from every performer.
  • Recruit and brief the sound volunteer.
Rules of engagement
  • All performances are non-commercial and credited.
  • No copyrighted recordings without licence.
  • Music serves the room, never the performer's ego.
What you receive
  • Certification as UNMUTE Music Ambassador.
  • Listed in the programme and on the Library music wall.
  • Free entry for performers to all UNMUTE chapter events.
Ambassador

Volunteer Ambassador

You hold the people who hold the room — recruiter, mentor, and chief of warmth.

6 months · 8–12 hrs/month
Responsibilities
  • Recruit, brief and coordinate the six volunteer teams for each event.
  • Maintain the volunteer roster and certification tiers (Bronze / Silver / Gold).
  • Run a 30-minute pre-event huddle with the volunteer leads.
  • Capture feedback from every volunteer within 72 hours of the event.
Rules of engagement
  • Every volunteer is briefed on consent and confidentiality before they begin.
  • No volunteer is left without a clear role or a check-in.
  • Burn-out is a failure of leadership — rotate gently.
What you receive
  • Certification as UNMUTE Volunteer Ambassador.
  • Access to the Volunteer Ambassador leadership track.
  • First-look invitations to UNMUTE national gatherings.
Ambassador

Content Ambassador

You capture and archive — without ever breaking the spell of the room.

6 months · 6–10 hrs/month
Responsibilities
  • Plan the photo / video / written capture for each chapter event.
  • Edit and publish a 60-second chapter recap within 7 days.
  • Brief the Photography, Videography and Social Media teams.
  • Archive raw assets in the central UNMUTE Drive with proper consent tags.
Rules of engagement
  • No close-ups of any face without explicit consent.
  • Never publish a clip of a storyteller without their written sign-off.
  • Assets are for UNMUTE use only — never reused for personal portfolios without permission.
What you receive
  • Certification as UNMUTE Content Ambassador.
  • Credit on every published asset.
  • Annual review of work with Dr. S Pujah and the editorial board.
Volunteer team handbooks

Six teams. One evening.

The volunteer teams that make an UNMUTE evening happen. Bronze → Silver → Gold certification across 1, 5 and 10 events.

Volunteer Team

Registration Team

First face, first welcome — the doorway to a held room.

Per event · 3 hrs (arrive 90 min before doors)
Responsibilities
  • Set up the registration desk and signage.
  • Check guests in warmly; help with name tags.
  • Hand out the evening's programme and consent card.
  • Direct guests to the Story Booth and the seating circle.
Rules of engagement
  • Every guest is greeted by name where possible.
  • Guest data on the registration list stays on the desk and is returned to the lead after the event.
  • No photos of the registration list.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification after 1 / 5 / 10 events.
  • Letter of recognition signed by Dr. S Pujah.
Volunteer Team

Photography Team

You hold the room in stills — quietly, respectfully, fully.

Per event · 4 hrs (sound-check to closing)
Responsibilities
  • Capture wide-room atmosphere and detail shots.
  • No flash during storytelling. No close-ups without consent.
  • Hand raw files to the Content Ambassador within 48 hours.
Rules of engagement
  • Never publish your own edits before UNMUTE has cleared them.
  • No face is photographed without consent — opt-out wristbands are honoured absolutely.
  • Raw files are deleted from personal devices after handover.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification after 1 / 5 / 10 events.
  • Photo credit on every published image.
Volunteer Team

Videography Team

You hold the room in motion — the recap, the long cut, the archive.

Per event · 5 hrs (sound-check to closing + same-day card handover)
Responsibilities
  • Run the main camera and the secondary angle.
  • Capture clean audio of every storyteller (with their consent).
  • Hand cards / files to the Content Ambassador the same evening.
Rules of engagement
  • No clip of any storyteller is published before they sign release.
  • Raw video is never reused for personal portfolios without UNMUTE permission.
  • Recording stops the moment a storyteller asks.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification.
  • Editor credit on the published chapter recap.
Volunteer Team

Story Booth Team

A quiet corner for shy storytellers — you are the keeper of that corner.

Per event · 4 hrs
Responsibilities
  • Set up the booth: backdrop, mic, soft light, prompt cards.
  • Welcome each storyteller, walk them through consent, press record.
  • Save the file with a clear name and the signed consent slip.
  • Hand the day's recordings to the Story Ambassador.
Rules of engagement
  • Anonymity is the default — only publish when the storyteller has signed full release.
  • Never share a Booth recording with anyone outside UNMUTE.
  • If a storyteller breaks down, stop recording and sit with them.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification.
  • Invitation to the annual Storykeepers' circle.
Volunteer Team

Community Support Team

The floor team — water, tissues, gentle attention, and the empty seat next to anyone alone.

Per event · 4 hrs
Responsibilities
  • Set up seating and the empty chair ritual.
  • Move quietly through the room; offer water and tissues.
  • Notice the guest sitting alone; sit beside them.
  • Help with closing clean-up and gentle goodbyes.
Rules of engagement
  • Presence over performance — never interrupt a storyteller.
  • If a guest needs more than the room can hold, walk them to the Community Support lead.
  • All overheard stories stay in the room.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification.
  • Letter of recognition signed by Dr. S Pujah.
Volunteer Team

Social Media Team

You carry the room outward — without ever breaking its quiet.

Per event · 3 hrs on-site + 2 hrs post-edit
Responsibilities
  • Capture short-form clips for stories / reels (with consent).
  • Post the live chapter dispatches from official UNMUTE handles only.
  • Schedule the post-event recap with the Content Ambassador.
Rules of engagement
  • No personal posts during the event — your phone is for UNMUTE only.
  • No tagging of guests without their explicit permission.
  • Every storyteller clip needs a signed release before it goes live.
What you receive
  • Bronze → Silver → Gold certification.
  • Credit line on every published post.
Not sure which room is yours?

Tell us who you are. We'll find the right handbook for you.

Every story, video, music piece and stand-up is gold to us — we won't lose a single submission. Apply once; we will respond.

Talk to Dr. S Pujah's office →