Volunteer Voices - "If there’s something that speaks to you, go and do it"- Ben Deegan

Sometimes the perfect opportunity drops right into your hands, and deciding to grasp it is easy as. That’s what happened for Ben Deegan with the amazing LUMA festival, which is held in Queenstown over Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

Born and bred in the Midlands in the UK, Ben came to New Zealand on a working holiday visa, met his partner here and has spent the last fifteen years in Central Otago. Their family recently moved from Cromwell to Queenstown where the six and ten year-old kids are settling in just fine.
Ben is self-employed in Informational Technology (IT), but has a diverse background with a degree in Sonic Arts and experience working in the building industry. His active passion for music includes playing guitar (a mix of rock, blues and now jazz) for thirty years, actively teaching both adults and kids and recently starting a band.

When his partner pointed out to him the advert for volunteers for Southern Light Project of LUMA, in 2018, he immediately saw it as “something that uniquely fit his skillset and interests.” LUMA is a sensory experience bringing together illuminated art, light sculpture, performance and community over four days on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown.

And his instincts were right. Ben enjoys a great many aspects of devoting a week each year to assist with the setup and pack down efforts. Creative people have designed the environment that attendees see and hear as they walk through the festival, but “behind it all is the technology that brings it to life.” Therefore in addition to using his practical skills, LUMA gives Ben the opportunity to both “talk with and learn from the people who have made the technical decisions on how to make it happen” and to “be an active problem solver in the equation.”

Ben’s proudest moments with LUMA have been “at 5:30 on Friday when the lights are suddenly turned on and people start coming through for an extremely memorable event.” It’s exhilarating to “go from the Gardens being empty on Tuesday to the immersive encounter of LUMA, with just four-five days to get everything up and running.”

Of course, working outside in Queenstown in early June has its challenges. Ben admits to questioning his decision a time or two when he found himself “wading around in a partially frozen duck pond trying to get an installation set up in it.” But ultimately, the camaraderie of the group overcomes the weather. Per Ben, “everyone who is there wants to be there. It’s a great chance to think on your feet, while following direction and doing what needs to be done to achieve the end result.”

This thought encompasses one of Ben’s favorite aspects of contributing to a cause. “When you are involved in a volunteer project, everyone wants to be there and that lends to a very nice environment. It becomes an egalitarian affair without a hierarchy where everyone is welcome to offer what they can, both in time and in skills.”

As always, I asked Ben what he would say to others considering volunteering. “LUMA is unique in that it transforms town for a weekend. It is completely ephemeral – there for that period and then gone, yet it leaves a lasting impact on the people who attend.” Participating as a volunteer, “you have the chance to meet new people each year and to build familiarity with the regular volunteers” who, like Ben, find it so rewarding that they participate year after year.

And beyond LUMA? “If there’s something that speaks to you, go and do it. Everybody’s got their skillset in terms of what they are good at which they can lend to something that needs volunteers. And don’t worry about not giving enough time – whatever you can give in terms of time and skill is well received.”

“Have a look and something will pique your interest.”

Written by Susan Merriman, 2021

If you'd like to read more about LUMA, check out their website: https://lumafashion.co.nz/