Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "arts project" projects in Germany

In cooperation with the organisation "Biologische Station im Kreis Wesel", you will work on the Projekt „Life Wiesenvögel NRW". This project aims to save rare meadow birds in North Rhine-Westphalia from exstinction. To achieve this, we must, among other things, foster insects and other small animals because these serve as food for the birds. Many insects, in turn, benefit from flowering plants. That is why one of your tasks will be to sow certain seed mixtures in bird breeding sites. The seeds will be provided. (please do not bring any! They will likely be the wrong kind.)Nature conservation also involves educating (or even just interesting) people in these topics. Sometimes this takes more than words. Your second field of work will therefore be artistic. You will be creating giveaways about meadow bird conservation which can then be used to awaken enthusiasm for the topic among the general public. Creativity and crafts(wo)manship will be necessary here. The raw materials will be provided.

You will be staying in a scout house. Large room is equipped with air beds for sleeping, fully equipped kitchen, dining area, sanitary facilities, large outdoor area.You cook together. Money for the food shopping is provided to you. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any allergies when registering.

From Schermbeck you can go hiking, cycling or canoeing on the river Lippe. A minibus is provided so that you can also get to know the surrounding area. In the surrounding area, you can go canoeing on the Lippe or visit Colonia Ulpia Traiana - the third largest Roman city north of the Alps and Germany's largest open-air archaeological museum. You can also take excursions to the Ruhr metropolis with cities like Essen and Dortmund. The cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Münster are also good destinations for day trips. The Hanseatic city of Wesel also offers you leisure activities.

Covid Rules (may change depending on the course of the pandemic): (may change depending on the course of the pandemic): Compulsory Covid rapid test directly upon arrival at the camp. The tests are provided by ijgd. We recommend that you do a self-quick test at your home town before departure so that you are not surprised by a positive quick test at the camp. Should legal Corona protection regulations change, the Covid rules for participation may also change at short notice! Subject to change! You will receive more detailed information after confirmation of your registration and at the latest 3 weeks before the start of the camp with the specific info sheet for your camp.

16-26

North rhine-westphalia; 35 km essen, 60 km dortmund, 100 km köln, 85 km venlo (nl)

EnglishVegetarian food will be available

You want to make a difference and therefore be self-confident and courageous? And you would like to play theater? Then this is the right workcamp for you. Under the guidance of a theater teacher, you will develop small scenes on the topic of "being brave" through role-playing, character work, interaction and improvisation. In doing so, you will deal with many questions on the subject: When was the last time you were really brave? What does it mean to be brave? Walking alone in the dark at night? Giving a presentation in front of lots of people? To say no? Taking to the streets for climate protection? Can you rehearse courage? Do you have to be a superhero to be brave? What role models accompany you in your life? People from your personal environment, at school, in sports, in politics, from art and culture? People who dare to do something, who are your "compass" or guideposts? With the help of these questions and your own creative ideas, a play will be created over the course of the two weeks, which you will perform in front of an audience as the crowning finale of the work camp.

Sleeping rooms, kitchen and a common room in the cultural centre. You can use the big garden. There is a big theatre hall with a stage for rehearsals and your performance at the end of the project. You cook together. Money for the food shopping is provided to you. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any allergies when registering. Heckenbeck is in a very remote location. There will be bicycles available for trips (and for shopping). The town of Bad Gandersheim is 4km away. (Food) Shopping is supported by a car.

There will be bicycles available for trips (and for shopping). The town of Bad Gandersheim is 4km away. You can reach Alfeld (with its Faguswerk heritage site), Hildesheim, Hanover, Göttingen or Hamburg by train. We also recommend a trip to the Harz region, with the world heritage site Goslar Rammelsberg (a mining museum) and hiking paths. Fagus-Werk Alfeld:https://www.fagus-werk.com/en/experience-fagus-factory/my-day-in-the-fagus-factory/

https://www.hannover.de/en Hildesheim: https://www.hildesheim-tourismus.de/

https://en.harzinfo.de/ You could also visit Marienburg Castle in Nordstemmen, the romantic gift for Queen Marie. It's only 50km away from Heckenbeck, you can travel by train from Kreiensen and then hike to the castle. www.harzinfo.de ; https://www.schloss-marienburg.de/en/

Lower Saxony; 45km from Hildesheim, 45 km from Göttingen 45 km, 60km from Hannover

You have to take an obligatory Covid quick test directly upon arrival at the camp. The tests are provided by ijgd. We recommend that you do a self-quick test before your departure, so that you are not surprised by a positive quick test at the camp. Subject to changes! In case of further relaxations or even restrictions during the pandemic, the legal requirements of the respective federal state in Germany will be valid.

16-26

Heckenbeck, lower saxony; hildesheim 45 km, goettingen 45 km; hanover 60 km

English

HAJ: Hannover (Hannover, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

Shoot a short film together and beautify a circus space with art and crafts! - You can try this out at this international art camp. "Learning by doing" is the order of the day, so you can collect ideas and try things out in small groups. In the first week, you will learn how to create short films - from the initial idea to the completion. After an introduction to the technique, you will develop a storyline and start filming. Whether it's a short feature film with you as actors or a short documentary film - you can tell your own little story. There are no limits to your imagination. In addition to the many different filming techniques, you will also learn how to edit your films and set them to music. Previous experience is not necessary, but welcome. You will be guided by an experienced film and photo journalist. The film workshop will take place from Monday 24.7. to Friday 28.7. from 9am-5pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1xBVom-lk8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v5vcVpV2I4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQaPuy4L-ghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIN6k_QkKVMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGHE-Z2kZGcIn the second week, you will show your artistic and craft skills and beautify the site of the Circus School Jokes, a children's and youth project with a real circus tent.In addition to the tent, there are mainly shipping containers on the site, which serve as offices, toilets, storage rooms, dining and meeting rooms and are also used by you during the camp. You will give these containers a more beautiful and colourful appearance with colours and plants. You will also carry out various gardening and handicraft activities to beautify the Circus Square.More information about Jokes Die Circusschule (Jokes – The circus school) can be found here: https://www.circusjokes.de/ (unfortunately only in German)

You sleep on air beds in two rooms of a container school right next to the circus square where you work. Toilets are available both at the school and at the circus site. The kitchen, shower and table and chairs for eating and discussing are located on the circus field. You will cook together. Money for food will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please state any intolerances during registration.

Your accommodation is close to Bremen's city centre in a lively district. From there you can explore the 1,200-year-old Hanseatic city of Bremen (www.bremen.de) on foot or by bus, with its many sights, cultural offerings, nightlife scene and many shopping opportunities.On the days off, excursions to the North Sea coast, Hamburg or other cities are possible.

Covid Rules (may change depending on the course of the pandemic): Compulsory COVID-19 rapid test (antigen rapid test) directly upon arrival at the camp. The tests are provided by ijgd. We recommend that you carry out a self-rapid test at your home town before departure, so that you are not surprised by a positive rapid test at the camp. Subject to change! In case of further relaxations or even restrictions during the pandemic, the legal requirements of the respective federal state in Germany apply.

16-26

Bremen, 120 km west of hamburg

English

BRE: Bremen (Bremen, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

Together with members of the association and experts we would like to build a tree house for groups of children. After the introduction to implement the idea, we will start together. We will saw, drill, screw and hammer under expert guidance with professional tools and machines. In parallel, we are going to redesign the outdoor area around the tree, plant native shrubs, expand the deadwood hedge, and do typical gardening on the grounds. Volunteers are also invited to help at the Sunday Café. Do you have a heart for baking cakes or enjoy being behind the counter? Then we look forward to your contribution to share this day together. During your stay there will also be other groups at the Jugendhof, with whom you can sit around the campfire in the evenings and exchange ideas.

Inhabitants of Jugendhof would like to show you their life style and would like to discuss certain aspects of a life which is mostly self-determined, self-organized and community based. We plan to offer some games for the group as experience how we offer adventure education for kids. Additional info will be provided

Volunteers live in our centrally located self-catering house "Sharewood Lodge". In addition to a spacious kitchen and two bathrooms, there are three bedrooms in the house, each with five beds.

The Jugendhof Bessunger Forst e.V. is located at the edge of the forest between the city of Darmstadt and the village of Roßdorf. The suburban area marks the transition from the Rhine-Main region to the low mountain range Odenwald and is located 30 kilometers south of Frankfurt am Main and 50 kilometers north of the picturesque city of Heidelberg.On hot summer days the shady forest offers a good opportunity to cool down and wide open meadows invite you to a relaxed picnic. You can enjoy meetings in a wooden yurt, which was build last year from the international group. If you walk for an hour through the forest and meadows, you can reach a beautiful swimming lake with a small sandy beach. Darmstadt is also very interesting culturally, as it was one of the centers of European Art Nouveau at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 2021, the Mathildenhöhe artists' colony of the city of Darmstadt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We would like to recommend a visit to the impressive and unique area, including the museum and the Orthodox chapel.

18-26

Darmstadt

English

FRA: Frankfurt Main (Frankfurt, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

On the first day, volunteers will get some orientation about the project, the institute and the surroundings. Together with members of the art club, you will help to redesign and embellish the outdoor area. One of the main tasks will be to reconstruct the lakeshore fortification and the paths, do some plaster and painting work at the buildings and do some garden work. There are also some sculptures in the forest nearby, which will be cleared from grass and moss. There is a great variety of tasks where volunteers can support the project, in general, it means physical work with tools you need for construction works, renovation and wood work.During the time of your stay, there are other guests and groups on the premises and you might get in contact with them. At a certain time of your stay it is planned to work on the tasks together with some of the club members and then have a little Get-together at night along with guests of the institute. Volunteers of the workcamp are invited to give a contribution to this event as well.

Volunteers will learn about the cultural concept and work of Kunstort Lehnin and the integration of Lehnin inhabitants with various cultural and social backgrounds. You can find a piano to play, or you can bring your own instrument and find someone to join you making music. Interested volunteers can take part in an Cyanotype-Workshop (a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print). Volunteers will get free entrance at the lake swimming pool next door, and can visit the cities of Potsdam and Werder. Another highlight will be a turn on our Canaletto boat on the lake connected to the Klostersee where you can enjoy its rich flora and fauna. As there will be contact to German native speakers, the workcamp is a good possibility to improve your German language skills. The volunteers can use the Kunstort's rowboats. It will be offered a guided tour through the premises of the monastery.

Volunteers will prepare and eat their meals in the outdoor summer kitchen (just protected by a shelter and open to the nature at the side) of Kunstort Lehnin. You can sleep in the rooms of the Seminar- House, each equipped with 3 – 4 mattresses per room (Bed linen will be provided). You can also bring your own tent and build it up at the shore of the lake. Shower and toilets are available for personal hygiene.

In Summer, it can be quite hot, so you will need sun protection. But German summer can be cool as well, especially if it is raining. So please do not forget to bring warm clothes as well.

Kloster Lehnin is a small town consisting of some small villages situated around the main village Lehnin. It is 65 kilometers Southwest of Berlin. Brandenburg an der Havel and Potsdam are the closest cities. On the opposite shore of the lake Klostersee, there is the oldest Cistercian monastery of Brandenburg, founded in the 12th century. Today it hosts a guesthouse, a clinic, a retirement home and a museum. The village Lehnin was always connected with the former monastery and it is situated in a beautiful landscape with many lakes and woodland. In the European Middle Ages, the monastery was an important religious, cultural and commercial center and there are still many ancient buildings of earlier times. The church is an impressive building and it offers many concerts during summer.

18-26

Kloster lehnin

English

BER: Berlin - Metropolencode (Berlin, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

The Peace Studies Center is located on the edge of a former battlefield. An exceptionally bloody battle took place here on a Sunday afternoon 470 years ago. Analogous to the well-known motto "swords to ploughshares" we redesign this to "battlefields to playing fields". The participants of the work camp will design elements of this playing field. Anyone who appreciates creative work can work on some piece of art under expert guidance, which is to be developed on the topics of climate change and global justice.

You will learn some essentials of peace work and receive basic training in non-violent conflict management by professional trainers. Moreover, the respect for Human Rights und circumstances of war and climate change is being discussed. We will visit the memorial in the former Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Volunteers will have the opportunity to meet young people and families in die region, the group will also invite people of the village and region to an "Evening of encounter" (Abend der Begegnung) at the Peace Center.

The accommodation for the participants is offered in rooms with four beds each. There are bed sheets available. Food is prepared together in the kitchen of the seminar house.

The Peace Center is at the verge of a village with about 2500 inhabitants. Sievershausen lies 30 kilometers east of the Lower Saxony provincial capital Hanover on the freeway to Berlin.For the leisure time, the group can use facilities of the seminar house and make an excursion to Hannover or Braunschweig.

18-26

Sievershausen

English

HAJ: Hannover (Hannover, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

Your help is needed to prepare space and facilities for the Fokus Festival. A 2-day festival (11.-12.08) - 5 stages, many workshops, speekers' corners, food and drinks! You are invited to show your individual creativity and talents; you should be ready to work together in international teams. Supported by a carpenter and a metalworker, you can create fancy furniture for the visitors, colorful decoration for the stage, or help by expanding the BMX trail and designing a luminous advertising. In addition, the support of the kitchen team is quite important. It would be great if the group could contribute something special for the Fokus Festival. Plus, volunteers will offer support during the festival itself and will encounter the visitors discovering their creations. For further information, please visit https://www.rabryka.eu/de/Fokus-Festival.html

Volunteers will stay near the youth and cultural center. There is a lot of room to explore and sleep, there are bathrooms, a shower and a kitchen. Volunteers will need a sleeping bag. It is planned that volunteers will prepare breakfast and dinner on their own. Lunch will be offered at RABRYKA and will be vegan.

Goerlitz is situated at the very east of Germany. After WWII, it was divided and the area in the east of the river Neisse is now the autonomous town Zgorzelec and part of Poland. Volunteers will get a guided tour through Goerlitz and will learn about its eventful history. Moreover, you will learn about the current network of initiatives in the city, which offers a wide range of cultural and social work. In addition, there will be free time for a cycling tour to a lake nearby, bonfire evenings and a party.

18-26

English

DRS: Dresden (Dresden, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available

Television – Do it yourself! - That's what you can try out in this international media camp. After an introduction to the technology, you will design your own storyline and soon enough shoulder the camera for shooting your very own film! Followed by editing your own material in the studio. In the end you will present your film to the public in a live-show! Technology and rooms for this project are kindly provided by the Offene Kanal Flensburg (Flensburg TV), a public, local TV station (www.oksh.de/fl/ – only in German). You will be instructed by an experienced media educator and a media volunteeer. You will have the great opportunity to learn a lot about media work with video and television. No prior knowledge is needed, but appreciated. The Flensburger Jugendring, as the responsible body of the youth centre DIE EXXE (www.flensburger-jugendring.de - only in German), is your host and will try to invite one to three young people from Flensburg to participate in your project.

https://youtu.be/oIgAezpxh7M (0:40 to 4:30)

You will stay in a simple but cosy youth centre with a large outside area. You all sleep together in one room and share a shower.You will cook together. Money for food will be provided. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please state any intolerances during registration.

Flensburg is Germany's northernmost city and has a lot to offer, such as tourist attractions, a rich cultural program, places for shopping and of course a whole lot of water.The weekends are perfect for trips to the beaches of the Northern Sea and the Baltic Sea, some islands or even to Denmark. http://www.flensburger-foerde.de/en/

Covid Rules (may change depending on the course of the pandemic): Compulsory COVID-19 rapid test (antigen rapid test) directly upon arrival at the camp. The tests are provided by ijgd. We recommend that you carry out a self-rapid test at your home town before departure, so that you are not surprised by a positive rapid test at the camp. Subject to change! In case of further relaxations or even restrictions during the pandemic, the legal requirements of the respective federal state in Germany apply.You will receive more detailed information after confirming your registration with the specific info sheet for your camp.

16-26

Flensburg, schleswig-holstein; right at the baltic sea, 10 km to denmark

English

HAM: Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)Vegetarian food will be available