PROJECT: Agape International Ecumenical Center is a place of encounters where you can live an intense experience of community in beautiful natural surroundings. Agape is located in one of the Waldensian Valleys, the only area in Italy where protestants constitute a significant presence in the population. Agape was built after the Second World War as a sign of hope and of reconciliation between people, thanks to the voluntary work of many young men and women. A resident group still lives in Agape throughout the year. The dimensions of community and voluntary service remain central. Since 60 years, Agape is a place of education and development, theological exploration, political engagement, of acceptance and validation of differences. Every year many people, with different religious, cultural and political background, come to Agape for share discussion, debate and challenged themselves. Indeed Agape is a place where you can exchange experiences about different thematic with many different people, a good place for learn about yourself and the others.www.agapecentroecumenico.org , here you will see the activity programs involve during the season.
Work:
WORK: The work camp consist to support the different activities of AGAPE. For example, when a number of guests have meetings on issues of political, social, cultural and religious interest.
Volunteers will help in the following areas:
kitchen, meal service (tables and dishes), cleaning, maintenance, bar tending, babysitting. Agape is a place where you will mix intellectual and manual practice The place is beautiful but really isolated, though you will stay together with many international participants to the AGAPE meetings.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: Usually the volunteers share the bedrooms with three or four other one . Toilets are in common. The meal are typical Italian Mediterranean and there's a vegetarian alternative for those who require it, as well as for any specific allergies. It is possible to use a washing machine.
Location & leisure:
ARRIVAL: We require that all volunteers contact Agape secretariat before arriving since travel to Agape can be complicated.
PROJECT: Montagna di Suono is a cultural association founded in 2008 which promotes music and arts in the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano area (the mountains between Florence and Bologna). We organize musical classes for kids and adults, concerts and the yearly antiracist Reno Splash festival, now in its sixth edition. The festival takes part in an expansive park in the town of Marzabotto (Bo) during 3 days. In the morning there are lively discussions in Debate tents, in the afternoon sports tournaments and activities and in the evening/night a range of live concerts and DJ sets. The main genre is Reggae but various others genres are in the festival (ska, hip hop, indie, latin, dub). A temporary Camping is constructed and available for visitors who want to stay for the whole weekend.
Work:
WORK: Volunteers will help the festival staff with the organization, building-up, dismantlement and running of the festival area as well as promotion of the event in nearby communities. The main work activities during the camp will be the preparation of the Reno Splash festival. Work will involve the mounting of the festival structures (the stage, entrance, stands and 1 or more moroccan tents that constitutes the bar and the dj set venue), as well as promotion of the festival via flyers/posters, distributed in the centre of Bologna and in nearby communities, the painting of signs and posters and many other manual and creative activities. During the 3 days of the festival, volunteers will have the opportunity to be bartenders, sound engineer assistants, camping rangers, and many more roles. If you love to deal with people and to work with your hands this is your camp! Photographers, graphic designers, video makers, painters, but also electricians, wood workers, cooks, bartenders and creative and work active people are welcome. As you work in a festival, you should be prepared to work at morning or at night. Of course we respect your turns and timetables but this is not less than 5 to 9 activities.This work camp will host 7 international volunteers and will take part of this project also 4 or 5 asylum seeker.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMODATION AND FOOD: Volunteers will sleep in the camping area of the festival. It would be great if you bring your tent but we can supply it if you can't bring yours. Also there is a juvenile center (100 meters from the festival area and the train station) where you can find: additional bathroom, 1 fridge, an electric cooker, potable water and wi-fi connection. There will be bathroom, shower and cooker also in the festival area. They can cook and there will also be a vegetarian menu and offer and delicious traditional italian dishes such as tagliatelle, lasagna, pizza and spaghetti.
Location & leisure:
LEISURE: The accommodation is located in the countryside but Bolognan thriving city life is near and easily accessible in your free time; or you could just chill out and visit some of the beautiful surrounding historical national parks.The weather will be warm but it can rain sometimes (we hope not).
LOCATION:
Marzabotto is a little town in the Appennino mountains near Bologna (30km) and Florence (80km). It lies in the valley of the Reno river and it is full of green hills and valleys. It is famous for its resistance in WWII and was the site of a massacre of 770 inhabitants by the Nazi Army.
TERMINAL:
Areoporto G. Marconi di Bologna BLQ. Stazione FF.SS di Marzabotto (linea Bologna-Porretta)
PROJECT: The host association "Rubin Carter" was founded in 2008 and from 2013 runs a community gym, with the aim to guarantee economical accessibility to sport for all in the expensive city of Milan. The gym "Hurricane" supports several projects in which a sportsmanship spirit represent the natural prevention to discrimination and racism. The gym is completely self managed by the athletes and the coaches, that invented and built up it independently in a daily development. The activities increased, last year thanks to the "Level UP! Workcamp" we managed to open a new floor in our gym, now filled by plenty of activities and dance's classes: Now that the interior spaces is fulfilled, we need to "WORK it OUT!": recover and transform the garden out of our gym, who can be use for free body training, and for improve the bikes' workshop area, involving the beneficiaries and the neighbours in the works. The work camp will be part of the Nomads project and will increase the connection between sport for all and volunteering worlds.
Work:
WORK: The international volunteers group will help the local volunteers to dispose of trashes, cleanup, built the work out structures, painting, decorating, setting up the bikes' workshop area...a lot of hard works!
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: Volunteers will be hosted at the "Space of Mutual Aid", a community squat that host a lot of social projects and the co-housing of tens of families from all over the world. Here there is one large apartment (130 square meters) entirely dedicated to the volunteers, without distinction between males and females. There will be hot water in the bath. You can use the Wi-Fi in the building, but not in the room. The food will be prepared by volunteers together and you can also eat vegetarian.
Location & leisure:
LEISURE: In the free time you can also enjoy the sport classes of boxe, yoga, martial arts, tai chi, break dance, capoeira, theater, belly dance… We will organize workshops about the practice of self building and public moment of community working.
THE PLACE: The work camp will be held at the House laboratory Cerquosino that is located on the Peglia Mountain, in the countryside 25 km away from the town of Orvieto. This place is situated in one of those disadvantaged and poorly productive areas that are nearly preserved intact until today. Cerquosino is situated inside the natural reserve of Elmo Melonta park, place of notable environmental interest. Inside flows the stream Melonta, where it is possible to take a bath. The inhabitants of the area are mainly farmers; the average age of the inhabitants is very high as the new generations emigrate to the city.http://cerquosino.altervista.org/http://www.actingconflicts.nethttp://www.lifelongacting.net/facebook: Cerquosino Artemide
PROJECT:
The association Artemide for years proposes itself as crossroad of experiences in the educational field, the EDUC-active project has as primary objective the education to the independence, the young people, above all if carriers of uneasiness, are stimulated and motivated asking them to be active part in the process of theoretical construction and practice of the activities. In this way they appreciate the responsibility of an assignment to acquit, the knowledge is assimilated in the best way when it is combined to artistic practical activity, ecological, handicraft. The responsibility towards the whole world becomes an obvious consequence. Idea is to connect experiences and different knowledge.By joining this workcamp you will experience the protection of the natural environment from the touristic speculation. We will put in practice the ideology of Ecology and invent new solutions related to traditional practices and creativity.
The House Laboratory "Il Cerquosino" has been restructured following bio building construction techniques focusing the attention on energy critical consumption:
there have been installed solar system collectors, waters' herbal purification system, green roof, wood storage heater as well as to the principles of recovery and recycle materials; construction with local stone.The idea of organising this workcamp is the answer to several needs of our association, first of all to make the House laboratory Cerquosino a place where different culture can gather and contribute to create a better place for the ones that will be hosted here in the future.
Work:
THE WORK: The volunteers in collaboration with the members of Artemide association will be involved in creative recycling workshops; how to create new object from recycled materials, using both traditional way of assembly and new creative and experimental techniques. (pallets, wood from the forest, plastic bottle, paper....) The volunteers will be involved in different work of maintenance of the house with the follwing scheme: 1.Study of the projects 2.Preparation of the material 3.Construction.
WORKING DAYS AND HOURS:
from Monday to Friday, 5 hours a day.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMODATION AND FOOD: The house laboratory Cerquosino has a big kitchen that the volunteer will use to prepare their own food, vegetarian or not, it's up to their own decision. Nearby there are no shops, the nearest one is in the little village of Morrano. The nearest supermarket is in Orvieto. The house has got 1 single room, 1 triple room, 1 dormitory with 8 bed and 1 dormitory with 6 bed. A common bathroom with 3 toilets and 3 showers. Washing machine is not available. No internet available.
Location & leisure:
LEISURE: A trip to Orvieto and a walk in the natural park of Elmo Melonta will be organised during the camp
LOCATION:
Cerquosino is located on the Peglia Mountain, in the countryside 25 km away from the town of Orvieto in one of those disadvantaged and poorly productive areas that are nearly preserved intact until today. Cerquosino is situated inside the natural reserve of Elmo Melonta park, place of notable environmental interest. Inside flows the Melonta stream, where is possible to take a bath. TERMINAL: Orvieto
Requirements:
WHAT TO BRING: sleeping bag or single bed sheets, against mosquito lotion/cream/spray, sun protection cream, old dress for manual work, swimming suite, comfortable shoes as we are in mountain, electric torch, working glows, soaps and towel for personal use.
REQUIREMENT:
remember that the house laboratory is very isolated, in the middle of a forest. Bring with you all the thing for personal use as the nearest shop is very far away with no public transportation to reach it.
PROJECT: The "Crack" International Comics Festival is organized every year by Forte Prenestino Social Center, in Rome. Forte Prenestino is one of the most important alternative cultural and social project in Italy (see www.forteprenestino.net). It was squatted 30 years ago, and now is the promoter of many cultural underground events, hosting an alternative community of artists, activists and social workers.
Crack festival will involve editors and artists coming mainly from European and Mediterranean countries:
4 days of exhibitions, workshops and cultural exchange will involve hundreds of youngsters and experts. The festival will be held from the 22th to the 25th June 2017.
Work:
WORK: the volunteers will support the local group in managing the festival: preparation, restaurant, pub, cleaning of the area and other activities will be shared with the local volunteers. The work could be physically hard, but the environment is funny and easy going.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: in a dorm with beds, the volunteers will have to prepare the breakfast and will have lunches and dinners with the local volunteers.
Location & leisure:
LOCATION: Rome
TERMINAL:
Rome
Requirements:
REQUIREMENTS: To be open minded and ready to live in an alternative community. A project related motivation letter. Expect a very very basic accommodation.
Volunteers will restore two rooms of Villa Bona, a wonderful historical villa of the 18th century surrounded by a big park, situated in Carignano. The restoration work will involve: the decoration of the walls, doors and windows; removal of boxes; cleaning of the marble staircase and the wrought iron railings; restoration of the dark wooden paintings, cleaning the garden of Villa Bona. Moreover the volunteers will make some restoration activities at the Opera Pia Faccio Frichieri (an ancient building of Carignano that nowadays is an old-people s home) such as: garden cleaning, restoration of the nativity scene, cleaning and restoration of the pavement, wooden benches and doors of the church at Opera Pia. All these activities will be under the guidance of a professional conservator. The restoration of Villa Bona is being finalized to use the villa for public events by the committee and local organizations.
Accomodation & food:
In a building with beds, communal bathrooms with showers and hot water and a kitchen. Bedrooms are provided with 2 to 5 beds per room. The volunteers are responsible for the cleaning and cooking. The organisation covers the cost of the meals and also the materials for the work. Volunteers must be equipped with a sleeping bag (or sheets), pillowcase and towels.
Location & leisure:
The town of Carignano (8700 inhabitants) is situated on the left bank of the river Po approximately 20 Km from Torino and within the Regional Parco Fluviale (park of the river). Its centre is of typical piemontese style, characterized by an ancient core with medieval archways and a baroque cathedral. The towns surroundings offer sites of architectural and naturalistic interest, it is also possible to reach Torino easily, as there are frequent coaches to the city. During the free time there are many exciting things to do such as visit the open market of Carignano and take part in some local events. On the weekends it will be possible for the group to organise a visit to Turin (there is a bus to and from Turin), visiting the Egyptian museum, the cinema museum, MAO museum of oriental art, the Holy Shroud etc.
Requirements:
YAP project-related motivation form is required. No specific experience is required for the project.
PROJECT: Agape International Ecumenical Center is a place of encounters where you can live an intense experience of community in beautiful natural surroundings. Agape is located in one of the Waldensian Valleys, the only area in Italy where protestants constitute a significant presence in the population. Agape was built after the Second World War as a sign of hope and of reconciliation between people, thanks to the voluntary work of many young men and women. A resident group still lives in Agape throughout the year. The dimensions of community and voluntary service remain central. Since 60 years, Agape is a place of education and development, theological exploration, political engagement, of acceptance and validation of differences. Every year many people, with different religious, cultural and political background, come to Agape for share discussion, debate and challenged themselves. Indeed Agape is a place where you can exchange experiences about different thematic with many different people, a good place for learn about yourself and the others.www.agapecentroecumenico.org , here you will see the activity programs involve during the season.
Work:
WORK: The work camp consist to support the different activities of AGAPE. For example, when a number of guests have meetings on issues of political, social, cultural and religious interest.
Volunteers will help in the following areas:
kitchen, meal service (tables and dishes), cleaning, maintenance, bar tending, babysitting. Agape is a place where you will mix intellectual and manual practice The place is beautiful but really isolated, though you will stay together with many international participants to the AGAPE meetings.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: Usually the volunteers share the bedrooms with three or four other one . Toilets are in common. The meal are typical Italian Mediterranean and there's a vegetarian alternative for those who require it, as well as for any specific allergies. It is possible to use a washing machine.
Location & leisure:
ARRIVAL: We require that all volunteers contact Agape secretariat before arriving since travel to Agape can be complicated.
The international volunteers will be part of a bigger team of volunteers helping set up, run and take down the festival. Before the festival the group of the international volunteers will help to construct the marquees, decorate the area, put up signage etc. Typical activities during the festival include cleaning the site and helping with waste sorting, however the past years volunteers have been involved in a number of different activities, according to the festival needs. The volunteers will clean up and take down the site at the end of the festival. The international volunteers will work for around 6/7 hours per day. The work will be done in pairs or small groups in different shifts (to be arranged together with the campleader). Please note that flexibility and adaptability are required, and there might be some physically demanding work from time to time (under the sun or rain sometimes). During the free time the volunteers will have the opportunity to join concerts and sport events in the festival area. International volunteers will have 1 free day, to be arranged with the festival organisers (not during the 5 days of the festival, from 05th to 09th of July).
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will sleep in shared big tents directly at the festival area. Toilet and washing facilities will be available, camp beds will be provided but you must bring a sleeping bag. Please make sure you are comfortable with basic camping conditions Food will be available at the restaurants/bars of the festival area. There will be no opportunity to cook but different options (vegetarian, vegan, dietary needs) could be available. The volunteers are expected to be flexible and not fussy about the food
Location & leisure:
Bosco Albergati is a suburb of Castelfranco Emilia, a small town of 30.000 inhabitants in the province of Modena. The festival area and accommodation are situated in the countryside and are quite isolated from the city. Castelfranco Emilia lies about 25 kilometres northwest of Bologna. The nearest airport is Marconi International Airport i Bologna. You may consider other airports in the area, such as Rimini and Parma. To reach Castelfranco Emilia you will need to catch a train from BOLOGNA. More information will be provided in the infosheet
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
