Esperanzah!’ World music festival
Description: The ‘Esperanzah!’ festival is a world music festival whose aim is to promote openness, exchange, encounter and cultural mixing. For 4 days, artists from all over the world and associations working for a fairer world are present at the Floreffe Abbey. The event aims to promote the values of human and environmental respect, peace and equality between men and women. To participate in this festive event is then also volunteering in a project that aims for societal change through Music and Artists.The Esperanzah! team also wishes to demonstrate that it is possible to organize a large-scale event while respecting the environment and working with small local producers.The team also decided to invite fewer big headliners, offering more discoveries and honoring lesser-known artists.
Type of Work: The volunteers will help with the assembly and dismantling of the festival structures (tents, barriers, decoration, stages, etc.). The Esperanzah! team consists of 10 people. There will be also 7 volunteer coordinators joining them in the week preceding the festival. One of these coordinators will be leading the SCI volunteers. The “decoration” team might ask volunteers for help if needed. The SCI volunteers will join a larger team of around 100 volunteers. During the festival, volunteers will have the opportunity to attend concerts. We will ask all the volunteers to take time at the beginning of the festival to visit the various stands of the associative village to learn about the different alternatives.
Study Theme: There will be an associative village where a real reflection is carried out by the 35 associations present in order to define together the common message that they wish to convey during the festival. The aim is to work beyond their respective objectives, towards common struggles for social change. This theme being decided collectively, it is only known a few months before the festival. The festival also implements the SACHA Plan (Safe Attitude Against Harassment and Aggression) that was created as part of the campaign carried out during the Esperanzah festival!
Accommodation: Group accommodation in a room/dorm of the abbey. Take your mattress and sleeping bag. "Collectactif", a group of people that fights against food waste by recovering and cooking food that remains edible, will organize the catering for all the volunteers of the festival. The team favors the short supply chains and even if this a big organization, the food remains tasty. Vegans, however, may find that there is not enough variety (the ones with special food needs may take something with them if needed).
Language: English
Requirements: Volunteers need to have at least one volunteering experience. A cover letter is required. Join this project not only for its festive aspect but also for the values it defends. Being able to get involved in the work, independently and despite the fatigue associated with the festive aspect. Taking initiatives and enjoying meeting others is appreciated. Hard manual work.
Approximate Location: The festival will take place at the Abbey of Floreffe, 20 km away from the city of Namur (in the South of Belgium).
Notes: Additional fee : Many SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. This will cover - local hosting costs; International insurance costs of the volunteer; a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects; administration costs of SCI International. If you apply through an SCI branch, the fee will be included in the fee you pay to your sending branch. If you apply through a partner organisation you will pay the fee on arrival at the project; direct to the hosting branch or through a PayPal transfer system. When accepted on the project the host branch will give you more details of the various payment options.