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

Let’s say this project started when Alix and Guillaume, a French artist couple preparing their world journey, contacted Alex, an organizer of DaLaa, on the good advice of their friend Antoine, who has just spend 6 memorable month in this small organization of southern Thailand. Their idea is to organize show and workshop (dance and theater) with local kids from the many countries they will cross. Please see their info sheet http://www.emericthoa.com/misc/Lezartszimuts_en.pdf and their blog but this one is in French http://www.lezartszimuts.com.
Everyone in DaLaa is so enthusiastic, and the French language helping the communication to be smooth, we quickly arrive to the idea of this itinerant workcamp.

For the 2 weeks, we will organize artistic workshops and shows with kids from different southern Thai communities and villages. It will be the beginning of summer holidays for them.

Each volunteer will take responsibility for one workshop depending on his/her skills and abilities. The ideas or description of the workshop as well as the material needed (if there is) should be given together with the application for this camp (for each volunteer).

It can be any artistic activities like dance, singing, craft, drawing, theater, juggling, acrobatics... Of course you don't need to be professional but you will need motivation or even better passion to share this with Thai kids, other volunteers or local adults.

The workcamp leader will be Thai and other Thai volunteers are expected to join but they will not translate everything for you so be prepared to use universal language.

Workshops will be organized by teams so you will also have helper(s) and become helper for other activities too.

You will be expected to be flexible concerning the program of these 2 weeks as everything is always changing here in Thailand. Anyway nothing is really fixed yet. Our plan is to stay about 3 days in each place and make a show for the last evening (of each place). Important decisions will be made by group discussions.

Communities will be surveyed and chosen by the workcamp leader and the exact places will be e-mailed to you some week(s) before the camp starts. Don't worry we have already some ideas, like the places we have or already had volunteers activities before. It should be in the provinces around HatYai (Songkhla, Satun, Pattalung or Nakorn Sri Tammarat) as our wonderful and colorful magic taxi is not very fast on the road.

It’s not possible to give you the number and the age of the kids. You will need to adapt depending also with the number of volunteers. In the month before the project we will try to organize e-mails links between volunteers and workcamp leader.

- Give a wonderful time for rural Thai kids. An open window for them on the world, on an artistic world.
- Support the Thai communities we will join. Their strength is the best remedy against the devastating consumption and materialistic world expanding from the cities and the western countries.
- Share our cultures.
- Enjoy volunteering.

You will either stay in local schools, community meeting places or home stay.

7,000 Baht (approx. 180 Euro).

Songkhla, Satun, Pattalung, Nakorn Sri Tammarat provinces, Southern Thailand.

Music is the language of us all. The Music & Creative Travel Camp is combination of different actions. Putting together a cultural music show, performing, traveling and donating money is what the workcamp is about.

International volunteers will join with Thai volunteers to make this camp possible. The first week of the camp consists of forming a band, jamming and practicing songs as well as organizing a full show of cultural diversities. Workshops for playing other instruments and building new instruments we can use are possible. A visit of the project site we support will take place as well so that volunteers know what they work for.
The second week of the camp will consist of traveling to different markets and communities in the provinces Satun, Songkhla, Phattalung and Nakorn Sri Tammarat in order to play and raise money for the project. Highlight of the performance week will be Songkran Festival which takes place from April 12-14 and is one of Thailand's biggest celebrations being the Thai New Year Festival.
Close connections to the locals will be necessary. By the end of the second week the money collected, as specifically discussed with the volunteers and the project beforehand, will be used to support the project on a last visit.

Volunteers should play an instrument, sing, dance or somehow else be able to express themselves and their culture in an artistic and creative way. Since we want to compile a varying type of show ancient and traditional instruments, songs and dances are highly recommended to bring along. Even traditional clothes can add to a successful and interesting culture show.

The international exchange through cultural expression such as music and art will add to a broader understanding of cultural diversities. Especially Thai culture can be experienced well by the volunteers due to close connection to locals supporting the camp either with presence, hospitality or support. The raise of money for a project of social development is very important as well due to their lack of financial capacities.

- Create an appealing music and culture show.
- Perform to increase awareness among locals.
- Support social project with raised money.
- Build up and maintain good relationships with local people.

You will either stay in local schools, community meeting places or home stay.

7,000 Baht (approx. 180 Euro).

Songkhla, Satun, Pattalung, Nakorn Sri Tammarat provinces, Southern Thailand.