The project aims at contributing to the preservation and protection of the historical site, newly recognized as World heritage Site as well as raising its cultural and historical importance among international volunteers, local community and visitors. Another objective is to support the ecomuseum of the mining site to get ready for hosting a special exhibition in the framework of ) Mons 2015 i as the city of Mons, located close to the site has been elected as the European capital of culture for 2015. The main activity is preserving the site by cleaning the area, collecting rubbish and removing the over-grown grass. Volunteers will also clean and paint the rooms that will host a special exhibition for Mons 2015. A photo exhibition will be presented in the ecomusem in the end of the workcamp in order to show the result of the volunteers work. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to be involved in the visits of the site and to present pedagogical tools to visitors and the local community in order to raise awareness about World Heritage. Visits of other World Heritage sites of the area will be organised as well as workshops about World Heritage and related themes (industrial migrations, links with current migrations, testimonies,...). It will be asked to volunteers to prepare a short presentation (on any kind of support) of a site inscribed as World Heritage in their country for one of the workshops.
Accomodation & food:
Volunteers will sleep in tents and caravans on the site. A sanitary block will be available. The living conditions are rudimentary Please bring a sleeping bag and a pillow if you need one.Meals will be prepared by volunteers in a kitchen block (kind of site shed) located next to the tents, caravans and sanitary blocks.
Location & leisure:
Bois-du-Luc is one of the oldest collieries in Belgium located in Houdeng-Aimeries, a commune of La Louviere. The activity of this colliery ended in 1973. The working-class neighbourhood was built between 1838 et 1853. The site is subjected to restoration and cultural preservation. The site is established at the heart of the Centre basin, in the Province of Hainaut, between Mons and Charleroi. The Centre basin has known an intense industrial development starting in the first half of the 19th Century before declining during the second half of the 20th Century.
Requirements:
It is a new workcamp. This workcamp is designed for volunteers who have a real interest for World Heritage and for the specific thematic of this project.Please bring good working shoes and clothes as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.A project-related motivation letter is required.
« I can say that the best things about the workcamp and this whole experience were the chance of making a real difference to the lives of very needy children. This is an extremely valuable project where volunteers can have a massive impact. Also the possibility of learning a huge amount about a country so different from our own. I learnt ten times as much by carrying out a workcamp than I would ever do backpacking. »
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