Help to prepare events, which will take place in the autumn of 2012 and in 2013 (includes creation of info panels, preparation of material, writing of articles and creation of presentations). The volunteers will also assist with the reconstruction of the castle and maintain the surroundings i mainly at the garden terraces of the castle. Your tasks will include various forms of manual work such as preparing flower beds, planting and taking care of a greenhouse. This part of the work will be physically demanding.
Accomodation & food:
The accommodation will be very basic; please don t expect any comfort You will sleep in a cottage near the castle in two common rooms. Take a sleeping bag and a sleeping mat with you. The toilet and showers will be provided in a container. The participants will cook from common resources in a small kitchen. Bring your local recipes.
Location & leisure:
The castle ruin is situated near the village Hrebeny in western Bohemia, not far from the town Sokolov.You can go hiking in the mountainous countryside, visit some of the famous spa-towns in the region, go canoeing, do sport or play music. During the weekends there will be time to go on whole-day trips, too. Take some games, pictures, musical instruments, films and other items, which represent you and your cultures.
Requirements:
We are looking for volunteers with respect for the environment and cultural values. Please take good walking boots, warm cloths and raingear with you.
The work takes place outdoors, mainly in the archaeological open-air museum. Help with the construction of new buildings for the open-air museum, archaeological exploration (diggings), help with the organization of local cultural events and participating in them, help with gardening works in a newly created area nearby the outdoor museum, other manual work according to the current needs of the museum.Study part: Learn more about local history: An excursion to the Great Moravian Empire Monument in Stare Mesto, which offers an exhibition documenting this important era of Czech history and a professional guided tour of the open air museum held by Ludek Galuska, Ph.D., will be organized for you.
Accomodation & food:
In the community house on mattresses, bring your sleeping bag The volunteers will cook together from common resources.
Location & leisure:
Village Modra, near the small town of Velehrad and about 6 km from Uherske HradisteSport with the local kids and youth, trips to the surrounding sights like castle Buchlov, the basilica of Velehrad, the towns of Uherske Hradiste and Kromeriz, intercultural evening with a local band and people from the village Modra.
The volunteers will work on the local Jewish cemetery (about 90 of the working time), where they will liquidate invasive plants and ranking plants. Furthermore, they will help with the technical preparations of the festival Jewish Culture Week , which is taking place in Holesov during the workcamp (10 of the working time). Bring suitable working clothes with you. The work might be physically demanding, weekends are usually working days (because of the festival) but you will get days off during the week.Study part: You can learn more about Jewish culture and visit concerts, performances and films during the festival. Visit to local monuments.
Accomodation & food:
In the former gamekeeper s lodge belonging to the local castle. Please bring a sleeping bag. The participants prepare their own meals.
Location & leisure:
HolesovTrips to the surroundings, free entrance to cultural activities organized by the local cultural centre, free access to the local swimming-pool.
Requirements:
Volunteers interested in Jewish culture are especially welcome
The volunteers will perform two different kinds of work. Firstly they will assist during a summer camp for youth with physical and/or mental disabilities, which takes place in the village of Jizbice (the topic of the camp is journey around the world and even though the clients are handicapped they are able to play and enjoy their stay). The volunteers will provide general assistance and organize activities for the clients. Secondly the volunteers will help to prepare the area of the Youth camp for the winter and to maintain the centre of the organization in Nymburk (gardening, cleaning after the summer season).Study part: In the first week you will get a lecture on special education and a workshop on methods how to work with children and youth with special needs. You will also learn about the famous Czech author Bohumil Hrabal, who was born in Nymburk.
Accomodation & food:
Part of the time you will be accommodated in modern tents or in a barn in Jizbice (the village where the Youth camp takes place). The rest of the time you will sleep in a house in Nymburk, that serves as a centre for the organization. Please bring a sleeping bag and a headlamp. You will help with preparing the food, so bring some interesting recipes with you.
Location & leisure:
Nymburk and the village of Jizbice (8 kilometres from the town Nymburk).Tour around the spa town Pod283;brady, excursions to the castle of Lou269;e328;, to a local brewery and to the surrounding countryside are planned. We will also organize an intercultural day/evening in Nymburk.
Requirements:
Smoking is forbidden while working with the children. Bring working clothes with you that can get dirty You will need clothes for all kind of weather (raingear and waterproof working boots). A motivation letter sent with the application form is strictly required.
The work will be mainly manual. You will take care of the community green areas - so you should be fond of gardening works (cutting bushes and grass, painting works, raking etc.). Secondly you will help with some manual tasks such as the reconstruction of the local church. The village would like to organize a theatre performance for local kids in the time the workcamp takes place. The volunteers can join the event and prepare some intercultural theatre performance together with the local kids.Study part: Get familiar with the history of the region and visit some local craftsmen. It s possible to organize an intercultural evening, so take some pictures and music that represents you and some interesting recipes with you. In the last week of the project the local school starts its new term. It will be possible to prepare some intercultural activities for the local school-kids.
Accomodation & food:
You will sleep either in flats belonging to the village or in a local centre for children i please bring a sleeping bag. It is possible to use the internet for free and wash your clothes. Some of the meals will be served in the school canteen, some will be prepared by the group. Vegetarian diet is possible.
Location & leisure:
DysinaExcursion to Pilsen (European Cultural Capital 2015). Trips to the surrounding countryside, swimming in nearby lakes, campfire. The village will try to arrange some activities with the local population as well. During your stay a second workcamp will take place in one of the neighbouring villages i it will be possible to meet with the volunteers and plan some activities together.
The old brewery is situated in the small village of Chric. Its history dates back to the 16th century and the brewery was built two centuries later. The production of beer had to be stopped with the beginning of the Second World War. The complex has fallen into ruin since that time. But it is an inspiring area, which the NGO Propolis wants to change into a vivid place, serving as cultural and community centre. Step by step working rooms for handicapped people and an educational centre offering courses for the public should be build up. The organization would also like to support the reactivation of traditional handcrafts. Sometimes in the future the production of beer should be restored, too!
Work:
The main part of the work consists of manual tasks: The group will do renovation and demolition works in the brewery (removing debris, destroying ceilings), cultivate the garden and cut wood. The aim of the work is to prepare the place for a future museum of traditional handcrafts and rural life in the past. We are looking for motivated volunteers, who are not afraid of physically demanding work mostly in dusty places and who are interested rural development. Bring working clothes that can get dirty or damaged and good working shoes!
Study part:
Get some knowledge about the history of the place, the brewery and the way beer was produced. We inform you as well about our plans for the future and depending on your interest it is possible to visit a nearby museum, where you learn more about local traditions. We can also arrange a visit of a bee-keeper and of other traditional local producers.
Leisure time:
Trips to the surroundings: ruins of the castles Krasov, Krakovec, the nature preserve Krivoklatsko, the castle Krivoklat and the muzeum Marianska Tynice. There will be some bikes at your disposal. The village has a football ground; 5-10 km from the village there is a swimming pool and a river.
Accommodation/Food:
In the living area of the brewery in two separate rooms - bring a sleeping bag. In case of interest you can sleep in tents in the garden (bring your own tent). The local partner prepares the food with occasional help of the volunteers. Take some crucial ingredients or local products to prepare your traditional food for an intercultural evening. The living conditions will be very basic (dry toilets, not much comfort or privacy in the sleeping rooms), but you can take hot shower in the house :).
Location:
The village of Chric (about 200 inhabitants, with a church and a castle in its centre), located in the Western part of Bohemia.
Note:
A motivation letter sent with the application form is required (max. 1 page A4, please state your motivation to participate in the workcamp and your experience with manual work).
The volunteers will help to build an ecological house from straw and clay (the main task will be to apply clay plaster to the walls from straw), and to construct a stone floor. Additional tasks will be to prepare firewood, gardening and cutting grass. The work will be demanding i we are looking for volunteers with a good physical condition. Study part: If you are interested in yoga, you can take part in daily lectures on yoga-practices (e.g. morning lectures, afternoon relaxation).
Accomodation & food:
You will sleep in the common room of the Ashram on foam mattresses. Please take your sleeping bag There will be ONLY vegetarian food.
Location & leisure:
Yoga centre Zdarec u Skutce (1km from the town Skutec with 3000 inhabitants)You can swim in the little stream, which flows right through the area of the centre or in the stone quarries close-by. Take trips to the surrounding countryside, have a campfire, play music or visit sites of interest in the surroundings.
Requirements:
The yoga centre is a place where no alcohol, drugs or meat are consumed. You can smoke only in a certain area of the centre. Bring good working clothes, working boots and raingear After the end of the project, you will have the possibility to stay at the centre for some more days for a fee of 150 Czech crowns per day.
The aim of the workcamp is to teach the participants how to manage and carry out your own project. There will be three construction projects proposed to the volunteers (greenhouse/multi-purpose woodshed/garden) and one programme project (garden festival). The volunteers will choose one of the construction projects to be carried out together within two weeks. They can be assisted by a professional stonemason, bricklayer or carpenter. At the final weekend, the volunteers will have the opportunity to prepare the garden festival. This event is held regularly for friends of the DoNitra association, the village of Osinalice and participants of the courses given by DoNitra. There will be also different theatre and music performances. The event starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday afternoon.Study part: Arts workshops (stone carving, forging, wood carving), international evenings organised by the volunteers, workshops and activities with local children are planned.
Accomodation & food:
In a reconstructed farm building. Bring your own sleeping bags. The volunteers will prepare their own meals from common resources.
Location & leisure:
In the tiny village Osnalice in the middle of the protected landscape Kokorinsko.Cycling (there are 10 bicycles available), hiking, arts workshops, relaxing at a public swimming pool.
Requirements:
We prefer, if the volunteers are non-smokers and have a creative spirit (it would be great if you are fond of arts, music, circus, theatre). As we would like to learn about your motivation for taking part in the project, a motivation letter sent with the application form is required
« The outside world did not interfere, because it seemed so distant, and so we spent our spare time getting to know each other and learning about each other countries', languages and cultures. Everyone was completely relaxed. This simply would not have been possible on any other type of holiday. VAP enabled me to have a truly memorable experience. »
