SEEDS coordinators (enthusiastic Icelanders) will have prepared lessons on few different issues as: -Language: Basics of the Icelandic language, its history and basic conversation-Gastronomy: Cooking lessons on how to prepare some typical Icelandic dishes.-Folk culture: Guests speakers and excursion on folk tales and hidden people -Handcrafts: Icelandic knitting, how to make your own huts, gloves, scarves et lopapeysur SEEDS coordinators will conduct the lessons and take the volunteers to places related to the topics. The language lessons will be interactive, sometimes in a class room or during the working hours. SEEDS will provide ingredients for the cooking, while materials for the knitting lessons (eg. wool, knitting needles) will be bought by the volunteers themselves according to taste and items to knit.Volunteers additional work with the city of Reykjavik; will be focused on trying to keep the city and its public areas lively, attractive, interesting and charming for locals and guests. Tasks may involve painting to cover graffiti tags, tiding up public spaces and face-lifting the city after the winter. Additional work may be done at the new SEEDS volunteers base. Volunteers will be assisting and giving contributions to the future development of SEEDS activities. This project combines different tasks in Reykjavik and its surroundings ensuring diversity and various experiences for participating volunteers.
Accomodation & food:
SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house in Reykjavik; sleeping in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Volunteers will receive food and be in charge of the different cooking and cleaning activities. Equipped kitchen and washing machine are available. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.
Location & leisure:
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, often called the nightlife capital of the north . But there is more to Reykjavik than pubs and clubs. Reykjavik also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene. The world s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavik is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. The population of the city is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland s inhabitants live here. Reykjavik is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers. March is the last month when you can see, with a piece of good luck, the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Iceland. In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjavik, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.
Requirements:
English will be the language of the camp; high proficiency is not required.
The first week volunteers will work in the annual music festival Vio Djupio . The festival is held in the West Fjords of Iceland around summer solstice and it offers series of concerts and master classes, which are held in close cooperation with the Iceland Academy of Arts. During the last 7 years the festival has offered master classes and concerts with nation- and worldwide known artists.We will share all types of tasks related to the festival and the group will be split according to the needs to give everyone the chance to try out different assignments. The input of volunteers will make a big difference in making the festival an impressive cultural event. The tasks include receiving guests at the airport, driving them, selling entrance tickets, controlling at the entrances in the venues, helping during the classes and concerts, guiding and assisting participants and audience, setting up the venues before and after the concerts and a wide variety of many different duties. We are an integral part of creating a special festival atmosphere in safjorour and shall be prepared for flexible time schedule (like for evenings et weekends). In the second week, in Reykjavik, we will take part in variety of task, garden work in SEEDS volunteer centre, organize street campaigns around topics decided by the group, such an environment, peace, or any other relevant and interesting subject to the group.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION: Volunteers will stay at a local house/school; volunteers will sleep on mattresses on the floor and need to bring a warm sleeping bag. Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen will be available, volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals. Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.
Location & leisure:
LOCATIONS: safjorour is surrounded by mountains that offer endless opportunities to enjoy nature and wilderness during all seasons. Despite its small population, the town has a rather urban, or one could say international, atmosphere. It is known throughout the country for its rich cultural life, with music and visual arts having long tradition and firm roots in the town s history.In the West fjords one travels through the whole range of Icelandic flora from the shore and meadows, through birch and willow, to mossy moors. On a stroll amidst the driftwood on the shore one can see birds and seals and then an occasional arctic fox around the deserted farmsteads.Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital, has been called Europe s hottest capital. Slick advertising campaigns have championed the city s famed nightlife. But there is more to Reykjavik than pubs and clubs. The world s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America, is framed by the majestic Mt. Esja and the blue waters of Faxafloi Bay. Visitors to Reykjavik experience easily the pure energy at the heart of Iceland s capital city - whether from the boiling thermal energy underground, the natural green energy within the city and around it, or the lively culture and fun-filled nightlife. Reykjavik is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. In the summer, you can sit by the harbour at midnight and watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon before it makes its way up again.
Requirements:
LANGUAGE: English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR160.
SEEDS volunteers will be working on a coastal cultural festival in the North of Iceland. All in all the festivities will last for nine days, with seminars, lectures, courses and exhibits. Furthermore there will be markets every day with food and handicrafts; music, dance and plays. We will be a part of the diverse preparations and assisting during the festival. Our project will involve putting up exhibitions related to the sailing and coastal culture in the area, greeting incoming ships and putting up the exhibitions that they carry. We will be building a boat shelter in a historical way and some of the work will involve a few nightshifts watching the exhibition area on the pier. We will also be assisting the guest with information regarding the festival and the area and some of us might take shifts in the festival-info office. A festival needs many hands to do many different things, and we need to be very flexible and willing to jump into the diverse task that our hosts might need assistance with.
ACCOMMODATION:
We will be hosted in a local school, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Food ingredients will be provided and a nice kitchen will be available. We will share the duties of cooking and cleaning. Sometimes during this period, we might get food from the festivals canteen. Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.
LOCATION:
The project will take place in the North of Iceland in one of the largest towns in the area. The town used to bustle with life around the fishermen, but now most of the bustle is due to the whale-watching industry. Some say this is the best place in Iceland to see whales. The town church was built 1907 and is by many regarded as the most beautiful church in the country. As in most populated places in Iceland there is a nice geothermal swimming pool in town, and many nice hiking opportunities. One of the oldest cared for birch forest in the country is in the area with the tallest and straightest birch trees in Iceland. The forest was bought and protected in 1905 and the work has been continuous ever since. Close by we will find the largest continuous woodland in Iceland, reaching from Háls at the western part of Ljósavatnsskarð and south to Belgsá, and it is spreading. In the valley flows Fnjóská, regarded by many as the most beautiful fishing river in Iceland. There are many marked hiking routes in the area and museums of nature, culture and trees. We will be close to many of the most beautiful places in Iceland, like Mýatn, Dimmuborgir, Goðafoss and Ásbyrgi -a huge horseshoe shaped cliff face, reputedly a hoof print made by the Norse god Odin’s eight-legged horse.
LANGUAGE:
English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.
TERMINAL:
Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Closest Domestic Airport: Akureyri (AEY), closest bus stations in Akureyri or Húsavík. SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.
EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:
Participation fee EUR 180. Volunteers applying for this project should be motivated to work with people in outdoor activities and be prepared for a flexible time schedule.
We will help preparing the town for hosting hundreds of visitors by painting houses and fences, maintaining and beautifying the harbour area and assisting in various tasks in the public areas of the village.During the events we will work in various places such as museums, the church, open country market, the old cars exhibition and the coffee house. Some of us will wear old-style Icelandic costumes and participate in a welcoming team by the entrance of the festival. This creates a welcoming and ceremonial atmosphere with an international tone. We will join and perform with the street theatre and prepare events during the festival. Volunteers with artistic skills or just enthusiasm to perform are welcome to develop their ideas and the local hosts will try to include them in the schedule. Our host will assist us organising an international evening where locals will be invited to try, taste and learn about food and traditions from our home countries. As many events and happenings will be going on at the same time during the festival, we may work in teams in different stations at each time. We are encouraged to use the opportunity to explore and learn about the Icelandic culture and history.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION: We will live in a local townhouse in the village, partly taking care of cooking for the group and partly receiving meals from the community. Please bring your own sleeping bag.Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.
Location & leisure:
LOCATION: The project takes place in Eyrarbakki, a small village in South Iceland. The town played an important role in trading; the towns prime time was from middle of the 18th century to the early 19th century. During that time the town life flourished and expanded around the houses of the Danish trading area. The population grew fast and at its peak, the inhabitants were around 1000 at 1920, but decreased to 530 - 550 during the last decades.The historical importance of the town is directly linked to the port, which was an entrance to the country in international trade, churches and bishops in the country had their goods and material for building delivered through Eyrarbakki from abroad. In the mid 18th century Danish merchants were permitted to live in Iceland all year which led them to start building and importing houses and settle down in the town. The town is renowned for its charming old houses and one of oldest house of Iceland, from 1765 is located in the town. Other old houses are there and locals have put effort and energy in maintaining and renovating them, so the town holds more to its original outlook. Few kilometres out of town is Floi Nature Reserve, a paradise for wetland birds, with a marked circular hiking trail through the marshes.
Requirements:
LANGUAGE: English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 160.
In December the city gets busy with people preparing for Christmas. In this time of the year many families struggle to make ends meet and need to reach out for support of any kind. The Red Cross organises food donations to them and we will assist them during this busy time. The tasks will be to prepare the ware-house for the food-donation-station, put food packages together, organise and classify the food in stock, give the food to the people among other related tasks. Volunteers will also join the festive atmosphere during some days by handing out hot chocolate in the city centre as a way of fundraising for non-for-profit projects. We will help in the preparation by putting up the chocolate stations, decorating the tables, making the chocolate and taking it to the different stations around the city. At the end, we will assist in taking down the stations and leaving the areas clean. Volunteers with artistic skills, such as singing, juggling, playing music are encouraged to apply for this camp as they will have the chance to perform during the chocolate hand-out and help to create a nice and friendly atmosphere.
ACCOMMODATION:
We will stay in a fully equipped house in Reykjavík; sleeping in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen will be available, volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals. Please do not forget some typical food for the international evening, where others can try and taste some specialities from your home countries.
LOCATION:
Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland, often called “the nightlife capital of the north”. But there is more to Reykjavík than pubs and clubs. Reykjavík also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene. The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. The population of the city is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland’s inhabitants live here. It is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers. In December the city is lighten up with Christmas lights in “every window”. During this month the chances to see spectacular Northern lights (aurora borealis) are very high. The warm geothermal swimming pools offer a great way of relaxation; dipping into a hot pot, surrounded by snow and stars shining above is an experience not to miss. In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.
LANGUAGE:
English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.
TERMINAL:
Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).
EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:
Participation fee EUR 180,- (Euros). Volunteers have to bring warm clothes, hats, gloves and scarves as part of the project takes place outside. Tours and excursions (Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon or South Shore) will be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.
In December the city gets busy with people preparing for Christmas. In this time of the year many families struggle to make ends meet and need to reach out for support of any kind. The Red Cross organises food donations to them and we will assist them during this busy time. The tasks will be to prepare the ware-house for the food-donation-station, put food packages together, organise and classify the food in stock, give the food to the people among other related tasks. Volunteers will also join the festive atmosphere during some days by handing out hot chocolate in the city centre as a way of fundraising for non-for-profit projects. We will help in the preparation by putting up the chocolate stations, decorating the tables, making the chocolate and taking it to the different stations around the city. At the end, we will assist in taking down the stations and leaving the areas clean. Volunteers with artistic skills, such as singing, juggling, playing music are encouraged to apply for this camp as they will have the chance to perform during the chocolate hand-out and help to create a nice and friendly atmosphere.
ACCOMMODATION:
We will stay in a fully equipped house in Reykjavík; sleeping in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen will be available, volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals. Please do not forget some typical food for the international evening, where others can try and taste some specialities from your home countries.
LOCATION:
Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland, often called “the nightlife capital of the north”. But there is more to Reykjavík than pubs and clubs. Reykjavík also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene. The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. The population of the city is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland’s inhabitants live here. It is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers. In December the city is lighten up with Christmas lights in “every window”. During this month the chances to see spectacular Northern lights (aurora borealis) are very high. The warm geothermal swimming pools offer a great way of relaxation; dipping into a hot pot, surrounded by snow and stars shining above is an experience not to miss. In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.
LANGUAGE:
English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.
TERMINAL:
Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).
EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:
Participation fee EUR 180,- (Euros). Volunteers have to bring warm clothes, hats, gloves and scarves as part of the project takes place outside. Tours and excursions (Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon or South Shore) will be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares. Volunteers wishing to stay longer, for Christmas are welcome to do so!
« 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! »
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