SPONTANEOUS CELEBRATIONS is a festival and community arts organization in Boston, Massachusetts committed to art, activism, community, and the environment. Our organization runs two large festivals a year. Spontaneous Celebrations has developed a spirited, successful, and unique approach to community building.
Visit http:
//www.spontaneouscelebrations.org/ for more information.
WORK:
Wake Up the Earth is our biggest festival which takes place on the first Saturday of May every year. This will be the 37th year. The festival was originally organized to celebrate the stopping of a highway being built through our section of Boston. Since then, the festival has raised awareness about the environment, labor and political issues. The volunteers will join the festival committee to organize, publicize and engage the community in the event. They will help prepare signs, banners, costumes, decorations, kids’ activities, etc. Volunteers will help run workshops for children and adults to make costumes, props, and junk percussion drums in preparation for the parade and festival. Volunteers will help during the event with logistics, set-up, and general support. After the event, the volunteers will be involved with breakdown, clean up and final analysis of the event.
STUDY THEME:
Activism and Community Organizing.
ACCOMODATIONS:
Volunteers will stay together in the home of Femke Rosenbaum, the founder of Spontaneous Celebrations. All meals are provided, sometimes by community members and restaurants and volunteers will also cook together. Vegetarian options available.
LOCATION:
The parade and festival take place in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is a popular city in the northeast known for its history, universities, sports teams, and easy access to New York City.
TERMINAL:
Logan Airport, Boston, MA
SPECIAL REMARKS:
It will be helpful for volunteers to have an arts background, events planning or organizational experience and to have a comfortable level of English. Spanish will also be helpful since our area of Boston has a high Spanish-speaking population.
« 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. »