2013-DE-39, Kinder- und Jugendkulturwerkstatt

Themes: Art and Culture/ Children

Duration: 1.9.2014 – 30.08.2015

Volunteer´s Profile: 
Age: preferably 18-25; 26-30 is possible
Volunteer service period: 12 months
Experience: definitely with arts (music or theatre or painting or pottery or dancing or or or..). Maybe pedagogic experience with kids. Maybe graphic skills (posters, flyers...)
Other: no german needed, but necessary to learn German quickly to work independently with the kids
Description: 
The Kinder- und Jugendkulturwerkstatt (JuKuWe) is a public institution for children and youths independent of religion and social status. It is located on the edge of a residential area in the southeast part of Leipzig. It offers courses, projects and workshops for children and youths in the artistic and cultural field like Theatre, Art, Photography, Literature, Multimedia, Drawing and Pottery. In the JuKuWe there are four full-time staff members, one German long term volunteer and a number of freelancers. 
The children and youths are provided with the opportunity to explore their surroundings and to learn how to express themselves through artistic media. They receive support and encouragement from artists. It is understood that the children and youths want to organize their own events and workshops and these are integrated into the normal operation of the JuKuWe. 
Child and Youth cultural work should provide the participants the support they need to articulate themselves freely and diversely through artistic means and thereby increase their own sense of self-worth. Specific aims of the JuKuWe include conveyance of artistic skills and abilities, arousal and development of interests and inclinations, creative exploration with various materials and development of key social skills through the artistic-creative exploration, inter-disciplinary and intercultural projects.
There is a close cooperation amongst the parents, partners, course participants and staff which provides for a positive atmosphere throughout the JuKuWe. The children and youths regularly participate in exhibitions and competitions. The JuKuWe has been actively involved in international projects since 1997.
Leipzig is located in the northwest of the Free State of Saxony. The city and its 500,000 inhabitants became known throughout the world in the fall of 1989 as the center of the peaceful revolutionary movement in East Germany. It is home to the second oldest university in Germany as well as serving as an important trade fair center. Around 1 million people visit Leipzig every year, enjoying the city's lively atmosphere and diverse cultural offerings.
The volunteer will stay in a living community with up to six other EVS-volunteers.
Tasks:
The volunteer will support the ongoing projects according to his/her abilities and interests, be it in the fileds of artistics, multimedia, theatre, portrait or applied arts. Office work in the background of the projects (e.g. correspondance, flyer design) is also a possible task.
Also Those projects are possible from the local to international level, involving children or youths and are organized with various possible backgrounds or partners. During the service, the volunteer shall also invent, prepare and carry through a project of his own in the given fields. He/She will be a part of the team. The volunteer will be introduced to the team members and course leaders and get time to find orientation in the work of the JuKuWe.
Selection process: 
Please hand in the filled application form to application@jahr-fuer-europa.de until 20.12.2012. We will give a first feedback on the application. Those applications who pass the preselection are forwarded to the project responsables who usually decide within two weeks after the application deadline.
Selection criteria: 
Volunteers should be interested in our social and cultural work and have the desire to work independently. Some practical experience in the work with children and youths is welcome. We are delighted when volunteers come to us with their own ideas or even their own projects - special skills (e.g., musical instruments), special interests (e.g. history), or other unusual hobbies (e.g. juggling) are always welcome. Basic knowledge of German is advantageous for working with the visitors of the JuKuWe. 
Link to Kinder- und Jugendkulturwerkstatt