Promoting culture with Le Monty – Genappe

Looking for three volunteers

Trip type

ESC Volunteering

City + Country

Genappe, Belgium

Dates of the next project

3 volunteers – 01 September 2023 – 31 August 2024

Deadline to apply

06th of July 2023 (23:59)

Hosting organization : Le Monty Asbl

Le Monty asbl was created in 2017 in order to manage a new place, shared and unifying, open to everyone to enhance creativity, citizen’s initiatives, share competences and create synergies among citizens and the associative sector.

Therefore, it has different aims:

To promote creative and collaborative economy; to promote culture; arts, artists; knowledge sharing; transition initiatives and more generally citizen’s initiatives; social links creation and the social cohesion strengthening
To allow individuals, organisations, craftsmen, citizen groups to create and develop an activity of any type (economic, social, cultural, handmade, artistic) … while benefitting the local community
To link economic and creative dynamics in one common logic of environmental sustainability and solidarity while putting in common human and material resources
To empower the individuals, the groups and the organisations; to stimulate the active citizens abilities, the associative and cooperative practices, the entrepreneurship and the sharing and transmission of knowledges and know-hows

Additionally, the Monty is managing quite a big space which gathers a concert hall of 150 seats as well as convivial spaces (bar, and multipurpose space…). It can host various cultural, private, associative or citizen activities (meetings, workshops, shows, co working spaces…).

The space is dealt with in a participative way, where every citizen can propose something and commit itself: citizen bar, collaborative grocery shop and zero waste “Les P’tits Pots” (the shop is hosted inside The Monty), repair cafés, meetings for Genappe en Transition (transition town association), repair café…

In particular, the Monty is focusing on arts, and is hosting permanently the TOF theatre asbl, a puppet show company.

The TOF, born in 1987, is actually at the basis of the Monty project, and many activities, missions and projects are common to both organisations.

The Monty can also develop other activities and has many partnerships and collaborations. Some examples:

– “Genappe perd la boule”, a puppet show festival in collaboration with the TOF théâtre;

– Movie nights in collaboration with the cultural centre of Genappe;

– “La fête des possibles” and several trainings hosted at the Monty about naturopathy and other similar topics with Genappe en Transition;

– Hosting a citizen collective working on the creation of a new market in Genappe;

– Hosting the grocery shop “Les P’tits Pots”, founded by citizens willing to propose healthy, ethical and sustainable products while promoting the local productions.

And, for the very first year, the Monty will also collaborate with NESPA (Nouvelle Ecole à Pédagogie Active – New School with active pedagogy – secondary school) in order to organise the final show of the school year. NESPA is a school using Freinet pedagogy, open since 2018.

Some of the Monty regular activities are revolving around the different initiatives being hosted at that time (work by project). But some activities are being held on a very regular basis (on a every day, week or month basis):

– The grocery shop, open on Fridays, Saturdays, every first Monday of the month and every third Wednesday of the month;

– The “ça m’dit bien du Monty”: every second Saturday of the month, the Monty is proposing a concert by artists singing in French. The purpose of these evenings is to provide an opportunity for gatherings and spontaneity while supporting the cultural creation and diffusion within Genappe community;

– Hosting of different exhibitions around any type of art;

– Puppet shows organised with the TOF théâtre;

– Movie nights being hosted in collaboration with Genappe cultural centre;

– Board games afternoons on Wednesdays

In overall, the Monty hosts more or less one to two public events every week, and is involved in quite ambitious events needing a lot of preparation beforehand.

Discover Le Monty with this video made by the volunteers

Support organization : CBB

In addition to this, the hosting organization is supported by the Association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs, aka CBB located in Marche-en-Famenne. CBB is a non-profit, non-political youth organisation recognized and financially supported by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The organisation proposes different kinds of activities, based on volunteering and non-formal education: local and international workcamps, medium and long term voluntary services (including ESC), and leisure time activities for and with disabled people, campleaders trainings…CBB is active within the different European Programmes of volunteering and non-formal education since 1997 and also hosts ESC volunteers each year.

CBB’s role as support organization is to:

Promote of the project and link between local and the international networks;
Support in the selection and preparation of European volunteers before arrival;
Manage of administrative matters: budget allowances; support in the creation of the bank account and enrollment at the municipality; enrollment in insurance (if not done by sending organization); preparation of activity agreement;
Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensures the participation to the NA seminars; organization of auto-evaluation meetings for the volunteer and the hosting organization to reflect on learning outcomes;
Handle practical arrangements: information about health insurance system in Belgium; indications about French lesson possibilities; online language tool…
Create networking between all ESC volunteers of the hosting organizations we support.

The three volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in all our activities. According to their wishes and competencies, they will be working together and/or separately. We also hope that the volunteers involved will learn and appreciate the “mix of genres”, as our projects are very different from one another, aiming at different target groups, organised by different people…

First weeks will primarily consist in discovering the different activities in which the volunteers can get involved.

With the TOF :

Supporting the implementation of the festival “Genappe perd la boule”: a great deal of technical support (DIY, small constructions, scenery set-up/ disassembly). During the event, the volunteers provide logistical support and can help with the contacts with the foreign artists.
Theatre technicians support (a training will be provided by the staff first):
- welcoming artists and setting up a scene and decoration of the shows
- work with lighting desk and sound systems/ sound controls
- accompanying the artists during their residency at the theatre (sometimes artists ask to take part in the creation of their show)
Manual and technical tasks
- construction of the decoration
- carpentry, welding
- crafting, DIY

(Not for this activity) With “NESPA secondary school”

Supporting the link between the school and the theatre, and possibly in the preparation of the end-of-year show, as a result of the collaboration between NESPA and Le Monty.

According to your skills and interests, there are a wide range of tasks that you could take over, such as:

1. Support in communication for the website, social networks and major events (open doors, exchanges with other Freinet schools, support to edit the school paper publication etc.)

2. Help during thematic round tables of discussion in English and during didactic workshops (ex. of this year: gardening, wood lathe, music, computer literacy…)

3. Partcipate in art, drama or langauge classes, help out in the library or support the staff during excursions.

The volunteers will be active in the following activities:

At the Monty:

Helping to welcome guests during events and thematic evenings (cinema club, trainings, etc.), evenings, themed taverns, entertainment and bar keeping, Wednesday afternoon board games organization
Supporting the management and animation of the bar on Friday or during events
Punctually, support the “media coverage” of the events and activities by taking pictures and shooting videos from events at Le Monty and TOF theatre with the person in charge of communication.
Taking care of the garden started by the former volunteers in a spirit of permaculture
Taking part in the Repair Café and helping at the bar during the activity
Cleaning and arranging material and interior before and after the activities

With “Genappe in transition” :

Depending on the interests of the volunteers and time available, it’s possible to get involved in the solidarity grocery store “P’tits Pots”: help in the store, animation, refresh the stock of the products, promote the shop in the local network.

Volunteer gatherings and activities will be planned in order for the European Solidarity Corps to gain visibility and encourage the cooperation between local associations through cultural events.

The city

“Le Monty” is located in Genappe town centre, a town of 15 000 inhabitants in the Belgian province of Brabant Wallon. The town has its own cultural centre, a library, a youth centre, a swimming pool opened during the summer, arts (there is an academy proposing dance, music and theatre) and culture. A lot is going on with the Monty and the TOF theatre, you will be at the heart of the entertainments of the area! Supermarkets and several shops are available in the town centre. Nevertheless, Genappe has no train station on its own, though buses are leaving every 30 minutes for the nearest one at Braine L’alleud, Nivelles and Ottignies and every one hour to Brussels. From these stations, cities such as Namur, Charleroi and others are less than an hour away.

Being the biggest municipality in the Brabant Wallon, Genappe is at the crossroad of many places of historical importance such as Waterloo; Villers-la-Ville where the impressive ruins of the old Abbey can be admired; Nivelles with its collegiate church or Louvain-la-Neuve and its “new town”.

Genappe and its eight villages offer amazing places, several castles and other landmarks, testimonies of a rich past History where the presence of famous personages such as Godefroid of Bouillon, Louis XI or Napoleon is still perceptible.

Despite what was above mentioned, Genappe is still located in a semi rural area, where more than 80% of its territory is covered by field and some woods. In the countryside surrounding Genappe, several delineated walls, farms, craftspeople, local groceries can welcome you in order to make you try the local delicacies.

This project is therefore very suitable for volunteers who are not attracted by a very lively nightlife, but mostly by quiet evenings and outdoor activities during the week-end.

The house

The volunteers will live together in the city of Genappe. They will have a private room in a fully-equipped shared apartment right above the The Monty.

0 The country - BELGIUM

Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg and France, Belgium is one of Europe’s tiddlers.
The north is flat, the south dominated by the picturesque Ardennes and the 65km North Sea coastline monopolized by resorts, except for a few patches of windswept dunes. The 4 seasons are well divided, cold (and not so white anymore) winter and warm and sunny summer… But be ready to grey sky and rain at least haf of the year.

But the belgian population is usually warm. A lot of cultural and free EVENTS in the streets are happening throughout the year, which will make your journey in this little country funny and ressourcefull.

This project will be taking place in the south of the country which is french speaking. Be therefore ready to learn and speak french! Especially in this project involving kids.

Specialities : FRIES and BEERS and FESTIVALS
AREA: 30,518 sq km
POPULATION: 11.420.163 million
CAPITAL: Brussels (pop: 1.191.604)
REGIONS: Flanders (North), Wallonia (South), Brussels – Capital
COMMUNITIES: Flemish, French and German speaking community
LANGUAGE: Dutch (±59%), French (±37%) and German (±1%)
CURRENCY: Euro

Working Hours

Working hours will be mostly from Tuesday until Saturday including some evenings. 5 days per week will be worked on average/ Days off will compensate for the extra shift hours if necessary to keep an average of 35 hours a week. Volunteers are entitled to 2 days off per month of project to arranged with the hosting organisation.

Insurance

You get covered, throughout the activity period, by the obligatory European Solidarity Corps insurance plan (Henner) that the European Commission sets up. This coverage is only complementary to the mandatory coverage of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which you must obtain prior to departure.

In certain cases, when national rules deprive participants from coverage under EHIC for the duration of the placement, Henner will provide full coverage. However, you must provide proof that obtaining the EHIC in your case was not possible. You should contact your National Agency for advice on your specific circumstances. You must read carefully the insurance-related information here.

Language course

EU Academy + French lesson. We provide an online language course as part of the budget from the Commission. You will need to complete a level test before the activity starts. We encourage you to join free French lessons given in the municipality or around if possible. We recommend that the participant starts practicing French prior to their arrival in Belgium and that they participate in as many activities as possible in order to get better at the language.

Food

You will receive a budget and will prepare your own meals.

Pocket Money

Participation in the European Solidarity Corps is free of charge, except for exceptional contribution to travel costs. You will therefore receive free board and lodging during the whole activity. In addition, you will receive pocket money for personal expenses throughout the duration of the activity, including holidays.

Profile of the volunteer

Age requirement to take part in ESC programme: 18-30 years old
Prior to departure, the volunteer should be in contact with a support (sending) organization in order to receive information and preparation. Look up for a support organization in your region via this link: https://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisations_en
Our project is open to anybody motivated by volunteering and who wishes to be involved in our organization and working in the field of culture, regardless to their nationality, religion, believes, diploma, professional experience.
We expect the volunteer to be very motivated to join the activity; to be open-minded and pro-active. We would appreciate that the volunteer shares with us the values of active citizenship, cultural openness, pluralism…
We wish that the volunteer:
– will show willingness to learn French
– will feel comfortable with any type of public and able to take initiatives
– will want to introduce us to his/her own culture while respecting the other’s
– will be ready to meet and welcome new people, from different backgrounds and with different life experiences
– will look for information about transition towns in his/her own country, so as to maybe bring news ideas and inspiration
– will be genuinely interested in alternative pedagogies
– an artistic side will be appreciated
– is flexible when presented with a multitude of varied tasks and a challenging schedule, including seasons that come with different work intensity taking turns
The volunteer has to provide the support and hosting organization with a copy certificate of good conduct related to the work with minors before starting the activity.

Flore and Lucia, volunteers at Le Monty 2022-2023

Hello everyone! We are Flore and Lucía and we are currently volunteering in Genappe, Belgium. Since October, we have been volunteers at Monty, a cultural and civic space in Genappe, Wallonia. We are three volunteers: Flore (French), Lucía (Spanish) and Gustav (Danish).

Our work varies very much.
Every December the Maboule festival takes place, a puppet festival throughout Genappe. We mainly helped with creating DIY for the event, to set up the spaces that would host the shows and then to clean it all. It was a super enriching and intense experience.

This project is an opportunity for us to discover a whole new environment. We didn’t know anything about theater and “third places”, cultural and civic spaces, before volunteering here. It allows us to create new perspectives for the future and new ways of seeing the world. It is also a way for us to meet very different people during the various activities offered at Monty.

Volunteering is also a wonderful opportunity to learn new soft and practical skills. For example, we learned the basics of sound and light technique on shows or concerts. Now we can help with concert reception and the installation of microphones and musical instruments.
We don’t have a typical week and it’s really an advantage because we don’t get bored of the work. We might go at the warehouse where we do DIY, then the next day be in Brussels to set up a show and the day after we host a school near Monty for their end-of-year show. We also take care of the bar during events where we serve meals that are cooked on site.

At Monty, we can also develop personal projects such as a sports course (Flore), dance lessons (Lucia) or the organization of a Spanish party in May (with all the European volunteers). This volunteering program also allowed us to meet other volunteers in Belgium with whom we enjoyed meetings and other activities; moreover, despite the bad weather, Belgium surprised us with its people and cities! We believe this is an once-in-a-lifetime experience for every young person and we are very happy that we made this decision.

Halyna, Anni and Oskar at Le Monty

A world to share

Halyna - an ukrainian in Belgium

Volunteers are sad to leave Le Monty

How to apply ?

Deadline: 06th of July at 23:59 (brussels time).

1. In the frame of the new program of the European Commission, the European Solidarity Corps, you first need to create a profile on the new data base: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en (“JOIN THE CORPS”).

2. Answer the questionnaire below (NB: you will be asked to attach a CV at the end of the form)

3. (optional) if you’re feeling creative, please feel free to send us any addtional material related to your application: esc@compagnonsbatisseurs.be

The creation of a profile on the ESC portal AND fulfilling the form are compulsory for us to take your application into consideration.

In the days following the application deadline, the pre-selected volunteers will be contacted for a Zoom meeting.

ESC Le Monty / Apply form and motivation letter

Step 1 of 4 - Personal Data

Personnal data
By filling the information below, you provide us with personal information. You are aware of the fact and agree that the pieces of information will be used in the frame of the call for candidates for the Erasmus+ volunteering project. Your personal data will be used by the persons in charge of the selection of volunteers in the sending and coordinating/hosting organizations. Each part mentioned takes the responsibility of erasing the documents containing your personal data once the selection procedure is over.
Name*
Surname Name
PRN*
If you already have it: it’s a super long number you receive when you get registered into the PASS.
Birthdate*
Day
Month
Year
Current address*
Street Address City ZIP / Postal Code Country
Phone number*
Email adress*
Do you need a visa for this project ?*
Availability period for the project*
Preference will be given to the volunteers able to join the project for the whole period.
Have you ever taken part in a volunteering project under ERASMUS+ or European Solidarity Corps?*
- YES
- NO
If yes, please specify which projets and for how long
Sending organization (Name, OID number, post address, phone number, contact person’s name and email address)*
What are your (long term) travel experiences?*
Languages spoken*
Please specify, for each language, which level you have (whenever possible)

Long term

Short term