Cultural Center of Marche-en-Famenne
Looking for one volunteer from 01.10.22 to 30.06.23
Trip type
City + Country
Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium
Dates of the next project
From 01st October 2022 to 30th june 2023
Deadline to apply
22nd of August 2022 at 23:59
Hosting organisation : cultural center - MCFA
The Association “Maison de la Culture Famenne-Ardenne” (MCFA) has the mission to spread the culture among a broad public by offering activities under various shapes and through different ways during which people can share and discover in order to reach a cohesive and dynamic cultural group in the community. Its public varies depending on the activities proposed and is therefore very diversified: adults, children (0-5 years), students, people with fewer opportunities,… In parallel with the local dynamics created in Marche-en-Famenne, the MCFA develops a regional activity in 14 municipalities (included in its “project territory”) thanks to the decentralized teams. This contributes to a closer contact with the population.
The association offers many facilities and regular activities, such as:
- Theatre shows (including for schools), music performances, dance shows, cinema, circus, exhibitions, conferences, cultural mediations, debates, workshops, holidays activities for children,…
- A cultural brasserie called “Tiroir des Saveurs” where visitors can eat and drink eco-friendly and local products;
- A social vegetable garden where people from various backgrounds can gather and cultivate good products.
MCFA’s staff is made up of around 30 persons divided in 6 teams having specific tasks and skills: direction, administration, communication and public relations, animation, technical team and the team of the cultural brasserie.
CBB hosts in total 23 international volunteers around Wallonia. The ESC team of CBB tries his best to connect this network of volunteers together trough different collective activities, seminars etc…
Support organization : CBB
The hosting organization is supported by the Association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs, aka CBB located in Marche-en-Famenne in the south of Belgium. CBB is a non-profit, non-political youth organization recognized and financially supported by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The organization 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 Programs of volunteering and non-formal education since 1997 and also hosts ESC volunteers each year.
CBB’s role as support organization is to:
- Promote the project and link local and international networks;
Support the selection and coaching of European volunteers before arrival
Manage administrative matters: budget allowances, bank account creation and enrollment at the municipality, insurance (if not done by sending organisation), activity agreement
Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensuring the participation in the National Agency seminars, organising auto-evaluation meetings with the volunteer and hosting organization to reflect on learning outcomes
Handle practical arrangements: information about health insurance in Belgium, French lessons, online language tools, etc.
Create networking activities between all ESC volunteers of the hosting organisations they support
The activity is starting with the cultural season 2022-2023 for the volunteer to be involved in a various range of cultural and educational events.
The hosted volunteer would be more directly involved in four main projects: CONCERTS AND SHOWS; SOCIO-CULTURAL ANIMATIONS; in the CULTURAL BRASSERIE and into the VEGETABLE GARDEN.
1. CONCERTS AND SHOWS
Through this link, you can check the programmed shows and concerts for 2022-2023: www.mcfa.be
The volunteer will be asked to:
- provide logistical support before, during and after the events
- welcome the public and/or the artists
- help with the reception, ticketing, catering or in backstage depending on the volunteer’s interests
Three big concerts will especially require help: Ozark Henry (17/11); Saule (21/01) and Mustii (06/04).
2. CULTURAL BRASSERIE PROJECT: “Le tiroir des Saveurs”
Based in the heart of MCFA building, the cultural brasserie is the ideal place to nourish the body and the mind. In a warm and friendly setting, it offers local cuisine made up of local seasonal products and, if possible, organic and fair-trade as well as cultural events like “meals in the dark”, tango dance sessions, comedy evenings and many more.
Depending on the will and availability of the volunteer, it will be possible to work during the day or during events and perform this kind of tasks:
Welcoming the visitors and artists ; Service (bar and tables) ; Help in the kitchen ; setting-up and striking down the material for an event
3. VEGETABLE GARDEN PROJECT
In parallel, it is also possible to give a hand for practical tasks such as maintenance of the Vegetable Garden which contributes to social inclusion. If the volunteer is interested, they can also offer animation activities for the people with fewer opportunities who also participate in the maintenance of the garden daily.
4. ANIMATION PROJECTS
Creating, managing, animating and evaluating cultural actions.
Always depending on the volunteer’s interests, these are the concrete tasks to be performed with the support of the animation team:
Before the events take place: meeting the associative network and the social partners involved in the events; reflecting about the educational missions of the project; being actively involved in the process of collective co-creation; management of some administrative and communication tasks.
During the events: administrative tasks ; reception and ticketing ; installations just before the shows and exhibitions and striking down after ; co-facilitation of creative workshops and exhibition visits with children, teenagers and adults from different social backgrounds ; technical support for the animation of civic and artistic workshops (preparation of material and support to the public) ; photo-reportage ; collection of testimonials
After the events: organization of closing or evaluation evenings ; communication and production of a photo catalog of the achievements
The volunteer will be offered to take part in some specific events or visits, such as:
Particip’Art: a festive highlighting of the possible connections between the social and cultural sector. Through shows, films, conferences, exhibitions, meeting spaces, workshops, debates, artistic initiations, exchanges and various tools
Noël au Théâtre (= “Christmas at the theatre”) this festival is being performed in the 16 municipalities during the Christmas period. It creates a lively territory on a cultural point of view and reinforce the participatory dynamics of the local people in order to guarantee democratic access for all to culture.
3. Tout P’tit Festival (= “Tiny Festival”): during one month, shows, storytelling, concerts, parent-child workshops, exhibitions, documentaries and training are organized in order for young and old alike to taste the culture and awaken all their senses.
4. Exhibition visits and creative workshops linked to contemporary art and civic and collective expression
The volunteer will mainly work in the head-office in Marche-en-Famenne but will also participate in events taking place in other municipalities of the MCFA’s territory project, together with the teams.
Accommodation in Marche-en Famenne
The MCFA is located in Marche-en-Famenne, a 17 000 inhabitants town in the province of the Belgian Luxembourg. This unique situation will allow the volunteer to share the semi-rural life style of the area, but also to meet young people coming from different realities and horizons.
During their ESC volunteering activity, the volunteer will live and mostly work in Marche-en-Famenne. The town offers all modern facilities (shops, supermarkets, sport center, cinema….).
For the urban-life-style-lovers, it is however IMPORTANT to note that our town is located in a semi-rural area. Even if it is not far away from the biggest Belgian cities (57 km from Liège, 106 km from Brussels, 47 km from Namur) and well connected by train, Marche-en-Famenne can sometimes look remote and very quiet.
The volunteer will be in contact with other ESC volunteers being hosted in other projects in the municipality.
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 weekend.
The country - BELGIUM
Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg 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 white winter and warm and sunny summer… But be ready for grey skies at least for half part of the year.
But the Belgian population is usually warm. A lot of cultural and frees events in the streets happen during the year, which can make your journey in this little country fun and resourceful.
This project will be taking part 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, BEERS and FESTIVALS
- AREA: 30,518 sq km
- POPULATION: 11.492.641 million
- CAPITAL: Brussels (pop: 1.212.352)
- REGIONS: Flanders (North), Wallonia (South), Brussels – Capital
- COMMUNITIES: Flemish-, French- and German-speaking community
- LANGUAGE: Dutch (±59%), French (±37%) and German (±1%)
- CURRENCY: Euro
Practical arrangements
Working Hours
Working hours will be flexible and involve participation in evening events or meetings, as well as during weekends and school holidays. 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 38 hours a week (French lessons included). The volunteer will generally have two consecutive free days per week except for special events and has the right to two days of holiday per month.
Insurance
All participants in cross-border activities have to be covered, throughout the activity period, by the obligatory insurance plan (CIGNA) set up by the European Commission. This coverage is only complementary to the mandatory coverage of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which must be obtained prior to departure.
In certain cases, when national rules deprive participants from coverage under EHIC for the duration of the placement, CIGNA will provide full coverage. However, participants must provide proof that obtaining the EHIC in their case was not possible and they should contact their National Agency (NA) in order to seek tailored advice, for their specific circumstance. The participant must read carefully the insurance-related information found online here:
Accommodation
The volunteers will have a private room in a fully-equipped shared house in the city of Marche en Famenne, with other young people.
The volunteer will receive a monthly allowance and will take care of the meals on their own.
Language course
OLS+ French lesson: an online language course is provided as part of the project support from the Commission allocated on the basis of a level test to complete before the activity starts. The volunteer is also encouraged to join free French lessons given in the municipality or around.
Food
The volunteer will receive a budget and will take care of the meals on their own.
Pocket Money
Participation in the European Solidarity Corps is free of charge for the participant, except for exceptional contribution to travel costs. The volunteer will receive free board and lodging during the whole activity. In addition, they will receive a small allowance (pocket money) for personal expenses throughout the duration of the activity, including holidays.
Profile of the volunteer
- Age requirement to take part in ESC program: 18-30 years old
- Before departure, the volunteer should be in contact with a support (sending) organization in order to receive information and preparation. Lookup 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 cultural field, regardless of their nationality, religion, believes, diploma, professional experience.
Interested in the link between social inclusion and culture; local initiatives; responsible consumption
In order to get involved in the co-creation process and to be in contact with the public, we appreciate if they have some basic skills in French.
- We expect the volunteer to be open-minded, curious, enthusiastic, able to work in a team and to interface with different target groups, committed to working in a multicultural environment, willing to learn French and not afraid of getting their hands dirty by undertaking some practical tasks.
As the project revolves around social activities, and particularly close contact with children and young people, a certificate of good conduct is required as part of the application process
Gaëlle, volunteer at MCFA in 2020
How to apply ?
Deadline:22nd of August 2022 (11:59 PM) (Brussels time).
1. To join the European Solidarity Corps
programme, create a profile on the European Youth Portal (click
on “register” at the bottom) https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en
2. Find our project here and click on
“apply” HERE – To apply
3. Answer the questionnaire below (you will be asked to attach a CV at the end of the form
4. If you’re feeling creative, feel free to send us any additional material related to your application to esc@compagnonsbatisseurs.be (optional)
IMPORTANT: You have to apply through both the ESC portal and the form below in order for us to take your application into consideration. In the days following your application, we will contact the pre-selected volunteers for a zoom interview.