music fund project

Looking for one volunteer

Trip type

ESC Volunteering

City + Country

Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium

Dates of the next project

01 February 2024 – 31 January 2025

Deadline to apply

21st September 2023 (11:59 PM)

Hosting organisation : Music Fund

« Music Fund » is a non-profit association based in Belgium with 2 workshops and storage for musical instruments in Marche en Famenne, a town located in Wallonia (French speaking part of belgium). Its aim is to promote music as an instrument to develop social projects for young people, mostly in conflict zones and developing countries, with the slogan “Give music a chance”.

Another objective of MF is to work with music schools and improve their access to musical instruments globally. They work hard to develop a network of musical repair technicians and improve their abilities. Last, but not least, they facilitate the access of musical instruments to young musicians all around the world.

Through a network of organisations all around the world, they collect the instruments, repair them, and give them to communities for their socio-artistic projects and music schools in need.

Music Fund works on a global level and their musical instruments reached as far as Haiti, Mozambique, Morocco, Palestine, Congo, etc.

In Belgium, the team of MF helps young people who want to learn to play by providing them with a wide range of instruments. Through their expertise centre in Marche en Famenne and a warehouse in Jemelle, they are able to fulfil all the needs for local music schools and socio-artistic projects all around Belgium.

They recognised the need for musical therapy in specific groups such as youngsters with difficulties, inmates, refugees and they work closely with organisations aiming to help specific groups of people. To this day, Music Fund organised 18 successful sessions of instrument making for inmates of the Marche en Famene Prison Centre. They also donated and maintained instruments for Red Cross asylum seeker centres.

Organization of a few small-scale concerts, promotional events, stands on musical fairs are a part of their everyday activities. They promote solidarity, instrument donations and informing the general public about their work and how they can be involved with their projects.

Even though it’s only their third time hosting an ESC volunteer, they have years of experience hosting international volunteers and practitioners wiling to join this amazing cause! They are very excited to host a new volunteer in the small team ! Further information can be found at: https://musicfund.eu/qui-sommes-nous/lequipe/

CBB host around 25 international volunteers around Wallonia. The ESC team of CBB tries its best to connect this network of volunteers together through different collective activities, seminars etc…

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, camp leaders 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 a support organization is to:

Promote 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; preparation of activity agreement;
Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensures the participation in the NA seminars; organization of 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 volunteer will have the opportunity to participate in most of their activities taking place in the workshop and the warehouse: administrative and cultural. First weeks will mostly consist of showing the volunteer all the tasks that the organization is working on, so gradually they can participate more and more in all activities. Also, the volunteer will be greatly encouraged to create a personal project inside the organisation with support of the Music fund. The goal is to help the association in their daily tasks (in the atelier, warehouse and the main office), share their activities with the general public and help with punctual event organisation.

Activity: Logistics regarding the musical instruments

This part of the project will be done three to four times a week, divided in two locations: main Atelier of Music Fund in Marche en Famenne, and the organization’s warehouse in the town of Jemelle where volunteers will have to go by public transport.

Tasks will include:

Taking care of instruments; updating the instrument database (Excel sheet); delivering them for the projects; organizing the stock in the warehouse; be actively involved in the improvement of the storage; labelling and distribution processes.
Helping with the organisation of workshops and musical concerts in Marche (about ten each year).
Helping with the stand during events: festivals, music fairs, music weekends, etc…
Helping the organization put in place a project called “Music Fund repair challenge”.

Activity: preparation of the 20th-anniversary of Music Fund in 2025

Depending on the interests and skills, the volunteer will be asked to support the team in the preparation and coordination of a series of events that will take place during 2025: research and contacts with artists for concerts; creation of recycled pieces of art; documentary capsules; promotion of these events ….and many other things to come.

Personal activity:

MF team encourages the volunteer to propose a personal touch, by proposing new ideas that would contribute to the general missions of the association (ex: upcycling projects with old instruments; art works with recycled material; positive visibility of the logistical work;…).
The volunteer will also have the possibility to learn and discover in the field of international cooperation in the frame of the organization of workshops in Belgium and abroad with different international partners.

Collective activities with other ESC volunteers :

Volunteer gatherings and activities will be planned in order for the European Solidarity Corps to gain visibility and encourage cooperation between local associations through cultural events. This experience will allow the volunteer to enlarge his cultural and social scope, improve his teamwork skills, learn and discover cultural activities, practice French and spend time taking care of instruments, organising events and taking care of the communication for the organization.

Accommodation in Marche-en-Famenne

The Music fund project allows the volunteer to move around the Wallonia region, giving them a chance to discover one of the most picturesque parts of Belgium. The atelier of the Music fund and the main part of the project is located within 5 minutes of walking distance from the house in Marche-en-Famenne, a small charming town in the province of Luxembourg. Even though the population of the town is about 17000 people, volunteers can find everything they need here: supermarkets, shopping area, bars, restaurants, cinema, sport centre, occasional festivals and carnivals but also lots of forests and hiking trails for nature lovers.

The volunteer must appreciate living in a small town which will be resourceful, quieter and will give you a break from your usual routine.

Depending on the wishes of the volunteer, there is possibility to work occasionally in the office in Brussels.

The village Jemelle

The warehouse of the organisation is located in Jemelle, just a short train/bus ride away from Marche (the point on the map). Jemelle is very close to Rochefort and both towns are surrounded by amazing nature that can be discovered by taking one of the many hiking trails in that region.

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 to grey sky at least a half part of the year.

But the belgian population are usually warm. A lot of cultural and free EVENT in the street happen during the year, which brings your journey in this little country fun and interesting.

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: 11.420.163 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 days will be from Monday to Friday. You will work no more than six hours per day. It can also involve occasional participation in the evenings and weekend events according to the schedule of the concerts, stands and other activities MF offers during the year. Days off will compensate for the extra shift hours if necessary, to keep an average of 38 hours a week (French lesson included).

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.

Accomodation

The volunteers will have a private room in a fully-equipped shared house in the city of Marche en Famenne, with other ESC volunteers.

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.

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.

Profile of the volunteer

Aged 18-30 years old
Our project is open to anybody motivated by volunteering and who wishes to be involved in the organization and working in the field of culture, regardless of their nationality, religion, beliefs, diploma, professional experience.
The volunteer should be interested in manual work, DIY and in giving ideas about how to improve the management of the stocks (shelving, storage, etc).
As the activities of the project will involve working with different age groups, organizing and follow-up musical concerts and some administrative activities, we expect the volunteer to be very motivated to join the activity, to be open-minded, creative, autonomous and proactive about their project.
The volunteer should not be afraid of punctually working alone (small team), spending time outside and appreciate the contact with nature.
The volunteer is advised to have basic skills in French, to be able to fully engage with the activities and the lifestyle.
Please consider that your project involves constant movement between different cities in the country. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on public transport.
Volunteers with basic musical education are encouraged to apply (but it is not compulsory).
Before departure, you will have to find a support/sending organisation to receive information and preparation
> Look up for a support organisation in your region via this link

Slava, volunteer at Music Fund 2022-2023

Hey! My name is Slava, I just finished my 12 months volunteer project at Music Fund Belgium and I am going to share with you some brightest results!

1) I’ve learned a lot of new things about musical instruments, and now I can easily speak about guitar construction.
2) I knew many facts about Belgium, but when I just arrived I didn’t know that Wallonia exists and there are 3 official languages in Belgium.
3) I’ve learned French from zero level to B1-B2, and now I can even make a guided tour in this language.
4) I’ve travelled a lot this year, I’ve visited 7 new countries!
5) I made the exhibition of musical instruments, it was a personal project and around 500 people visited this exhibition!
6) I met a lot of people from different countries of the world and I became more open to new things and less critical to others.

I recommend you participate in ESC projects, it was one of the best experiences in my life!

Céleste, volunteer at Music Fund 2021-2022

How to apply ?

Deadline: 21st September at 11:59 p.m. (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”).
And apply for the activity: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/placement/37040_en

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 interview.

ESC Music Fund / Apply form and motivation letter (2)

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
PNR*
If you already have it: it’s a super long number you receive when you get registered into the PASS.
Birthdate*
Day
Month
Year
Phone number*
Current address*
Street Address City ZIP / Postal Code Country
Email adress*
Do you need a visa for this project ?*
Languages spoken*
Please specify which level you have whenever possible
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+?*
- YES
- NO
If yes, what was it and for how long ?
Sending organization (Name, Accreditation or PIC number, post address, phone number, contact person’s name and email address)*
What are your (long term) travel experiences?*

Long term

Short term