Creative Corners

Community Arts Project in a Stunning Beach Town

Costa 3

Project

This project is situated in the stunning Puerto Viejo de Limon, Costa Rica.

This wonderful beach town on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica holds many surprises. With its laid back attitude and Caribbean life style there’s still plenty to do when you are not volunteering, take long walks along pristine beaches, experience the exotic flora and fauna, go mountain biking, kayaking surfing, snorkeling or diving among the many reefs in the crystal clear waters or discover the culture of the local indigenous people.

Currently, the south Caribbean is undergoing rapid development, where tourism is increasingly taking over the lives of the people and this project sees the importance of establishing creative activities with the local children in their spare time so to deter them from the problems that rapid tourism sometimes brings – such as involvement in drugs or alcohol.

The project aims to create an alternative to leisure activities to the children of the village by offering creative workshops and arts activities where they can develop their creative abilities and imagination through diverse activities while at the same time developing an understanding of ecology and conservation of their environment and helping the development and integration of the community.

Other projects currently in Puerto Viejo which you can work on also include:

1- Sea Heart Kindergarten: This kindergarten is a small, local and waldorf-inspired kindergarten currently serving 10 kids in the black beach community (500 mts away from Puerto Viejo centre). It was initiated by parents who wanted an alternative, arts based local program for their kids that included contact with nature and incorporated local and natural elements in general. The age range is between 2.5 and 6 yrs old, and projects they are currently working on include fixing up the front yard and building structures such as: monkey bars, sandbox, etc. There is a large wall that could be made into a mural, working with clay and beeswax, watercolours and other materials, building and planting garden beds, etc. are some other potential activities for creative hands! ,

2- A botanical garden and farm which regularly puts on "fiestas" for local kids in the Puerto Viejo area, usually getting around 30 kids or so to attend! School holidays are a good time to plan some extra activities during that time!

3- There is also a local recycling association, and there is always an interest to promote art and useful crafts using recycled materials.

4 - The Puerto Viejo public elementary school is also being renovated and a whole new structure is going up with mosaic and art jobs needed for it as well as more general labour.

Why we need you

To run the workshops! The space is there – the children are keen and there is support for you to get started. We need volunteers with creative abilities and ideas of working with the children in a creative but informal way. Activities would most likely take place in the afternoons when the children have finished school.

The other activities in the local schools and pre-school love having creative volunteers to join them and share their skills or work as assistants.

Other possibilities include:

• Organise sports activities and football competitions.

• Start a Community Newsletter

• Run photography workshops

• Organise theatre and art workshops

• Run raise-funding activities

• Paint a mural

Price

• One month £695
• Two months £995
• Each additional month £350

What’s included

• Organised accommodation in a local volunteer house.

• Comprehensive travel and medical insurance

• Quality pre-departure information, visa advice

Skills needed

• Basic Spanish preferred or be willing to learn before you go! (although many of the community speak some english) Spanish is not necessary if you wish to work in the preschool or work as an assistant.

• Ability to relate to small and/or school aged children and organise workshops, games and extra-curricular activities

• Be able to work independently without supervision.

• Initiative, flexibility and enthusiasm.

• An appreciation of bugs, insects, nature and animals!

Have a look at some photos from Puerto Viejo...