Project environment:
Imágenes y Palabras is a cultural association looking for alternatives for its direct surroundings: the rural area, which is undergoing the consequences of depopulation and abandonment. Our association acts in the scope of art and culture and we believe that the process of creation and debate is important, so as to not forget the past with a view to the future and to the redefinition of the rural environment in this world that is exceedingly urbanized. We dedicate ourselves to organising cultural activities, looking for the direct implication of the observer and, if the activity allows it, make him a direct contributor (for example: aid scarecrow contest). In the Collective Factory we offer space for artistic production. The Cultural Centre aims at being an alternative of leisure in the region, for residents, summer vacationers and people visiting the centre.
The Aldea del Portillo de Busto is a small town with very few inhabitants, located at the north of the province of Burgos, at a crossroads in the heart of the Montes Obarenes Natural Park, about 70 kilometres from the capital of the province. Unfortunately, the great number of almost abandoned towns characterizes this region. There are many towns similar to Aldea and the people that remain there are old. The low economic activity that remains is extensive agriculture (wheat, sunflower and potatoes) and the tourist industry in summer. Visitors are mainly Spanish, called "veraneantes": they have their own house where they spend the summer and weekends in their native town. As it has been declared a natural park, the affluence of public to the area will surely increase, as will the demand of cultural elements and leisure in our region.
We are all volunteers in Imágenes y Palabras. Some members live in the La Aldea del Portillo de Busto. Others are spending the summer in the region, interested in our activities, or artists participating, generally free, in the exhibitions organised by the Association. Given the geographic location of our Association, a small town in isolated surroundings, the coexistence is narrow and the personal relations make up an important of the project. All prepare lunch together. The volunteers who will have all necessary ingredients and the infrastructure prepare breakfast and supper. The volunteers have their own house, with bed, shower, bath and kitchen. Each EVS volunteer his own room. We hope that the volunteers help in organising daily life: cleaning, maintaining the orchard, the kitchen, etc.
The houses in the town do not have the commodities to which most young people are used to. The heating is based on wood, water is heated with gas bottles,... We have to live with the means at our hand: no more, no less.
Although our project is not a "typical EVS project" we do think that we offer a unique and authentic experience for those young people who are interested in living in a rural area and with contact with a cultural and artistic scope. The experiences that we have had until now with volunteers, both from EVS as those who have come through other organisations, confirm this.



Proposed activities for EVS volunteers


The volunteers will participate in the activities of Imágenes y Palabras , that will include, maintenance of the"El Hacedor" cultural center and collective workshop and in the organisation of cultural activities started by the association
ACTIVITIES
In general, the work consists in the maintenance of the building (building work, organisation of spaces, care of tools, cleaning,...) and in the exhibitions (interior and exterior) at Aldea del Portillo de Busto. These works also include: guiding visitors; help with the organisation of workshops and courses, organisation of cultural activities at the headquarters (cinema, lectures, poetry readings , debates, meetings...); helping at the bar; maintenance of the web page; poster and brochure design, setting up exhibitions in other places; activities in other towns, etc.
Working in a town requires physical efforts: for work related with the maintenance of a folk's building, through the vegetable garden, the space around us, cutting wood and organising provisions for the winter. We try to balance maintenance and rehabilitation tasks and those related with the organisation of cultural activities (carried out mainly in Summer). Tasks are adapted to the qualities, skills and interests of volunteers.
In our organisation, volunteers may feel really useful because their presence increases the work capacity of the organisation. Being a small organisation, there are many opportunities to start individual projects and initiatives. The activities are very varied and are done in tight collaboration between all of us.

LEARNING
Volunteers will actively participate in the organisation of cultural activities and know all the elements this entails. En "El Hacedor", los voluntarios tienen gran oportunidad de conocer diferentes herramientas, su utilidad y manejo. Trabajando con Imágenes y Palabras y tomando en cuenta el carácter de nuestra Asociación, los voluntarios conocerán con profundidad toda la comarca: los pueblos, sus gentes, los hábitos, la cultura,… y estarán rápidamente integrados en ella. Además viven codo-a-codo con voluntarios procedentes de distintos países lo que incrementa su experiencia intercultural. El hecho de estar en un pueblo pequeño con tan poca gente y sin servicios, lleva consigo un aprendizaje intensivo de convivencia. Los voluntarios aprenden a vivir con escasos medios y a compartir y organizar la vida diaria entre ellos: el trabajo, el tiempo libre, las comidas, etc.

Esperamos de todos los voluntarios una actitud activa y abierta; los invitamos a proponer actividades e ideas, siempre en estrecha colaboración con la organización y dentro de las posibilidades que esta tenga.
Sobre todo en los ámbitos artísticos y medio-ambientales hay muchas posibilidades para el desarrollo de actividades propias para los voluntarios. Ejemplos son: organización de concurso de tizas para niños; realización de obras artísticas, experimentando nuevos materiales y nuevas dimensiones; exposiciones individuales; producciones colectivas, combinando e intercambiando disciplinas, técnicas e ideas (teatro, música, malabarismo, instalaciones, performances, …); creación de semilleros en la huerta ecológica; construcción de un mini-invernadero.

El/la voluntari@ que trabaje en la Aldea del Portillo de Busto conocerá de cerca y con mucha profundidad las ventajas y las desventajas de la vida moderna en el medio rural.


Profile of the volunteer(s) and selection process:

We look for volunteers who are prepared to deeply involve themselves in a local development project, in an isolated countryside, having cultural and artistic interests, open to intercultural dialogue. Willing to construct with his/her own hands, literally, an open space of coexistence and culture, which acts as a dynamising and transforming element of a rural space. We are specially intersested in receiving youth with artistic concerns and/or from similar regions to ours.
Due to the character of our organisation and process, recruitment is an individual process. We first get in touch with volunteers, and then with the sending organisations.
We will answer all volunteers who show interest in participating in our organisation. We will be in contact until we find the person whose profile adjusts best to the needs of the project, in order to ensure the success of the exchange as much as possible. We use questionnaires and send up-dated information about the project and the foreseen activities. If possible, we will put new volunteers in contact with ex-volunteers, so they can exchange information.

We are preferably looking for sending organisations who work in the area of culture, either in the city or rural areas, so that the collaboration, on the basis of common interests and in the more projects that just the exchange of volunteers.

Unfortunately, we cannot host people with fewer opportunities, though this is a good frame to host specific collectives, for example, ex-prisoners who have to integrate in society of people with a special need to be away from urban centres.
Our environment does not allow to host people with physical disabilities, both due to the work, as for the infrastructures of the town.

Number of volunteers hosted: 4


Prevention of risks, security and protection:

Organisation, general: We have an insurance for civil responsibility.

EVS work: all volunteers will receive working clothes (overalls) and security material (gloves, helmet, shoes,..) according to needs. Before using specific machines or tools, their use, security measures and risks will be explained.

Co-existence: due to the small size of our town, co-existence between volunteers and staff is very close. We will try to keep a continuous dialogue through formal and informal meetings. Usually, this avoids conflicts. In case of conflict, we will sit together and search solutions, hoping to find satisfactory results for all parts.