ESC vacancies at Boutique da Cultura, Lisbon, Portugal

Associação Spin, acting as the Coordinating Organization, is currently looking for 2 ESC volunteers for a project with our local partner Boutique da Cultura.

Hosting Organization: Boutique da Cultura
Coordinating Organization: Associação Spin
Activity start date: 1st October 2020
Activity end date: 30st September 2021
Activity duration: 12 months
Vacancies: 2 (for candidates residing in EU or EFTA countries)
Application deadline: August 9^th, 2020
Application consists of: filling this Google form + CV, motivation letter and small presentation about an activity (more information below)
Application sent to: evs.boutique@a-spin.pt

Boutique da Cultura is a Portuguese non-profit association founded in 2013. Its main aim is to promote culture in its diverse forms of expression. The regular activities include creation, preparation and implementation of theatre plays, dance shows, concerts, photo exhibitions, cultural trips, workshops for families and training courses on cultural and artistic topics. Each cultural show/project may be designed for a specific audience or be for all general public to attend. The organization’s underlying purpose is to include all sorts of public in all our regular activities.

The organization works with an array of local partners in diverse areas. At the moment, Boutique da Cultura is in the process of creating the House of Arts of Carnide, while also managing two ongoing projects: an “Art Incubator” and a “Solidarity Library”.

PROPOSED VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:

• Preparing and setting up cultural exhibitions/events: host the artists/authors, take care of the specific arrangements for the setting, create posters and flyers, prepare openings, host the exhibitions for general public;
• Support in the management of the  “House of Arts of Carnide”, which include the projects “Art’s Incubator” and “Solidarity Library”, together with the coordinating team;
• Support to the production of theatre plays, dance shows and concerts: taking care of the stage, scenarios, costumes, create media materials for promotion and dissemination (videos, photos, posters, flyers);
• Support organization and implementation of parties and workshops: suggest and implement ESC volunteer’s own ideas for events, support the organization and logistics of parties and workshops for general public;
• Support in researching and arranging itineraries for cultural visits, selecting and preparing the groups for departure and set up meetings for evaluation and exchange of contacts/photos and socialization;
• Front office and back office work: reply to requests of information of general public, preparing press releases, help in ticket management, contacts with artists, creation of invitations for public authorities and local partners, etc.

All these activities and tasks are aimed at providing the best cultural option at the best possible social price (if possible, even for free) for the local community in order to tackle ignorance and contribute to social inclusion. “People with culture are free people (…)” was said by Angel Ganivet and it is also the belief of the Boutique da Cultura. By providing all sorts of artistic and cultural high-quality options to all audiences, with special attention to the integration of people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the organization aims at broadening of horizons and stimulating the active participation and citizenship among the local population.

LOGISTICS & PRACTICAL INFO:

• Travel cost – The two-way travel (from place of residence to Lisbon and back) will be reimbursed up to the limit of 275€ (180€ for volunteers coming from cities close to the Portuguese border); volunteers facing economic obstacles will be able to request a higher limit, depending on their country of residence.
• Accommodation – The coordinating organization, Associação Spin, will provide the lodging in a flat as close to the office and the city centre as possible. If the apartment is in the city centre, the volunteers will spend around 45 minutes to reach the office by bus and subway. The volunteers will have to share the room with another volunteer/student/young person (room and connected expenses are paid by Associação Spin). They may also – if so, wished by the volunteer – receive a monthly accommodation allowance and be solely responsible for finding and paying for their own accommodation.
• Food & transportation – A monthly allowance of 180€ will be provided by Associação Spin to cover food expenses and local public transportation.
• Pocket money – Every month the volunteer will receive 150€ as pocket money.
• Working hours – The volunteers are expected to spend 30-35 hours a week working. The daily timetable includes time for language learning, lunch, social activities and development of own project ideas, etc.
• Days off – Volunteers are entitled to two days off per week (which sometimes may not be Saturday or Sunday) as well as 2 extra days of vacation for every month of their voluntary work.

VOLUNTEERS’ PROFILE: WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for young motivated volunteers aged 18-30, open minded, eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles, as well as to participate in the project activities in the local community. It is not required to have any particular degree of formal education, but to have positive and proactive attitude, show tolerance, flexibility, motivation and enthusiasm. We encourage applications especially from youngsters available to commit to a long-term experience of volunteer work abroad and willing to know more about the social and cultural work developed in a special community of Lisbon, Carnide. We will give some priority to candidates who have at least a basic level of Portuguese, however it’s not a requirement for the application.

All candidates must be registered with the European Solidarity Corps.

SELECTION PROCESS:

In order to be considered for the vacancies, each candidate has to fill this Google form and send (in only 1 single e-mail):

1. up-to-date CV,
2. project-specific Motivation Letter
3. presentation about an idea/activity you would like to implement at Boutique da Cultura (you can do the presentation in a video, poster, prezi, be as creative as possible! )

The complete applications (CV + project-specific Motivation Letter + presentation) should be sent to evs.boutique@a-spin.pt no later than on August 9^th, 2020.

FINAL REMARKS (please read carefully):

• this project is already approved by the ESC Program;
• this is an open call with no assigned sending/supporting organizations (we will partner up with the sending organizations of the selected volunteers);
• candidates residing in EU or EFTA countries may apply;
• please make sure you are registered with the European Solidarity Corps;
• we only accept complete applications that contain all the required documents;
• In this selection process priority will be given to candidates whose profile is well-suited to the proposed activities and who can be considered fewer opportunities candidates;
• due to the high number of candidates, we are only able to contact the short-listed candidates (in order to invite them for a brief Skype interview);
• all the other candidates will be informed about the selection results by September 10^th through our website.

GOOD LUCK!