Annual One Caucasus International Festival is an interdisciplinary festival and a long-term borderland program that first took a place in Georgia in 2014. The event is located in a region Marneuli, Kvemo-Kartli, at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is non-profit, free admission initiative.
In times of COVID-19, we organized specific call for One Caucasus 2020 which predicts options of contributing/volunteering also fully or partly on-line depending on the upcoming situation. However, the same as previous years we will have 5 teams again:
- 1. Workshops Team (Education and Art)
- 2. Participatory Architecture & Construction Team
- 3. Festival Information, Promotion and Documentation Team
- 4. Cooking for One Caucasus Team
- 5. Logistics & Organization Support Team
One Caucasus 2014-2019 in numbers:
- More than 300 volunteers from 36 countries came for One Caucasus International Volunteer Program to work in many international task teams to create One Caucasus Festival and Educational Program.
- 431 musicians (individual musicians and 63 bands & collectives) from at least 17 countries created together 32 new international music projects and performed @ One Caucasus Festival. (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Barbados, France, Georgia, Germany, Iran, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Scotland, Senegal, UK, Ukraine, USA and more)
- 71 different workshops/cycles of workshops were led by educators coming from 33 countries (4 continents) for more than 1020 persons (especially kids and youth) from 23 villages and towns (Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Greek and Armenian-Azerbaijani) of Kvemo-Kartli region.
- Architects and students of architecture from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Poland and Tunisia that together (with other volunteers) designed and constructed each year unique One Caucasus Town called also Not-Perfect Town of Our Dreams (6 editions). The materials used for each year are stored and used to construct next year’s town.
- Around 10 000+ people attended the One Caucasus Festival
What type of host are you?
One Caucasus Festival brings together musicians, artists, architects, educators and volunteers from all over the world who work directly with communities (especially youth) from Kvemo-Kartli. Region of Georgia where multiethnic groups coexist in peace for decades (Armenians, Azerbaijani, Greeks, Georgians).
What’s the mission of your community?
The aim is to create a safe space to foster meeting of representatives of the entire Caucasus region as well as the rest of the world. It is a place to use creativity and co-creation processes, build a common understanding between people from different backgrounds including those from conflicted countries. We put together a variety of people to deal with different tasks and this pushes the need for communication = dialogue. Every year we create 5 teams of volunteers to cover every aspect of the Festival and Program. For example, the Architecture & Construction Team needs to plan, design a multifunctional One Caucasus Town. Made out of stored wood and recycling materials “Not perfect town of our dreams” – functional, unique festival venue with no rented pavilions.
Volunteers do not only help but most of all work together with professionals and experts, learn by doing and contribute with their knowledge and experiences to actually make the festival happen. The same applies to participants (youth from local villages) who are not only an audience/students but also co-produce/co-create: films, performances, installations and other art pieces based on local heritage/legends, the potential of the region and their own.
Childen work with educators and volunteers with professional equipment and techniques during pre-festival days.
Every year we need around 50 volunteers to proceed with the festival and program.
**For 2020 due to pandemic there are 3 options we consider:
- a) Meeting in Georgia/Tserakvi in August,
- b) Meeting in Georgia/Tsrakvi in August + Organizing activities on-line
- c) Organizing activities on-line (only)
We will adjust action with respect to the globally changing situation.
How many volunteers could you host?
Other (specify in the general info)
When would you need volunteers?
Depending on the pandemic. In Georgia – all August / On-line: From June till the end of the year (amount of time and period of work will depend on the Team)
How many hours of help per day?
Hours and time will depend on:
- Final festival frame with respect to safety measures due to pandemic
- Assigned team
- Personal abilities
- Main work is around 4-8 hours a day.
- International Volunteer Program in Tserakvi starts in the beginning of August till the end of the month including the pre-festival program and main festival days. Approx. 3 weeks.
If the festival will be organized partly/fully on-line hours, days and amount of tasks will be discussed in advance and if needs adjustment will be rediscussed on the go.
Are accommodation and food included?
Yes, we offer food and accommodation
What type of accommodation can you provide?
- Dormitory/shared rooms
- Tent
- Others (please, specify in general info)
If we meet in Tserakvi we have for our disposal local school which every year becomes our temporary home. Within the last 6 years, we tried to renovate it as much as possible as in the beginning it was very damaged. Now we have working toilets/showers/ electricity (only sometimes there are cuts) and we even built wooden beds (other years we all slept on the mattress directly on the floor). However, we also have tents! So you can either sleep in the school or in a tent.
Online volunteering
Online volunteers will not be provided with accommodation or food coverage.
Fees transparency
- Volunteers must cover their own travel expenses.
- There are no participation fees. If you are selected to become an OC Volunteer we are glad to have you on board and we will not charge you to attend our International Volunteers Program!
VISA – could you provide Visa support/info/invitation letters?
No! we cannot help with Visa/invitation letters – similar requests will be ignored.
Volunteers’ benefits:
- ย Experience of working with professionals and experts
- Chance to become a team member of one of the most unique festivals in the entire Caucasus region
- Unforgettable memories and meaningful time in the beautiful country of Georgia/Tserakvi
- A lot of inspiration spending time with others, carefully selected team members from all over the world
- Discovering local culture and heritage from inside as well as enjoying stunning nature and richness of the region
- Possibility of implementation of Your own ideas and learning from each other
- Certificate of participation stating the position(s) assigned/performed during the festival and program
What to do in the free time
Join jam session with musicians and activities organized by other volunteers, swim in Sioni river, go for a walk in the village and make friends with locals, enjoy regional food and drinks, go sightseeing, hiking, walks in nature, organize evening bonfire, do sports, relax on a hammock, get creative with other volunteers.
Language
English is the main working language. Due to the specification of participants, we are organizing activities for: Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani or Russian language may be needed – depending on tasks and the team.
Geography
In August the weather is mostly warm and sunny with unexpected rains and storms. Tserakvi is placed in the borderland region of Georgia (between Armenia and Azerbaijan), surrounded by nature and mountains.
How to get to your site
Any suitable way of transport depending on where you are coming from. We do organize pickups from Tbilisi (capital of Georgia), from and to the festival venue.
Location:
Tserakvi, Marneuli district, Kvemo-Kartli region, Georgia, Caucasus, Eurasia
Google Coordinates: 41.290957, 44.658660 (copy and paste into Google maps search)
Is there internet access?
Yes!
CONTACT DETAILS
In order to take part in the call for co-creators, it is obligatory to fill in the application form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3_dBvPbcs_HBAELkoijxjK1goW2OXJVAo5c_NKw__SHZF2g/viewform
General contact:
E-mail: onecaucasusfestival@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OneCaucasus
Hostname: One Caucasus Festival and Program
Host Email: onecaucasusfestival@gmail.com
Check our disclaimer regardingย COVID-19
GO TO FESTIVALS section
See the volunteering opportunities in Georgia section
