ΡΟΥΜΑΝΙΑ

YAP Romania

RO 02 CLUJ-NAPOCA 15/7 29/7 SOCI 15
RO 03 CLUJ-NAPOCA 30/7 13/8 SOCI 15
RO 04 CLUJ-NAPOCA 14/8 28/8 SOCI 15
RO 05 CLUJ-NAPOCA 29/8 12/9 SOCI 15
We tend to conjure up a grim image of Romanian orphanages. Some of them are still pretty grim but there has been a great improvement in political, social and in the pubic opinion aspects.
The plight of Romanian orphans was well documented during the early 1990’s by the international media, highlighting the need for the international community to respond to the problems of the large numbers of orphans in the country. Thirteen years on, there remain a large number of orphans in Romania but their living conditions have greatly improved mostly due to the help of different organizations and more recently because of new regulations in the field of child protection.
WORK: the volunteers will spend time with the kids organizing different activities, games, contests, day trips outside Cluj, trying to compensate the lack of possibility for these children to go on holiday.
ACCOMODATION: In the University campus.
LOCATION: Cluj Napoca is one of the biggest cities of Romania, in the very hart of Transylvania. The University of Cluj is the second big university in the country. The town ideally combines tradition (Napoca was a roman fortress) and modernity (currently it is the financial center of Transylvania). Population: (1997 estimation) 332,297. Distance from Bucharest: 440 km, distance from Budapest: 404km.
LANGUAGE OF THE CAMP: English
EXTRA FEE: 50 EURO

RO 06 SIGHISOARA July* ARTS 15
The summer camp is meant to young people interested in theatre and students of acting from all around Europe and it aims to investigate the young people’s communication resources, the physical incarnation of the young individual's power of playing according to the Commedia dell'arte's patterns.
Commedia dell'arte is an improvised form of popular comedy, a seminal influence in European theatre, originating in northern Italy in the 1550s and flourishing for 200 years. The form was highly successful in France, where it became known as the Comedie-Italienne. Elements of the form were incorporated into the English harlequinade. It is thought to have originated in the middle Ages in Italy when regional dialect farces were performed. Professional companies arose which recruited wandering players and acrobats, and then experimented with forms they hoped would appeal to popular taste. Commedia characters spread throughout Europe, and troupes played not only in the streets but also in the noble courts. Commedia influenced everything from Turkish puppet theatre to the plays of Shakespeare and Moliere.
WORK: Professional actors and teachers will provide an intensive training on Commedia dell’ arte patterns during the 1st edition of the YAP COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE SUMMER CAMP. Mask crafting techniques will be taught in a specialized workshop during the whole period of the summer camp. The masks will be used in final representations within the popular Medieval Art Festival in Sighisoara that gathers thousand of tourists. The plays are to be prepared by the participants with the help of their trainers by using the learned skills and acting techniques.
ACCOMODATION: youth hostels
LOCATION: A European treasure, Sighisoara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on the Tarnava Mare River, the town was built by Saxons between the 12th and 17th centuries. Eleven towers guard Sighisoara's walls, among them Tailors' Tower and Shoemakers" Tower. In the 15th century, the famous Vlad the Impaler was born in one of Sighisoara's more stately houses; near his house is the Torture Instruments Museum. The churches counter his torturous image, however, as does the town's motto: "The name of God is the strongest tower.” Population: (1997 estimate) 30,000.
LANGUAGE OF THE CAMP: English
EXTRA FEE: 50 EURO

RO 07 CLUJ-NAPOCA July * SOCI 15
RO 08 BISTRITA * SOCI 15
RO 09 BISTRITA * RENO 15
RO 10 BUCURESTI * RENO 15

* Information about dates and activities will be sent later

MTP

MTPRO-01 Romanian Open Championship 3/9-16/9
Type: organising an international dance competition
Volunteers: 6 (3 female, 3 male)
Location: Oradea, Western Romania
Train station: Oradea.
Description of the camp: The volunteers will assist the organisers of the Romanian Open Championship - an IDSF international open competition (Standard and Latin dances) that brings within one competition the top 50 dance couples in the world and over 800 dancers from 19 countries! Pictures taken at the last year’s competition plus images from Oradea are posted at www.romanianopen.ro. The event will take place between 11 and 12 of September in the Sport Hall of Oradea.
Before the event volunteers will explore the area. Tasks of the volunteers will include: preparing the sport hall for the competition (laying the dance floor, placing the decorations, the tables around the dance floor, the electric, lightning and music system etc), cleaning the floors, the tables during the competition, secretariat tasks (displaying the results of the competition), preparing the prize awarding of the dancers (bringing the podium, the cups and diplomas), prepare the coffee, serving refreshments to the referees, communicating with the referees. Due to the high standards of the competition the organisers require the volunteers to be open minded, active, armed with patience, a lot of attention, caring, good listener and excellent executor of given tasks. During the competition the volunteers must wear formal dress (shirt - not T-shirt, tie, trousers, skirt - no jeans or shorts, dark closed shoes - not sport shoes).
After the competition is ended the volunteers will help dismantling the whole sport hall and dance ring (clean, pack and deposit all the materials and furniture used in the competition). When work is over, the last days will be for relaxing in the nature (hiking, swimming in thermal waters spa). Volunteers will also learn basic dance steps in Latin American and Standard dances.
Accommodation: in a 2 star hotel in Baile Felix spa, at 7 km away from Oradea. The organisers arrange local transports.