Annual One Caucasus Festival is an interdisciplinary festival and a long-term borderland program that first took place in Georgia in 2014. The event is located in the region Marneuli, Kvemo-Kartli, at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is a non-profit, free-admission initiative.

Updated 2024 🎉 Volunteer at the One Caucasus Festival in Georgia this year! Join us and work with diverse cultures!

• 🎨Explore creative education, multimedia art, and participatory architecture!
• 🎉Co-create with us the biggest interdisciplinary music festival in Tserakvi!

🗓️When?

• We are looking for people to participate in a long-term program (6-25 August) or a short-term program (19-25 August).

The organisation covers accommodation and 3 meals/day in Tserakvi only!

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 architecture students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Poland and Tunisia together (with other volunteers) designed and constructed unique One Caucasus Town each year called Not-Perfect Town of Our Dreams (6 editions). The materials used for each year are stored and used to construct the next year’s town.
• Around 10,000+ people attended the One Caucasus Festival.

What type of host are you?

• Organization/NGO

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 meetings 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, and design a multifunctional One Caucasus Town. Made out of stored wood and recycling materials “Not perfect town of our dreams” – a functional, unique festival venue with no rented pavilions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_v_y9bjjpx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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 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.

Children 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!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OxzF0jma2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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.
• The International Volunteer Program in Tserakvi starts at 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 online hours, days and amount of tasks will be discussed in advance and if need 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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1L0KyqDl8i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Volunteers’ benefits:

•  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 from spending time with others, and 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 ideas and learning from each other
• Certificate of participation stating the position(s) assigned/performed during the festival and program

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1GaHqiCL51/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

What to do in your free time

Join jam sessions with musicians and activities organized by other volunteers, swim in the 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 📧🔍

To take part in the call for co-creators, it is obligatory to fill in the application form:👉Infopack, application form and contact details: https://www.onecaucasus.org/news/338-co-create-2024

General contact:
E-mail: onecaucasusfestival@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OneCaucasus

Hostname: One Caucasus Festival and Program
Host Email: onecaucasusfestival@gmail.com

GO TO FESTIVALS section  🎉

See the volunteering opportunities in Georgia 🇬🇪