This 2022 call was originally shared in our Facebook volunteer community by Gina and has now been updated as an archived Voluntouring.org listing.

Creative volunteer project in Serbia at House of Urnebes

Creative volunteer project in Serbia – House of Urnebes is a cultural and artistic space in Smederevo, Serbia. The original 2022 volunteer call invited a small group of people to help transform an empty house into a mixed-use space for artists, travellers and the local community.

The project was called the Interior Design Colony. It brought together volunteers interested in design, renovation, decoration, cultural exchange and creative collaboration. The aim was to help prepare a house that would include a coffee shop, hostel dorm rooms, an art studio and a community lounge.

Because the original dates are now past, this page should not be read as a currently open application. It is still useful as an example of the kind of creative volunteer project that can appear on Voluntouring.org: practical, artistic, community-based and connected to a real cultural space.

What the original Interior Design Colony was about

The 2022 Interior Design Colony invited up to five volunteers to spend around two and a half weeks in Smederevo. Participants were asked to help design, renovate and decorate different parts of House of Urnebes, bringing ideas, energy and practical creativity into the space.

What volunteers helped with

This kind of creative volunteer project can include many different tasks, depending on the needs of the host and the skills of the participants. In the original House of Urnebes call, volunteers were invited to help with the design and decoration of several areas:

• a coffee shop;
• five hostel dorm rooms;
• an art studio;
• a community lounge.

The work was not presented as a professional construction job. The host described the ideal participants as creative and adventurous people with an eye for design, including beginners, professionals and people somewhere in between. More specialized work, such as plumbing or electrical tasks, was to be handled with local workers where needed.

Who this kind of project may suit

A creative volunteer project in Serbia like this may suit people who enjoy practical design, repurposing materials, decorating shared spaces, working in a team and contributing to a place with a cultural purpose. It can be interesting for artists, designers, makers, travellers with hands-on skills, photographers, mural painters, musicians or people who simply enjoy creative community spaces.

In the original call, House of Urnebes also made clear that applicants did not necessarily need to be professional artists. The project was open to people from different backgrounds, as long as they were motivated, respectful and interested in collaborative work.

About House of Urnebes

House of Urnebes was created as a space for intercultural communication and artistic collaboration. The wider idea was to combine hospitality, art, music, community events and creative exchange in one place. The house was intended to become a gathering place where artists and travellers could meet, create, collaborate and share ideas.

The 2022 Interior Design Colony was part of that early transformation. Instead of simply hiring a contractor for all the design work, the host wanted the building process itself to reflect the values of cross-cultural collaboration and creativity.

Original 2022 host announcement, shortened for readability: House of Urnebes invited volunteers to Smederevo to help complete the transformation of an empty house into a safe haven for artists. The project included work on a coffee shop, hostel dorm rooms, an art studio and a community lounge. The original call described free accommodation, food support and a budget for interior design ideas. This page should be read as an archived opportunity from 2022. Before applying, volunteering or travelling, ask the host to confirm the current dates, length of stay, tasks, accommodation, food arrangements, expected help, materials, supervision and any house rules. Voluntouring.org does not organise the placement directly and does not provide travel reimbursement, visa support or invitation letters. Please communicate with the host, ask clear questions and make sure the exchange feels fair, safe and suitable before making any commitment.

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