Creative Arts/ Hear Our Voice Volunteer
Hear Our Voice Background
During 2008, AfCiC established a unique creative arts advocacy project called Hear Our Voice! that engages former street boys undergoing rehabilitation at AfCiC's Residential Interim Care Centre in creating and performing songs, poetry and pieces of drama to express the challenges and experiences they have faced before and during life on the streets. The benefits to the children include:
- Improved English Language skills
- Improving key life skills essential for their return to mainstream education - patience, problem solving, tolerance of others, listening skills, self esteem
- Development of self confidence and public speaking skills
- Dealing with difficult experiences in a safe, positive and creative environment
- Creative expression of complex emotions
- Opportunities for powerful peer advocacy: enabling better understanding and treatment of street children in the local community
The project also works with clients from our Kenyan Children's Legal Aid Work programme; primarily victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Over the last 18 months we have worked with them to develop a series of monologue plays about their experiences and a short drama, which they have performed to numerous community groups in the District, focused on helping women not to feel ashamed and to access help when they suffer abuse.
The therapeutic value of this project for the women has been immense, their language skills, confidence and initiative to help others has increased through this project. They are now working as a group to access micro finance money from AfCiC and are building small successful businesses.
Hear Our Voice! has two dedicated local volunteers, Mark and Newton, who have played a key role in developing and maintaining the project. Our Family Empowerment Officer Elizabeth is also very involved. Chris Howarth, international volunteer April 2008 - June 2009, has played an essential role in developing the project and its current success and is still very involved in the UK.
To summarise you would be joining an exciting, innovative team. Sharing your skills, learning new skills and working with our children to maximise their potential and enable successful creative lobbying of street child issues.
Volunteer Duties & Responsibilities
The duties of a new Creative Arts/ Hear Our Voice! Volunteer would include:
- Working with our new intake of children at the Interim Care Centre to develop new material through music, singing, visual arts or drama, in consultation with our 2 local Hear Our Voice Volunteers
- Working with KCLAW clients to develop new pieces of work for local performances (if appropriate)
- Organising rehearsals and performances/exhibitions
- Recording the progress of the work through multi-media, photography and the written word
- Monitoring & Evaluation the Project
- Organising and Promoting performances/exhibitions
- Promoting the project through local, national and international networks
Please note that Hear Our Voice is a flexible arts project with many different areas. If you have a particular skill in music, dance or the visual arts as opposed to Drama, this is the area that you could focus on.
You would be supervised by the Manager of the Interim Care Centre and the Director.
Skills/Experience Required:
- Skills and experiences in one or more of the following areas: playwrighting, music, dance, visual art, theatre education or drama
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work in a diverse and cross-cultural team
- Sensitivity to cultural and economic differences
- Experience of living/ travelling in a developing country an advantage
- At least one year experience working with children
- You must be 21 years or above
When can I volunteer?
You can volunteer at any time but we ask that volunteers commit to a minimum of a 3 month placement. Please mention on your application form how long you wish to stay.
How much does it cost?
We ask all volunteers to make a minimum project contribution of £700 for 3 months or £900 for 6 months. The volunteer is directly involved in spending this money for the charity, directly benefiting the organization and the children that we work with.
This does not include rent for accommodation, which is approximately £120 per month. In addition you will have to pay for your flights, insurance, vaccinations and other in country expenses.
Interested? Contact Maria on 01235 539319 (UK) or email her at maria at actionchildren dot org
