Do I need to be able to speak Spanish/Portuguese and to what level?
How is the project structured?
What art practices are involved?
Is the young people’s work exhibited?
What experience do I need?
Where will I live whilst on the project?
What does my fund raising cover?
Will I receive any training before I go?
How do I apply?
Can I be involved without going to Ecuador, Mexico or Brazil?

Do I need to be able to speak Spanish/Portuguese and to what level?
Yes, you do need to be able to speak Spanish/Portuguese, it is crucial that you have at least an intermediate level before departure.
There are several reasons for this: the project relies heavily on the workshop leaders being able to coordinate and run workshop with some independence. The work also takes place in slum areas which are often volatile and where very few people will be able to speak a language other than Spanish/Portuguese. The principal language of the partner organizations is Spanish in Ecuador and Mexico and Portuguese in Brazil, and volunteer Arts Educators are expected to work alongside our partners support workers, therapists and educators on a day to day basis. Being able to communicate with them clearly and easily about the work that you are doing and how it is impacting on the children is therefore vital to the work that we do.
Previous volunteers have learnt Spanish/Portuguese in the UK while preparing to leave or fundraising for their placement. cmap recommends Spanish/Portuguese lessons in London and Brighton at Eurolanguageschool as well as finding a private native Spanish/Portuguese speaking tutor for intensive one to one lessons to improve the conversational level of Spanish/Portuguese. It is important that if you decide to do this that you are able to devote enough time to ensuring your level is high enough before departure.

How is the project structured?
Presently cmap is already established in tree countries. In the future we expect to be working in other parts of the world.

In Ecuador:

cmap is located in a big city in Ecuador called Guayaquil. It’s in the south of the country and is often considered the second most important city after Quito. The project runs in five of Guayaquil’s sectors (areas) at any one time. These sectors can and do change. The project is timetabled so the four groups meet once a week for 2 hour-long sessions. The groups meet in their own communities in the sector (slum areas) of the city. So venues range from a church hall, school classrooms to family living rooms.

In Mexico:

In Mexico cmap is located in the city of Puebla which is in the south of the country. The project is run in three areas at any one time: at a workspace in a local market, where workshops are run with young people and their families. At a day centre for street working children and a hostel for street living children. The workshop length and timetabling is normally flexible and changes to suit the design and structure of volunteer’s project ideas.

In Brazil:

Our project is based in a favela (slum area) called ‘El Dorando’ in the southern part of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is an ethnically diverse city and is the largest city in South America. We work mainly from a dedicated arts project space at ACER’s community centre in the favela running weekly arts sessions and dedicated arts projects, as well as running outreach projects within the local community and in local schools.

What art practices are involved?
To date cmap volunteers have designed and delivered projects involving film making, photography, folklore, drawing, painting, drama, hat making, fashion, animation and collage amongst other things. All of these varied subjects have proved successful with the children, engaging them in regular activities and also teaching them practical skills. Each art facilitator has brought their own unique approach to the design, delivery and outcomes of each project and cmap is open to accommodate volunteers from a wide variety of arts backgrounds. Normally projects are thematic and are designed to fit into previous project work or act as a continuation of themes already covered. Traditionally two volunteers work on the project at any one time, meaning there is often different approaches to art education that complement each other during the same period.

Is the young people’s work exhibited?
Yes, the outcomes of the project are exhibited regularly and this is a very integral part of the cmap methodology. We believe that sharing the work on a local level is very important. It allows the young people to have a voice in their communities, draws attention to issues that they are facing and also gives the children an immense sense of pride and confidence to see their work on public display. For past projects young people have organised a catwalk showcase to display their carnival clothes, performed a play and had their artwork and photographic work displayed in exhibitions in local town halls and the Museum of Modern art in Guayaquil.

What experience do I need?
We expect our volunteers to have a keen interest in arts education with vulnerable young people and to be dedicated to ensuring positive outcomes on a long and short term basis. Two years experience of working in this way is desirable but not essential. Past volunteers have been from teaching backgrounds, youth arts or youth worker sectors, as well as practicing artists, designers and gallery educators. You will have a clear enhanced CRB and be able to provide two professional references. If you do not have an up to date CRB we will support you in making an application for one prior to departure.

Where will I live whilst on the project?

In Ecuador:
cmap has a volunteer apartment in the city. We have a low rent agreement with the landlords, who live in the house below and like to make sure volunteers are safe and sound! The apartment is in a quiet, safe neighborhood close to a short bus ride to the Juconi office and sectors where the art project is run.
In Mexico:
cmap volunteers are housed in the Juconi volunteer house, which is in the heart of the city of Puebla and is right next to one of the main Juconi offices.

In Brazil:
cmap volunteers are housed in ACER’s volunteer house which is on site at the Community centre.

What does my fund raising cover?
Fundraising covers the following: flights, insurance, accommodation, in country travel, Spanish/Portuguese lessons, travel to project within country, food and basic spending money.
Art materials are provided by JUCONI/ACER, unless you have more specific materials in mind then you will need to build that into your fundraising targets separately.

Will I receive any training before I go?
cmap is partnered with a charity called the Inter-Cultural Youth Exchange UK (ICYE-UK) who act as coordinators for your volunteering. They are part of an international federation of not-for-profit organisations that send and host volunteers from all over the world. ICYE-UK support by preparing our Volunteer Arts Educators for placement in the UK and during their time abroad. They will be responsible for booking insurance, organising flights and visas for Volunteers stay. They will also support fundraising and provide both pre-departure and returnee training. We believe that it is important that cmap volunteer Arts Educators have as much support in preparing for their placements as possible, which is why we also offer an additional training focusing on working with vulnerable young people, the history and ethos of the project and the beneficiaries of the workshops.

How do I apply?
Please visit out Get involved section, we accept application on an ongoing basis.

Can I be involved without going to Ecuador, Mexico or Brazil?
You do not have to be a volunteer in Latin America to support the work that we do with young people. cmap is a small project which always welcomes support from people who care about the children we work with. If you are interested in organising a fundraising activity in the UK, looking for a charity to support or have any particular skills, contacts or ideas which can help us develop the work that we do then please get in touch.

Please contact Lynn Weddle: lynn@cmap.org.uk