ArteSumapaz has an ongoing program for volunteers in support of our mission. Volunteers receive meals and hostel-style housing in exchange for a minimum of four hours of work per day, and a donation to cover the cost of food. There are a maximum of four spaces available for volunteers, with additional availability for half-volunteers/half-paid-residency.

So… you’re considering volunteering at Artesumapaz. Excellent idea! Belonging to the network of caretakers, inventors and greasy-elbowed do-ers who tend to this place is a transformative experience in itself. 

However, it’s not for everyone. Volunteering is sweaty and occasionally smelly work. It requires initiative and self-direction, and based on whether you’re a full or half volunteer, might also involve staying in accommodation with some baked-in caveats. 

What are the reasons why the Volunteer program exists? 

• To offer a more financially accessible pathway for artists to undertake a residency at Artesumapaz. 
• To fulfill labor needs in times/areas where paid staff currently don’t work 
• To broaden the network of people who care and have cared for this place, 
• To advance the long-term strategic goals of ArteSumapaz, by contributing to ongoing projects here and in the local community. 

We don’t want anyone to not come to ArteSumapaz for a shortage of funds. At the same time, keep in mind that if you can afford it, please consider attending the Half-Volunteer program, leaving opportunities for those who truly do have a need. ArteSumapaz depends on its revenues to pay its employees who live in the local community, fundamental expenses of maintaining the residency, and for programs that benefit local artists.

Based on prior volunteers feedback, the Half-Volunteer option is generally more enjoyable. You stay in the main house, getting your feet wet in the Volunteer world but maintaining the majority of your day to focus on your artistic practice, all while enjoying a healthy discount on the price of your residency. 

If I’m already volunteering, why do I need to pay? 

ArteSumapaz is a non-profit foundation that operates on a very tight budget. All of the funds we receive basically underwrite the coterie of employees, food, services, and occasionally even helps fund a residency for Colombian artists. The purpose of the volunteer program is to provide an affordable pathway. Volunteer labor is highly valued, but in most cases not essential to ASP operation. From a brutal economic perspective, it would be more cost-efficient to use resources spent on the Volunteer program to hire local staff. 

Your labor subsidizes your residency here, but you still need to make a financial contribution towards the true cost of your food/accom. This allows the volunteer program to be sustainable. 

What does volunteering actually involve? 

Volunteer labor is divided between: 

• ongoing labor needs in times/areas where paid staff don’t work
• working on long-term projects. 

Artesumapaz currently has a modest roster of paid staff: the residency director, the assistant director, our star chefs Yeison and Camilo, groundskeeper Diego, cleaning mastermind Delcy, construction/destruction gurus Edwar, Rojitas, and Albero, as well as several other local tradespeople.

Volunteers fill the cracks, and form a bridge between residents and staff. 

Currently, this means that volunteers most important ongoing jobs are: 

• Undertaking kitchen shifts 4 times a week (cleaning the dining room and kitchen after meals + serving dinner) 
• Maintaining Artesumapaz’s high-tech recycling system 
• Caring for Artesumapaz’s pets
• Maintaining the compost system 

Long-term projects include: 

• Developing gardens & vegetable beds 
• Developing the network of trails 
• Undertaking projects in the local community 

Many tasks involve being outside and it can mean being in the sun. We try to do outdoor labor intensive tasks before 11am or after 4pm to avoid the strong sun, but sometimes even before 11am it gets hot. 

PARTIES: 

In the Colombian spirit of minga, volunteers work collectively on the most time consuming tasks in work “parties”, three times a week. 

Sample weekly timetable

Volunteers tend to work 6 days a week with one day off, you can manage your time and work more hours on certain days to have more days off, however kitchen shifts and parties take priority and you must be present.

Accommodations

The following info is given neither to persuade or dissuade, but to set expectations accurately. 

Casa T 

Casa Tasmania enjoys a similar relationship with Hacienda Australia as its namesake (the Australian state of Tasmania); a small, comparably impoverished, but beautiful island far to the south of the main body. 

Casa T is located at the front entrance to Hacienda Australia, on the windy road which connects our neighboring towns. The main house is a five minute walk up the forested driveway, and accordingly Casa T can feel isolated. While ArteSumapaz is located in a sleepy, quiet bit of countryside, the road is still used by trucks and cars and their noise is audible in Casa T. 

Casa T consists of  two connected bedrooms, each with two single beds, a bathroom, and a large outdoor patio with overhanging trees. 

It has: 

• Hot shower (low water pressure) Cold shower (strong water pressure)
• Filtered drinking water (volunteers need to refill)
• Tiled floors
• Mosquito nets, blankets, one pillow and towel each, new mattresses. 
• Lots of space on the patio to swing your arms around/ be naked in peace 
• Limited storage space 
• Windows which face onto trees, where you can watch birds and squirrels very close…
• …. And also hear the loud and early call of guacharacas
• Geckos, who leave delicious droppings for you 
• The incredibly rare, but possible, risk of things being stolen from the patio 
• Very limited mobile reception 

It does not have: 

• Wifi 
• A lot of space to swing your arms around in the bedrooms or bathroom 
• A privacy barrier between beds. 

We’d recommend bringing earplugs and eye mask due to the sound of the road and people coming in at different times. As well as the blinds not blocking the light fully.

The volunteers in casa T are expected to clean the house and change their own bedding weekly (it counts as hours).

Casa T is the accommodation available for full-time volunteers. Consider whether your needs would be fulfilled staying there. 

Shared rooms in the main house

Half-volunteers generally stay in shared rooms in Hacienda Australia’s main house. Each room has a private bathroom, two super comfortable double beds, three towels each and two pillows and ample storage space including a desk each. 

• Shared beds have a privacy screen between them.
• Your sheets and room are also changed/cleaned weekly.
• The comfort in the main house is a lot greater than casa T and you will likely find your needs more satisfied here if your budget allows.

Rights and Responsibilities

• It is important that you understand that it will be your responsibility to track all of your time as a volunteer on a daily basis.
• You are an artist in residence as well, and have access to studios as agreed upon

While not a requirement, many of our volunteers come to us through Workaway. You can see our profile here; https://www.workaway.info/961597242325-en.html

If you are interested in attending a volunteer residency, please write to us.

Also, see our Volunteer Agreement in english, or in spanish.