Volunteering 2025

40 DAYS
LATVIAN COUNTRY SIDE
ART
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
BUILD
CREATE
SUPPORT
ENGAGE

What is Sansusī?

We support and promote contemporary performing art and music.
We introduce contemporary arts to new audiences.
We educate our audiences through new experiences.
We give artists the possibility to perform what they desire.
We continuously rethink what an artist residence is.

We grow towards community well being.
We look for ways on how to connect and engage artists with communities.
We improve ways on how art and culture can be made through the experience and exchange between an artist and another human being or collective.

We redesign what a concert or festival means.
We look for new forms, shapes and spaces in artistic culture, production, design. We continue to re-arrange and re-create what we have found and developed.
We learn to fill spaces with inclusive experience.

VOLUNTEERING TEAMS IN SANSUSĪ

It can be great and hardcore at the same time. Our days can go by chilling with artists and supporting their creative or practical processes, they can also be a non-stop building for days for events until late in the night. Our evenings might end with jamming at bonfire or 20-min discos at midnight forest bliss.
The more you’re in, the more you get.

WORKSHOPS FOR COMMUNITIES

There is a possibility for you to get in touch with the local community – either by creating a workshop for them or creating connection with them through arts.

It is not a one time thing. We look for commitment and care in this exact activity. We also know that this might not be for everyone. That’s ok. There are many other things to do.

SUPPORT ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Sansusī might have a couple of residing artists during the summer. They develop their own ideas and work with local communities. They might need technical support or might want to cooperate with others, or might need other assistance.

This trully comes in different forms and shapes and cannot be predicted. They also might be people who don’t talk or engage with volunteers or others and that’s okay.

One year we were building an outside structure from peat blocks. It was beautiful fulfilling and exhausting. It’s still with us. Slowly growing into a forest. Let’s see what this year will bring!

YOUR OWN PROJECT

We trully look for those who want to create. Either it’s performance, theatre, poem, audio piece, sculpture etc. There are many forms.

You can go solo or collaborate with those around you. Explore. Let surroundings bring more to you. Experiment. Find new ways for self and expression. Practice. Share what you create.

p.s.You don’t need to be an artist or identify as one to be able to create.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO:

• are 18-30 year old
• are from EU countries or other ESC program countries not needing visa for 40 day period
• have motivation to learn, initiate, and get involved in the activities of Sansusī (artist residence, local community, contemporary arts festival, other music & arts events)
• have education, experience or at least real interest in the field of arts and culture
• have an optional local volunteering experience in other organisations
• have an interest in social inclusion and civic society
• are being ok with flexible working hours
• are not afraid to try new things to do and learn (or
  at least ready to try even if you are afraid!)

PRACTICALS – HOUSING

During your ESC project, your accommodation is fully covered by the program costs.

The place where you will live and spend most of the time is called Susēja. It used to be a guest house, now it’s an artist residence centre surrounded by small forest. Usually 2 artists are in the residence and hopefully you will have a chance to work with them.

You will sleep in the house in front of the residence center in a big dormitory room. We call it the Sauna House (in the picture to the left). You’ll be free to decorate it and make it your own space as it suits you. There are toilets and showers in the house, but the kitchen is in the residence center.

The week prior to the festival, you will share the Sauna House with local volunteers.

In the residence center (the picture to the right), there are

• 4 bathrooms and 8 toilets,
• one big kitchen to cook and eat inside on rainy days,
• common working room,
• terrace outside,
• there is Wi-Fi. Not the strongest one, but it works. And if it won’t be enough, we will get an antenna.

We have projector, music system, stage lights, grand piano and probably we can get many other things, if needed. We also have a dome stage that can be used for concerts, performances, theatre, dance, circus, practice and a lot more.

In the beginning of August the whole place will be very busy because then the festival Sansusī will happen. Each year we gather up to 500-700 people. This is important as during this one week your comfort will be less comfortable and convenient. But it will be magical and totally worth it!

PRACTICALS – SCHEDULE

We will come up with a more defined weekly schedule shortly before we meet and the final daily and weekly schedule will be planned by all of us together, however there are some things we can say already.

7th of July is the arrival day, we start the program on the morning of 8th of July. 14th of August is our last day, 15th is the departure day. We encourage green travel.

We expect you to work for 5 days a week (mon-fri), however, there will be some exceptions:

We will have local volunteers join us on a weekend of 11.-13.07. and we expect all the participants to join in. We can plan 1-2 days off during the next week.

You will have free time during the period of either 17.-20.07. or 24.-27.07. During this time you can go to visit any place you decide to (like the capital Riga or even take a road trip to Lithuania).

During the week of the Sansusī festival (4.-10.08.) we will have local volunteers joining us to build the festival. It will be intense work, but it will be worth it, because on the weekend (8.-10.08.) the 12th Sansusī festival will take place and hundreds of people will come to enjoy it. You will also have time to enjoy it, but you might also be asked to help out with some build-ups or build-downs during the festival, as well as take part in the cleaning schedule of the territory.

PRACTICALS – TRANSPORT & INSURANCE

Susēja residence centre is 3 km away from nearby small town Aknīste (with nearest shops!). Furthest
community place is 4 km away where activities might take place. To these locations you can either walk or
take a bicycle. In case activities take place further away – for example we are creating an event in another
region of Latvia – we will cover your travel costs.
Before you arrive you will need to have European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – if you don’t know what it is
ask us or your sending organisation will explain it.
You will also have Henner insurance that covers all the medical costs planned or occurred during the
volunteering service.

PRACTICALS – FINANCES

Pocket Money
You will receive 5 €/day for your personal expenses.

Food
You will receive 7,5 €/day for your food expenses. We encourage cooking together at least once a day. Depending on the group dynamic we can also cook together most of the time (we encourage this!)

Travel Costs – arrival & departure
Travel costs from and to Susēja will be reimbursed and calculated using the official distance calculator from Erasmus+ website. Using green travel, which we highly encourage you to do, it goes from 285€ to 535€ both ways depending how far is your residence country.

Press here to Apply

Or use this link directly:
https://tinyurl.com/SVP25apply

More questions?
Contact us via mail: office@sansusi.lv

Check us out on
facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sansusifestivals
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/festivalssansusi/
https://www.instagram.com/sansusi_residency/

Sansusī Volunteering project is co-funded by:
European Solidarity Corps and JSPA

SANSUSĪ VOLUNTEERING PROJECT-SVP