Reykjavík: Design - Renovation & Environment

WORK & STUDY/PROJECT: This particular project will combine different tasks within Reykjav?k city which ensures daily diversity and various experiences at once for participating volunteers.

The main idea and task of the project is to keep Reykjav?k city and its public areas lively, attractive, interesting and charming for both the locals and the guests of the city.

Volunteers? work will be focused on improvements and development of surroundings and environment all around Reykjav?k. Tasks may involve house painting to cover graffiti tags, tiding up public spaces and face-lifting the city after the winter.

The project also includes support to the Design March 2010; which takes place on the weekend of March 18th -21st; there volunteers will assist in various tasks connected to the events.

DesignMarch is a four day feast for designers, artists, those with an interest in design, the general public and tourists alike. The first DesignMarch program, in the year 2009, was splendid and diverse, with over 130 events reflecting a wide range of design; for details go to http://www.icelanddesign.is/DesignMarch/DesignMarch2010/ .

For the first project this year there is one more challenging and exciting assignment. Volunteers will be assisting in transferring an old school building into a volunteer base for themselves and volunteers coming in the future to work with SEEDS. The building is in very good conditions, where few things need to be modified and renovated in order for it to run as a great volunteer base.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house in Reykjav?k; sleeping in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers will receive food and be in charge of the different cooking and cleaning activities. Equipped kitchen and washing machine are available.

LOCATION: Reykjav?k is the capital of Iceland, often called ?the nightlife capital of the north?. But there is more to Reykjav?k than pubs and clubs. Reykjav?k also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene.

The world?s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjav?k is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides.

The population of the city is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland?s inhabitants live here. Reykjav?k is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers.

March is the last month when you can see, with a piece of good luck, the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Iceland. In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjav?k, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.

Iceland was badly hit with the current financial crisis, which did affect the life for foreign visitors in a positive way, making Iceland a much cheaper country to visit, the local currency greatly lost value ? many goods and services cost (in EUR) just a half comparing to the year 2007.

EXTRAS: Participation fee EUR 100. SEEDS will provide volunteers with passes to access free of charge the city?s seven geothermal swimming pools and thermal-water beach. Tours and excursions will be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.

AGE: 18+