ESC: Ecocentric volunteering

Culture and Education Association (UKE) is an NGO established in 2003 that works on research, education and production in innovative art forms. For 15 years UKE regularly organizes Experimental Electronic Interventions, artists in residency programme, Multimedia Camp (MM camp), manages net-label for experimental music and sound art GentleJunk NetLabel which is first of its kind in Croatia and researches into free technology, environmentalism and ecology combined with art and creativity. Program such as Platform for Transdisciplinary practices in its 5th year now is generating new forms of living in accordance with nature through methods of DIY (do it yourself), hacking, permaculture and alike. Since its’ beginning UKE gathers volunteers, local and international that worked on the given subjects and since 2015 UKE systematically developed volunteer programme and gained the EVS (European voluntary service) accreditation as coordinating, hosting and sending organization. Also, since 2015, UKE is based in a small village Lovinac in Lika, rural region of Croatia, where the activities of the organization are taking place in the C4CS – Centre for creative solutions, in the nearby area called Rasoja. C4CS is a self-sustainable space, consisting of a permacultural garden,off-grid house, camping area with kitchen, shower and toillets (compost toillets), all run on green energy, solar panels, water pump powered by sun, using permacultural ecological principles in every aspect of work. The main interest of UKE lies in the field of environmental art, socially engaged art, autonomy and sustainability. Throughout its activities UKE is merging transdisciplinary strategies with research and participative practices in arts. Present focus of the organization are volunteer projects and "artist in residency" programmes for artists and scientists, art summer camps under the common programme C4CS, Centre for creative solutions, oriented towards open technology, environmental art and socially engaged practices in local community. The international, collaborative residence programmes contribute to enhanced creativity, capacity building and strengthening of local community. The volunteer projects and residential programs provide the needed infrastructure for work and professional exchange of volunteers, young people, artists and scientists and as well offer a great opportunity for community development. On one hand by running the organization and on the other by running the programs and projects, contributing with its own ideas and knowledge, UKE offers volunteering opportunities to those who are especially interested in nature and environment in connection to creativity and art and community development.