INSTRUCTORS OF THE ARTISANAL CENTRES OF KPALIME

Willing to promote exchanges in the handicraft domain and trying to valorise the products of localcraftmanship, the NGO ASTOVOT sets up a new volunteering programm. It assists the workers ofthe artisanal centres and the CollEge dEnseignement Artistique et Artisanal (Artistic andArtisanal Teaching College) by giving all interested volunteers the opportunity to offer theirexperiences to the personnel and trainees in the handicraft domain. This project gives also theopportunity to learn and to exchange with them.If you would like to work in this domain and if you want to convey your talents and creativity, thenthis project is made for you.Objectives: Convey ones talents and creativity through organised workshops and artisanal productions; Learn the local techniques in painting, in ceramics, in creating wooden sculptures, in batik,in weaving pagne , in tailoring ...; Share ones passion and live a real artisanal and artistic exchange; Discover the african craftmanship;Brief presentation of the CollEge dEnseignement Artistique et Artisanal (CEAA - Artistic andArtisanal Teaching College) of KpalimE:The artisanal centre of Kloto was founded in the late 1960s and is located in KpalimE. This centrecombines simultaneously the fabrication and the commercialisation of art objects and theformation of young trainees in these two sectors. One can found there a huge variety in artisanalarticles: wooden sculptures, pottery, batik (impressions on fabric, T-shirts, pagnes , ...), andmacramE. It is the only public school that forms young people in the artisanal domain. The varietyand the quality of the sculpture is surprising. One can find statues, coffrets, chairs and animals(elephants, gazells, ...). Pottery is another speciality of the centre. Batik stained by hand andfabricated in a procedure with wax, can be found in the centre as well as fabric weaved with vividcolours by women. The so-weaved fabric shows traditional African motives of the life in villagesand Togolese history.There are other artisanal centres in the municipality of KpalimE which would receive volunteersand trainees too, depending on their wishes and motivations.Mission of the volunteer Assist the instructors of the centre in their daily routine with young trainees; Learn the techniques of the instructors and local artists. The presence of thevolunteer/trainee encourages and stimulates simultaneously their creativity in several studios ofthe centre; Work with young trainees and artists while helping them to develop their creativity andtalents.The voluinteers/trainees will be most of the time in studios. The different studios are: Pottery Sculpture with wood Tailoring (stylism and modelism) and hairdressing Manufacturing of jewelry (earrings, bracelets) with natural materials (shells, beads) Painting Manufacturing of batikThe volunteer is asked to show parts of typical handicraft of his/her country.This project isnt a full-time volunteering project: you can combine it with little dance orpercuss