Utopiacity- Building the future today

Name: Utopiacity- Building the future today
Start: 2024-08-02
End: 2024-08-18
Location: Wuppertal, Germany

Germany Renovation Construction Renovation Construction Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The ijgd has been organising volunteer service programmes since 1949. We are an independent, non-profit association for international youth work, a recognised independent youth welfare organisation, and one of the largest and oldest workcamp organisations in Germany. Each year, we assist around 5,000 young people into volunteer work in Germany and abroad. We give them the opportunity to be creative, act in solidarity, take responsibility for themselves, and discover their own true potential and strengths. Our principles: Ecological learning, voluntary contribution, self-organisation, social development, intercultural learning, gender equality, anti-racism/anti-discrimination and political education. Follow us on Instagram ijgd_workcamps Facebook @ijgd.workcamps Social Media Project Partner: https://www.utopiastadt.eu/

💼 What the programme involves

There is always something to do in Utopiastadt. The historic railway station building is currently being renovated with a lot of voluntary help. Windows have to be sanded down, walls knocked down or plastered and floors laid. And that's just what's happening in the station building. With an area of around 40,000 square metres, the Utopiastadt Campus offers space for all kinds of urban games. In addition to the big topic of bicycles (rental, repair, cargo bike and electric drive), this also includes our wonderful Café Hutmacher, a small coffee roastery, an open workshop for the neighbourhood, a small garden, lots of open space to create your own designs and even a real circus tent. All of these things are run and maintained by volunteers. Our circus tent, for example, needs intensive care. Dismantling the poles, sanding down, mending the tarpaulin, repainting and polishing everything. Wouldn't that be something for you? It never gets boring with us! Come along and build Utopiastadt with us

🏠 Accommodation on site

You cook together. You will be provided with money for shopping. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any intolerances when registering. Accommodation: A lot will take place on the grounds of Utopiastadt, here you will use the communal kitchen with everyone else, you can barbecue here and in the evening you can sit outside together or use the garden, everything is communal and not just for the workcamp. You will sleep in the Wiesenwerke, which is a 7-minute walk from Utopiastadt. We will be kindly provided with a nice room to sleep in and a great kitchen for your breakfast.

📍 About the location

If you don't feel like hanging out in our beer garden, the sandy area, the barbecue garden or at our concerts, there's plenty of variety nearby. In addition to the aforementioned bouldering hall (https://bouldercafe-wuppertal.de/), there is an outdoor pool within walking distance, which is also being renovated and renaturalised by local residents (https://freibad-mirke.de/). Of course, you shouldn't miss the world-famous suspension railway in Wuppertal. (Life motto: Float through Wuppertal once in your life). And the Schwebodrom gives a great VR impression of the history of this unique means of transport (https://schwebodrom.com/de/). The Wuppertal Green Zoo is also always worth a visit, whatever your age. We also lend out bicycles free of charge. As a group, you will also be provided with an electric cargo bike for shopping. The Nordbahntrasse runs right past our premises and is a straight cycle path without hills, on which no cars are allowed to drive. Ideal for learning to cycle. It is also particularly worthwhile to simply take a stroll through the neighbourhood on foot, as most of the houses are still old buildings. But be careful: Be prepared for the fact that every hill is followed by a new one. You can also get to Cologne, Düsseldorf or Dortmund quickly by train for a day trip.

⚠️ Requirements

This camp is open to people who enjoy working with their hands, who are interested in community and creative urban development, who want to help shape an urban quarter for the neighbourhood and who want to engage with social issues. Motivation letter necessary! Note: Involvement and contact with fellow Utopiastadt participants and local volunteers is a central feature of this camp.