ROOTS AND ROUTES - ART FESTIVAL AND VILLAGE COMMUNITY

CODE: VTWC26-01

Work
Participants will take part in a series of community, cultural and art-related activities. The exact arrangement will be confirmed with local partners and may include the following elements:

•(1) Village and community immersion in Kat O: Learn about the history, daily life, heritage and community stories of Kat O through guided visits, village sharing and interaction with local residents.

• (2) Meet local artists and cultural practitioners: Participants may meet artists and facilitators connected with the Art Festival, including local and international artists, and learn how art can respond to rural communities, place-making and village memories.

• (3) Hands-on heritage and community experiences: Participants may join activities such as water-carrying experience, fishermen culture sharing, village walk, community-space visit, architecture-related workshop, design-thinking session or other local experiences.

• (4) Prepare a final public output for the Art Festival: Participants will work together to develop a simple but meaningful final output. This may take the form of a cultural booth, artwork presentation, performance, world music sharing, storytelling display or mixed-format community showcase.

• (5) Support the Art Festival public programme: Participants may join the Art Festival weekend programme, including booth operation, cultural performance, music sharing, public interaction or creative exchange in or around the bamboo theatre.

• (6) Join the closing / conference / cultural sharing session: Participants may join a special closing or conference session related to rural communities, art and exchange. Participants with relevant experience may share in English, with simple translation if needed.

• (7) Mui Tsz Lam or Lai Chi Wo field experience: Subject to partner and transport arrangements, participants may visit Mui Tsz Lam or Lai Chi Wo to understand another rural community context in Hong Kong and take part in related learning or volunteer activities.

Accomodation and food
The main accommodation will be in rural camping site arranged in or near Kat O (subject to final confirmation of accommodation capacity and village arrangements). There will also be overnight stays in local hostel in shared room (Wu Kai Sha) at the beginning and/or end of the programme.

Meals will be arranged according to the activity location and daily schedule. Some meals may be provided by local partners or arranged by yourself. Participants may need to cook every day within the simple living conditions in a rural village setting.

Vegetarian food may be available, subject to confirmation. Participants with special dietary needs should inform VolTra in advance, but full accommodation of all dietary restrictions cannot be guaranteed due to the village and island setting.

Location and leisure
The workcamp will mainly take place in Sha Tau Kok, Kat O and possibly Mui Tsz Lam / Lai Chi Wo.

Kat O is an island village in the northeast of Hong Kong. Unlike the busy urban image of Hong Kong, Kat O offers participants a chance to experience a quieter rural community, local heritage, village culture and coastal landscape. Through this workcamp, participants will discover another side of Hong Kong beyond skyscrapers and shopping districts.

During free time, participants may enjoy the natural environment, village scenery, local food and cultural atmosphere of the area. However, as the camp is based in rural and island communities, transport options may be limited and participants should follow the group schedule closely. Ferry arrangements, weather conditions and community needs will be considered when planning leisure time.

Project hosted by
This project is actively working for SDG 4 (Quality Education) , SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), organized together with the local charity and NGO partners of VolTra.

• (1) One of the main partner of this bootcamp is 香村Fragrant Village, the organizer in this Bootcamp mainly focus on the Art Festival. They are music organization established in 2016 and registered as a society under the Hong Kong Government. The organization focuses on village conservation and takes Hong Kong’s rural land, environment and human stories as the starting point for music and arts creation. Through music and artistic activities, Fragrant Village explores the possibility of telling stories of the land through songs, sound and performance.