Help on historical homestead, camping, art/craft workshop and organic family farm, art residency in Gataučiai, Lithuania

Details

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  Description

  Hello beautiful people,
  we are Saulius, Kamilė, Namėjus (~3 years) and Andajus (newborn). We are living our dream on a 2 ha homstead in North Lithuania and managing a camping on the same land. During the summer we have many nice and good people around us. If you feel that our lifestyle, values and energy matches, please, be welcome. We would be happy if you could tell us more about your real skills and experiences. And please, read all description, we would like to avoid any miscommunication in future.
  
  About SAULIUS:
  Saulius is very passioned about traveling and exploring the world. He is very creative, kind, open-minded and hard-working and he has a lot of experience in different fields (contructions, tourism, woodworking, tractors, apple farming, making drinks from apples, work with electricity, etc..) He is kind and loving father, he appreciates simplicity, sincerity and creativity.
  
  About KAMILĖ:
  Kamilė loves everything what is handmade and homegrown. She is developing her Nature Art Workshop and each year including more crafts into the list. She organises workshops and events for local people and guest from abroad. Gardening, growing food, farming, foraging, collecting medicinal herbs, crafts (weawing, basketry, woodworking, wood carving, hand-made paper, recycling paper, lino cutting-printing, cyanotypes, natural pigments, botanical monotypes, renovating old furnitures and interior/exterior details, etc..) are her passions. Kamilė is advanced photographe too and her subject is nude art. Now she is spending a lot of time with children and need some help with various tasks.
  
  NAMĖJUS is our son (born 2021.12.28) and he would be happy to have other toddlers around.:) Also, we have a newborn ANDAJUS (2024.04.24).
  
  IN GENERAL:
  Every day during warm season we work a lot with tourism and art and now we are growing our children what takes a lot of our time. Beside that, we grow our own food: vegetables, fruits and herbs. We are collecting herbs, berries, mushrooms and other wild edibless, making teas, tinctures, other goodies. We live according to the principles of natural, simple, slow and sustainable way of living, we respect the nature and we expect the same attitude from the people who live with us.
  
  We aim to develop alternative slow village/rural tourism and support village communities through employing local people and buying locally grown / produced food from them, initiate various exchanges, host and organise different events. We are passionate about cycling and have quite a few bikes that we can lend to volunteers.We are looking for volunteers who would like to contribute to the development of our little paradise in two ways (GENERAL HELP OR ARTISTS REZIDENCY).
  
  Next to the camping site, there are historical wooden houses (one used to serve as a horse post-office building 100 years ago) where we accommodate people during high season, host different private events and celebrations, and Kamile has her Workshop.
  
  EXPECTATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS:
  TIDY AND CLEAN (!!!), positive and open-minded, reliable, responsible, honest and trustworthy, friendly, sociable, not afraid of hard work, dirty work in different weather conditions, being initiative, flexible.
  
  Also, we expect people who are passioned about living in alternative ways and can adapt easily to our life style and daily routine.
  
  *Cooking, organising foods is an advantage
  
  EVENTS
  
  *Every August since 2008, we were hosting a music and art festival with many concerts, workshops, lectures, competitions and lots of fun. Festival lasted until 2021.
  *On June 24th we celebrate traditional Lithuanian celebration - Summer Solstice (Rasos/Saulėgrįža/Joninės).
  *On August 15th sometimes we have a celebration named Žolinė (Harvest celebration) which came from ancient Baltic traditions.
  *Every September we have a little gathering of friends and helpers. We call it Rudeninė obuolinė ( Apple harvesting day in Autumn). We collect fruits from 50 apple trees, make juice, share meals, etc..
  *Camino Lituano pilgrims events (hikes, plein air of artists, gatherings). In 2019 we became an Albergue for Pilgrims on Camino Lituano trail.
  *Workshops. We suggest for people our workshops together with accommodation, sauna, or without. Our helpers gets a chance to participate in these workshops as well.
  
  We host festival type weddings, private celebrations, art/sport/music events, music concerts, children camps, picnics and other gatherings. In future we have plans to organise more plein airs, exhibitions and tiny evening concerts.
  
  Want to know what we do on a real time?
  Check our IG:
  -ask us for the links

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You may meet volunteers from other countries or Lithuania helping on our site with whom you can chat and learn not only about Lithuanian culture, but also how we do certain works here (e.g. make apple wine in a non-industrial way, hand made wooden furniture, basktery, etc) and you might gain some knowledge and practise about herbs, gardening, foraging, crafting and other wild things. On long summer evenings, sometimes we enjoy dinners together, chatting and tasting home made wine in a good company.
  
  PLEASE, BE AWARE THAT ONLY JUNE,JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER ARE THE MOST BUSY MONTHS. OTHER MONTHS MIGHT BE TOTALY EMPTY, WITHOUTH TOURISTS OR OTHER HELPERS, SO THIS TIME IS RECCOMMENDED FOR THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING FOR A PEACEFUL TIME, WANTS TO REST FROM CITY LIFE, ARE OK WITH HEATING THEIR ROOMS WITH FIREWOODS EVERY DAY AND MAYBE SPENDING MORE TIME WITH US AND SOMETIMES WITHOUTH US AT ALL.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  GENERAL HELP
  
  Daily tasks may vary based on the skills and preferences of the volunteer, as well as the season. We need help with general maintenance in the house such as changing sheets, washing, hanging, tiding, organasing, cleaning spaces and surfaces, taking care of indoor and outdoor plants.
  
  You may also engage in some creative projects like drawing / painting on the buildings, signs,creating decorations for events or anything that may fit in the current surroundings. Help may be needed with farming in our apple garden (collecting apples or simply cleaning up the old leaves in autumn or after winter). There are always some things to do around the house, like fixing or re-painting the fence, cutting grass, etc.. The oldest house needs repair.
  
  ARTISTS RESIDENCY
  
  From 2025 we will start hosting artists and craftsmen/craftswomen who would like to conctribute decorating our homestead and creating different kind of projects. We will prepare a seperate room for artist or a couple with wc/shower near by, private work desk, inspiring environment, etc. There will be no hours limits for working/creating but with each of you we will discuss and decide what would be a proper exchange. During your stay you will have plenty of free time to create your own projects and experiment.
  Minimum stay -1 week. Kitchen - shared with other helpers. Foods - yours. Materials for decorating area- ours. Kamilė may share her inventor for making arts/crafts. Your Projects may include painting murals, music performances, videography, photography, weaving from natural metarial (we have little willow plantation, but it can be any other wild plants), printing with ink, creating workshops for local communities, etc.
  More inormation coming soon..
  
  IN GENERAL:
  It would be a pleasure to invite helpers with skills such as:
  
  -painting, drawing murals, knowledge of paints and oils
  -cutting wood, working with other woodworking tools
  -building, contruction works, fixing
  -renovating and restaurating furnitures and other interior/exterior details
  -mowing the lawn/grass, trimmering
  -cleaning, tiding, organising, washing, hanging, making food, etc..
  -filmmaking, digital photography
  -organic gardening (watering, weeding, planting, taking care of greenhouse, raised beds with vegetables, apple trees, flowers, other places with different types of plants)
  -farming, digging, shoveling,
  
  If you are here around any celebration time, there are a plenty of organizational tasks (like creating projects, spaces, working with stage mics, coordinating, building, painting, etc..) to do. Time around events is INTENSE sometimes so be ready for that.
  
  IMPORTANT THINGS TO UNDERSTAND We expect people who respect our environment by not wasting water, electricity, gass, soap and other liquids, paper, paints, oils, paint brushes, other tools or materials, FOOD, sorting the garbage, composting, etc.. Caring about shared spaces and tiding immediately. For us it‘s very important to have around us people who are responsible for their own actions and leaving everything as they found.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Lithuanian: Fluent
  Russian: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  *Volunteers will be provided beds with clean bed sheets in a dormitory room, shared room, sometimes a private room or a caravan trailer. Depends on availabilties. Workawayers MUST take care (tide up, clean up, do not overload common spaces with their belongings) of the spaces they are living in, eating, showering, working. If you wish, you can also stay in the tent (or in a van if you have) in our beautiful apple tree garden. An hour of silence in the homestead and camping starts from 11 am (unless we have a party at reception's building or the other building, where volunteers stay, is empty).
  
  *Daily routine usualy:
  10:00 start of help
  13:00 your time
  16:00 continueing of help
  18:00 your time
  If you prefere different timings, we would like to know that before your arrival.
  
  *Hot showers and toilets are guaranteed. Towels as well.
  
  *We do not cook for volunteers and we do not provide foods but we share a kitchen where everyone can organise their foods. In the kitchen we have many things that are needed for cooking. If you want some specific foods, treats or supermarket quality foods, you can buy it yourself in the village in a little shop. If you want some good quality foods and products,seasonal, organic and local we might share it with you or give you a contacts of poeple that can sell you. Also, we can share costs.
  
  *WiFi is available, smoking allowed only in the designated places outside.

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  What else ...

  During your off time and off days you can:
  -stay in our place and just relax
  -travel and visit places around
  
  Hill of Crosses, Jakiškiai Manor House, Žagarė National Park, Muša Tyrelis Swamp, Joniškis Jewish Synagogues, Žagarė town of artists would be our reccommendations.
  
  A great way to travel around is by bikes that we will be happy to lend you.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Wi-FI works good at Reception building.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Any size campervans/motorhomes is okay. Electricity, grey/black waters station, drinking water is provided.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Pets must be friendly with other pets. Just let us know before you come.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  maximum 5 hours per day, 5 days a week

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