Ecuador: Amazonian Arts: Pottery, Jewelry, Weaving, Dance, and Music

Introduction

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and has thousands of species of plants, insects, and animals. For thousands of years, Amazonian indigenous peoples have been utilizing the gifts of the Pachamama – Mother Earth – to create art and goods, such as bowls, cups, paints, jewelry, and even clothes. Also, many local dances celebrate the earth for her gifts and others tell stories of life in the rainforest including hunting, animal encounters, falling in love, and marriage.

This internship is a unique opportunity to experience the cultures of the Ecuadorian Amazon through the mediums of art, pottery, music, and dance.Interns support on-going arts projects and have the opportunity to design and implement their own workshops about art, marketing, tourism, or a different topic of interest with locals.

Daily Life

Internships begin with an orientation in the city of Tena. After, interns spend the first few weeks getting to know their host family and getting introduced to their placements. Depending on the needs of the placement, potential internship activities include:

• Learn about the different art forms of the host community and who makes the artisan goods
• Attend music, dance, and storytelling events led by community members
• Hike through agroforestry farms in the forest and collect natural materials for drawing, jewelry-making, dying, and ceramics
• Practice different forms of art with locals, including weaving baskets and bags, making jewelry, wood carving, and more
• Assist local entrepreneurs with design and marketing of their woven goods, jewelry, and other products
• Design and implement arts-based workshops to share with community members
• Design and implement workshops topics related to a topic of interest and that incorporate art as a method of transmitting knowledge; using art to talk about recycling, environmental conservation, leadership, self-esteem, etc.
• Assist with tourism activities, including cooking, preparing cabins, guiding visitors, translating, and explaining on-going art projects
• Organize English lessons with locals who are eager to advance their language skills and receive Spanish and Kichwa lessons from them as well

Travel & Accom.

The best airport to fly into is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. Interns need to arrive to Quito no later than the night before their orientation begins. Quito is only 4 hours from Tena, the main city in the Napo Province. On the morning of orientation, a staff member schedules a taxi to pick interns up and bring them to Tena for training; they just have to pay the driver upon arrival.

Interns stay in Tena during orientation, and the cost of the accommodation is provided. The rest of the program is spent living with a local host family. This is an amazing opportunity to immerse in the local community, learn about the culture, and practice Spanish. Host families provide 3 meals per day, bedding, and a place to do laundry.

Requirements

We recommend that interns have an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency (or a strong motivation to learn quickly before and upon arriving!), and bring knowledge in their area of research if looking to do a personal project. Interns are expected to finance their own travel costs (international and while on site).

Further requirements include:

• Minimum 4 weeks commitment, recommended 8-12 weeks (flexibility for a minimum of 2 weeks however this could affect the price).
• Academic and/or professional experience in the fields of art, theater, music, dance, literature, sociology, anthropology, or a related field
• Full travel & medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary visa costs (Most nationalities are granted a 3-month tourist visa automatically upon arrival, and you can extend this for 3 more months for a fee while in-country. Always check specific visa requirements based on your nationality)

Costs

$750 USD for the 1st week, $550 USD* for each week thereafter.

* Currency conversions are approximate. Use xe.com for up to date currency conversion rates
** Payments may incur a bank transfer fee, participant is responsible for this fee.
*** Places are confirmed with a 1 week deposit.

What’s Included:

• Accommodation during orientation
• Accommodation and 3 meals a day with a host family. Includes a private room, bathroom, all bedding, and place to do laundry
• Guided pre-departure preparation
• In-country orientation that addresses risk management, culture shock, cross-cultural adaptation skills, history/culture/politics of Ecuador and the Amazon, team-building, goal-setting, and more
• 1:1 check-ins every week
• 24/7 emergency support
• Network of doctors, therapists, Spanish tutors in-country
• Access to network of experts and information databases for research support
• Exit interview and end-of-program reflection
• Alumni group and future references

What’s not included:

• Costs of flights and visa
• Costs of vaccinations
• $15 per day for food during orientation training
• Personal transportation
• Any other activities outside of scheduled program activities (white water rafting, yoga, workshops, guided jungle hikes, etc.)

Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators. We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.