Foret-Belleville 2014

Forêt-Belleville literally means Forest Beautiful Village, it's situated in the center of France and apart from woods there are also lakes.

We wanted to organize a big hospitality and sharing event in July 2014. In the style of Hitchgatherings, slightly more organized,

Another event that comes to mind is Monnai 2005, which was also around the 14th of July. Let me roughly quote pietshah, the organizer of that event:
 * good weather (eh eh eh...)
 * natural location, without city, without supermarket, without parkings
 * the participants are together for being together
 * participative atmosphere, there are no spectators
 * idealist organization: values, ethic (organic and local food, eco behaviour, participation of local actors, etc)
 * the big international game: people from all over the world, funny situation to gather citizens from 50 or 100 countries in a field in the French countryside
 * locals should be curious and participate to that incredible thing happening at their door

ACTION POINTS

 * Julien: combien de personnes pourrait-on héberger dans la prairie?
 * I (abyssin) met with Julien in January and it seems it would be 150 people rather than 500.
 * a: check Youth in Action grants
 * I met with people at Maison de l’Europe in Limoges and Eramus+ doesn’t seem to suit our projects very well, neither in terms of deadlines for filing the project (April) and getting an answer (July) nor criterias for funding (all due to the novelty of the program).
 * find EVS sending organization

Communication

 * BW forum: Wanted: 3 EVS volunteers to help organizing a big hospitality event in central France
 * FB hitchgathering group: We are planning a big hospitality event in the center of France...

EVS

 * http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/programme/action2_en.php
 * Forms? http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/eforms/index_en.php#1

mai - novembre
 * 1) premier: 15 jours immersion, découvrir le territoire, comment on vit
 * 2) organisation de l'évenement
 * 3) après: sept-nov: suite dans le territoire, plein d'assos alentours, participer des ces assos

Who
Organization: Please join the BW group: http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/1710
 * guaka
 * abyssin
 * vasijeunes (Julien) (preferably contacted in French)

On festival: 500 curious, excited hippies and punks

When

 * November: call for 3 EVS volunteers
 * January 15th: enter EVS applications
 * how much time for application to be approved?
 * July: event

Monday 14th of July is national holiday long weekend from Friday 11th till Tuesday 15th? people can come earlier and help set up leave later and help wrap up Festival Débranché the 14th of July (no nuclear power)

Where
17 hectare http://goo.gl/maps/UjyxR
 * a lot of hilly terrain
 * max 500 people
 * water and electricity can be provided
 * probably no showers
 * dry toilets

La limite du grand évènement dépend si on utilise nos sanitaires ou si on monte des WC sèches. Il y a 17 Ha de terrain, 2 cabanes en bois et plusieurs espaces de camping plus ou moins éloigné du point d'eau (un espace à 100m, un autre à 200 et 300 m, un a 800 et un autre à 1200 m.).

Registration
(one volunteer could try contacting SNCF for discount)
 * on BW (which implies new people will sign up) http://www.bewelcome.org/activities/582
 * encourage trains, ride shares and couple hitchhiking, discourage flying

VASI Jeunes

 * based in Foret Belleville, Creuse, France
 * Can host 3 EVS volunteers, between 2 and 12 months
 * http://vasijeunes.free.fr/

EVS volunteers

 * from EU or aspiring EU members, except France
 * 100 euro per month pocket money
 * food, lodging and travel to France is covered
 * Call for volunteers on BW and HW

Publicity

 * BW (also main event registration)
 * hitchwiki
 * hitchgathering
 * trashwiki
 * everyone is free to advertise the event elsewhere

pictures of Foret Belleville, la Creuse and also of Monnai 2005 Festival Débranché

Money

 * possibly BW/BeActive money
 * ask for donations during festival, if money remains BW can be paid back
 * Youth in Action, 5k? need more info
 * other grants?

Activities
workshops: sharing, traveling, ecology, ..
 * invite pasta madre
 * temporary buildings (straw bales?) http://buildingman.org style?

music: concerts
 * festival with regional bands
 * giant jam session (people should bring instruments)

activities:
 * visiting the lake

art:
 * body painting
 * land art (https://www.google.nl/search?q=land+art&tbm=isch)

competitions:
 * orienteering in wilderness
 * food preparing (fish stew, cassoulet...)
 * various sports (volleyball, football, etc.)
 * air gun shooting (a bit too violent?)

Other
des volontaires non-EVS. C'est tout a fait possible, il faut en discuter.

It might be possible to also have other volunteers around, e.g. to work on BW, but the internet is really not good.

Pre/Post Gatherings
Organize smaller gatherings on route, in geographical circles around the location:


 * UK, Hamburg, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Netherlands
 * Barcelona, Bilbao, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium
 * Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes