Imagine Calais project

CHILDREN's CARNIVAL IN THE JUNGLE

We went to the refugee Camp in Calais for the first time in February 2016. That weekend was Nowruz, the persian new year and in timely fashion, we were there with instruments (percussions, guitars, bells...) and a music therapist! We played music by a bonfire the camp residents had made for us. The next day, we took our little ensemble to the family lane.

Our introduction to the camp and to its residents and their extremely precarious conditions was beautiful, absurd and devastating. There we were, singing together, celebrating a new year far from home, in the mud, in joy and in pain.

We have been planning this project for a while now, constantly readjusting and adapting it to the latest news from the camp. This is the very nature of their existence: uncertain, in limbo, temporary, yet devoid of any future prospectives. We knew we wanted to do something with the children. With them and for them.

The main idea behind this project is regeneration. We want to plant a seed in what seems to be a sterile soil and watch it grow.

THE PROJECT

The concept is very simple.

We will go to the camp for the whole month of July with a stock full of paintbrushes, different colour paints, chalk, stencils (&more) and great big white and black pieces of drawing paper.

We will work with the children (although anyone is welcome to take part!) at their own pace.

The theme is “Carnival in the jungle” !

Each child will pick his/her favourite animal. We will help them craft their papier-mâché animal mask. Once they are set out to dry, we will all start the frieze depicting "the Jungle".

In the final stage, we will bring both works together and take stunning pictures of the the children’s Carnival. Using these pictures, we will then print a few thousand postcards and calendars and bring a lot back to Calais so they can sell them to visitors in the school and around the camp, in makeshift kitchens and shops.

We will also have our own stock in London and Paris.

Thus, we will keep fundraising for the families and the school throughout the year!

The prints will be exhibited in a gallery in London and in Paris in Autumn.

GET INVOLVED

The camp in Calais is not officially recognised by the French government making it an illegal settlement. The camp is entirely supported by volunteers and voluntary organisations.

Recent violent events in the camp have led to fires destroying hundreds of shelters. With high numbers of refugees arriving everyday, equipment and resources are more than ever needed.

The residents have gone through and still are enduring unimaginable suffering.

So imagine the children...
The obstacles they face to this day would destroy any little glimpse of hope or faith in any of us, yet the sheer resilience, the determination and the seemingly unshakable dignity these people have is beyond words.

As much as we would like to fund ourselves completely on this project, we are two students without any income.

We need your help. Donate to allow us to carry out the project. You will help us bring joy to the children of Calais and enable us to generate together a source of funds that they will directly benefit from.

We are aiming for 1,800€.

HOW WE WILL USE YOUR DONATIONS

• A contribution towards our accommodation for 3 people in Calais
  + car rental to pick up the equipment and bring it to the camp 600€
  
  
• Art material for our workshops
  + 1st batch of postcards & calendar prints 600€
  
  
• Funds for a Calais volunteer organisation to help them build shelters 600€

Any extra donations will go to a Calais volunteer organisation and directly benefit the camp's residents.

REWARDS

For every donation under 10€, a massive thank you and a collective Jungle roaaaaarR !

For every 10€ donation, we will send you 1 of our sublime postcards!

Following that logic,

10€ = 1 awesome jungle postcard.

20€ = 2 awesome jungle postcards.

30€ = 3 awesome jungle postcards.

and so onnn....

For every 100€ donation, you will get a pack of 10 postcards and our very unique 2017 Jungle Carnival Calendar !

(We will contact you to ask for your personal address so that we can send your reward to you - or you can send it directly to us at [email protected])

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP !

Any donation will make a BIIIIIG difference !