Project Location: Stöðvarfjörður is between Fárskrúðsfjörður and Breiðdalsvík, and is a part of the 4600 inhabitants commune of Fjarðabyggð, the village itself having 190 residents. For a long time the main employment of the village was fisheries, but the last few years employment possibilities have undergone many changes. A few years ago the fish factory of Stöðvarfjörður was bought over by a big corporation that kept it open for a while, but it was quickly closed. Because of this, most of the services of the village have been closed down and unified in the nearby area in Fjarðabyggð.
Now most of the people of Stöðvarfjöður are forced to work outside of the town. However the last few years have seen changes that have created an interesting environment for development in the area.
Recently there were plans to demolish the closed down fish factory. However a group of artistic individuals and entrepreneurs bought the fish factory in hopes of creating a sustainable art centre. The fish factory will now hold a variety of workshops and a certified kitchen, to name a few of the many projects. The project is well on its way. In addition to this the freezer room has been converted into a spacious auditorium with a wonderful sound, making it a perfect room for concerts.
The village has a rich tradition in crafts and the production of natural products. The town also boasts a stone museum that attracts thousands of tourists each year. As well as this the town holds an annual self sustainable festial called Maður er manns gaman, which rouhgly translates to: We are our own entertainment.
The old church serves as a hostel, and for the duration of the festival will also host concerts and various events.
Pólar is a two day cultural and workshop oriented festival that will be held from the 12th to the 14th of July. The festival is aimed at bringing people from all backgrounds and diverse creative disciplines together, to share skills and knowledge. One of the principle objectives of the festival is to highlight Stöðvarfjörður and the many opportunities the town offers in terms of development and innovation. There will be a strong emphasis on exploring non-traditional employment possibilities in rural Iceland.
One of the main impetuses of the festival is collaboration: Finding ways to encourage the skills of each individual participant, and utilize these skills in the progression of the festival. The festival will be organized in a series of short diverse workshops, lectures, a conference and various artistic events. The conference will be focusing on professional and regional development for the East of Iceland, with specific attention brought to the arts, production, and creative professions.
Work: We will help the locals to organize the workshops and to run the festival. We will also participate in the workshops during the festival. The volunteers will have the opportunity to do some environmental work before and after the festival.
Leisure: Worldwide Friends volunteers have free access to the local swimming pool in Stöðvarfjörður. Traditionally, natural pools have played an important social role in Icelandic culture. Most Icelandic pools offer indoor and outdoor swimming, as well as hot tubs and saunas or steam rooms.
WF Iceland will also organise reasonably-priced weekend excursions to some of the most popular, beautiful areas and natural wonders that Iceland has to offer. Excursions include unique Icelandic sights such as lagoons, waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal areas, glaciers, lava forests, hot-springs, rhyolite mountain ranges or steam-vents..
Accommodation and Food: In a community centre. Mattresses will be provided and everyone is asked to bring his/her own warm sleeping bag. We will have access to showers at the local swimming pool.
The food will be supplied for the duration of the work camp and everyone is expected to do his/her fair share of the cooking/cleaning. It would be nice to try new and different dishes, so please remember to bring along recipes from your own countries.
Language: A basic knowledge of English is required for this workcamp.
Terminal: Intl. Airport: Keflavík (KEF), Reykjavík. The closest national airport to the camp site is Egilsstaðir airport which is 40 km away from the project’s site.
Flights arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), just south of Reykjavik, Iceland. WF Iceland will offer a minibus trip from Reykjavik to Stöðvarfjörður and back again for 150 EURO – o nthe way to the camp we will go through the south and from the camp we will go through the North so this will be trip around the island. This trip includes unique Icelandic sights such as glacial lagoons, waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal areas, glaciers, geysirs, lava forests, hot-springs, rhyolite mountain ranges, steam-vents, or even icebergs.
Additional Information: There is an extra participation fee of 180,- Euro for this workcamp.