Asociación Juvenil Teatral On&Off

a szervezet leírása

In the year 2000 the youth association ON&OFF was created in Logroño as a non-profit organisation to join together all the ex-students and current students of a local theater school: Dinámica Teatral. The main aim of ON&OFF is to promote cultural and artistic initiatives, and always trying to create an intercultural framework for the participation, understanding and inclusion of all its members, the society of Logroño and the youth in general.
According to this the main aims of the organisation are:
- To join together those young people interested on the theater and drama using learning groups, experimentation and staging.
- To organize cultural and leisure time activities for youth.
- To take part on participative events such as meetings, exchanges, contests, etc. at local, national or international level.
- To cooperate with local entities and administrations on the implementation of theater spectacles at local, national or international level.
- To carry out training courses, workshops and activities for educating children, youth and adults (intergenerational projects).
- To create specific working and learning groups for improving staging on any field (lights, sound, atrezzo, etc.).
- To promote the participation of children and youth in cooperation with the municipality of Logroño and with the Department for Childhood and Youth of the government of La Rioja (“Área de Infancia y Juventud del Gobierno de La Rioja”) in order to develop theater contests and performances.
- To develop participation meetings to allow young people the exchange of good practices, information and personal experiences.
- To performance open theater plays for private and/or public entities.
- To manage groups of young people who could take part on initiatives coordinated by other partner organisations out of Logroño (meetings, youth exchanges, seminars, etc.).
- To organize cultural and free time activities for its members (trips, excursions, visits, camps, etc.).
- To cooperate on the public events organized every year by the municipality of Logroño (Ex. Christmas or carnival public parades).
Besides these regular objectives and goals, the board of the organization propose every year new activities and challenges related to theater and drama that could be considered interesting for the members of the organization. These new challenges or participation opportunities offer to all the members of ON&OFF new ways of participation and learning, that do not only improve their skills on the theater field, but that also help them to develop their personal competences, self-initiative and entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, the non-formal and drama methodologies used regularly by the entity, make all its activities accessible and suitable for any kind of users, promoting the participation of young people with fewer opportunities and especially of those with mobility, expression and/or communication difficulties.
It currently has 2 part-time people hired, 1 volunteer with 37% intellectual disability, 3 European volunteers waiting to re-integrate into the activities suspended by COVID 19 and 97 partners in the membership book updated on 03-01-2020.
Our Assembly structure is based on young people approving, reflecting, proposing and helping to execute the activities of the Association.
Our activities have 2 fundamental aspects: 1 local and another international carried out with ERASMUS + funds.
Among the most outstanding local activities we mention: intensive weekend courses with teachers from the Dinamica Teatral, theatre school, actors who come to present their work in the Black Room – Café Theatre , and young people who have received training in some area of performing arts knowledge and who offers it to partners and non-partners. Themed weekend and vacation coexistence. Our inclusive parties where people of all ages come to play, dance and get to know each other.
In 2019 the most outstanding local projects were:
“La Plaza del Pueblo” Emblematic Initiative to combat Depopulation, we held Workshops to promote Interculturality and Youth Emancipation in rural areas of La Rioja. We traveled to 11 towns in La Rioja, with the participation of 209 people.
“Study to build” NGO Coopera.
We carried out 10 Awareness Workshops on the SDGs in Riojan Institutes, a total of 211 young people between the ages of 14 and 16 took part.
With the international projects we started in 2007, carrying out youth exchanges, training courses for youth workers and seminars to share good practices on issues related to young people, people with disabilities and groups at risk of social exclusion, which they use performing arts as a pedagogical tool.
Thus, we provide theatrical experiences in English, theatrical, musical and scenic training, exchanging knowledge, culture and experience with young people from other countries.
We have also already developed 3 KA2, they are key actions for innovation and the development of new intellectual results: as manuals and videos that help facilitators to use the performing arts as a tool.
We are interested in the topics that Europe promotes, since we work with groups at risk of exclusion, LGBT, people with disabilities, young people with fewer opportunities, depopulation, the environment, etc.
We currently have 21 European partners, from Germany, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Austria, etc. We have carried out 47 European projects, 28 of them between 2017 and 2019.
With an average of 36 direct participants in each of the projects, we reached a total of 1,692 young people. And an average of viewers of 80 people, a total of 3,760.
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Our entity embraces the values of the European Solidarity Corps and is committed to the local and global community in promoting solidarity, respectful activities, protecting dignity and human rights, helping to build a just and egalitarian society in which pluralism prevails, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice solidarity and equality. Our experience with European volunteers began in 2015, since then 8 European volunteers have passed through our entity who have highly valued the experience provided to them

Among the activities that our entity carries out year after year, there are activities that are more or less permanent, these are proposed to future volunteers, so that they freely and in knowledge of their abilities and needs, value those in which they want to participate , establishing an approximate schedule for the distribution of tasks from day to day until completing 20 hours a week.
Some activities in which volunteers can decide to participate are:
- ARSIDO Performing Arts Workshop- Riojana Association for Down Syndrome, which is a theater group made up of members with Down Syndrome and local volunteers, where we carry out theatrical productions that go on tour in La Rioja theaters, volunteers can develop different roles in this activity: actors, directors, props, filmmakers, lighting and / or sound technicians, costumes, hairdressing and makeup. This group promotes the value of integration and respect for human dignity to build an egalitarian society, since they will participate in integrated work through theater.
- Theater, dance and sport workshops every afternoon in different schools and in the School itself, in this activity they can enter as apprentices and assistant directors of the responsible teachers.
Manufacture of props and decorations for the works. Organization and purchase of materials necessary for manufacturing
.- Office work in the mornings; Updating of social networks, learning of ERASMUS + topics, carrying out tasks of each project such as: purchases, excel calendar of projects, of participants, preparation and dispatch of youthpass.- Conferences, camps and international meetings with young people, seminars and trainings courses with ERASMUS +. In these activities they participate as photographers, organizing small activities, as well as aspects of their logistics.
Weekly exchange of languages for locals and foreigners, which is proposed as a place for language learning among equals as well as a meeting place for diverse people who seek mutual understanding despite language barriers. This task is usually always activated by the volunteers and takes the form that they want to give it.
- It is very important for our entity to take good quality audiovisual material and put together beautiful and fun videos or presentations, so we usually offer these tasks to volunteers who have ability, experience or motivation in making films, so there remains a contribution to the Logroño society, since we always collect photos of significant places such as Calle Laurel, the Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda, the Museums, etc. Collaborating to provide Europe and the world with a beautiful image of Logroño.
- The participants of the European Solidarity Corps usually participate in "Spanish classes" at the Popular University of La Rioja or at the Colegio Plus Ultra, and this helps them create networks of solidarity between themselves and other ERASMUS, increasing respect among people of different cultures and traditions, and building small communities of mutual support.
In addition to the ON & OFF staff, ON & OFF member partners fully support the transition process to volunteer accommodation. It should be noted that ON & OFF is an entity with an intercultural background with members of different nationalities, which keeps us open to meet and welcome. We have extensive experience dealing with interculturality in its activities, having carried out several projects related to this value. Apart from the volunteers we have received, we have participated in sending 3 volunteers. We have participated in Training organized by INJUVE in Molina, in the CES Seal Course online, and in other courses to learn and share good practices on the European Body.
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ON & OFF is recognized by local public institutions, that is, the Government of La Rioja and the City of Logroño, through the Riojano Institute for Youth, the Child and Youth Unit of the City, Logroño Intercultural, the Youth Councils of Logroño, La Rioja and Comarcas, the European Centers for Information and Promotion of the Rural Environment (CEIP), and various Town Halls of towns in La Rioja such as Camprovín, Ocón, Alfaro, Ezcaray, Canillas de Río Tuerto, Badarán, Nalda, Santurde, Viniegra, Canales , Bathrooms, etc.
After 20 years of activity they have led us to collaborate and identify with the projects of non-profit entities such as:
REAS Rioja (The Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy) with whom we carry out the project "The town square".
ARSIDO (Riojana Association for Down Syndrome) with whom we carry out inclusive performing arts workshops for people with and without Down syndrome.
Diagrama Foundation, with whom we hold theater workshops with minors who have already had problems with the law.
Pioneros Foundation holding theater workshops to communicate the richness of Interculturality.
NGO cooperates promoting the “Study to build” campaign in which we familiarize young people with the SDGs 2030.
Amsala NGO this entity has numerous projects in Guatemala and Central America, we do solidarity storytelling to raise funds for soup kitchens.
In Zigzag NGO, together with those who recorded a mounted Performance for young people to express their thoughts and emotions in relation to hate speech and rumors.
AAVV (Neighborhood Associations) of Logroño that we help developing activities to make a city, make a neighborhood, generating networks of intergenerational collaboration.
AMPAS of Schools of La Rioja with which we develop theater workshops by age groups during the school year, as well as camps during vacation periods.
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Currently it has a staff of:
5 members of the Board of Directors made up of President, Secretary, Treasurer and 2 members.
2 youth workers hired part-time.
1 local volunteer with 40% of intellectual disability.
4 trainees from the Higher Schools of Design and Sociocultural Animation.
3 European volunteers.
111 members between the ages of 10 and 30. Although most of the partners are in the age range of 13 to 17 years.
ON & OFF member partners fully support the transition process to volunteer accommodation. It should be noted that ON & OFF is an entity with an intercultural background with members of different nationalities, which keeps us open to meet and welcome. We have extensive experience dealing with interculturality in our activities, having carried out several projects related to this value.
Apart from the hosted volunteers, we have participated in sending 3 volunteers. We have participated in training courses organized by INJUVE in Molina, in the online CES Seal Online Course, and other courses to learn and share good practices about the European Corps.

The position of General Director for Alejandro Ramonda Contreras, and Executive Director by Silvia Sáenz both of which were appointed by the General Assembly.
Alejandro has been working as a freelancer since 1996, managing the projects that he himself promotes. His bond with the Association was born from the participation of his children who have been students of the Theater School and who have also been part of the Board of Directors. Alejandro provides his services without charging "ad honorem" advice, organization of protocols for the Official Law on Data Protection and Occupational Risks, participates in meetings to resolve conflicts, by providing his expert eye on laws. He has helped us organize administrative matters, developing protocols for the management of invoices, grants, expenses, etc. to keep the accounts transparent.
Silvia Sáenz is one of the 2 people hired part-time. She is an "elementary level teacher" trained throughout her life in various theatrical techniques, in educational coaching, in creativity, human relations, multiple intelligences, new methodological trends in the development of expressiveness through theater and new inclusive methodologies of people with diverse abilities. She has participated as an active volunteer from 2000 to 2019 in ON & OFF, since 2019 she has been hired part-time. Until today, she has been the mentor of local and international volunteers who are involved in the Association.
Raúl Cadarso Sotés, current president, 3D designer, a young man who has completed his training in a formal and non-formal way. He is a strong defender of non-formal education as a trainer of those who cannot be integrated into the educational system. A creative person with great executive capacity, an expert in accompanying people of all ages to play, experiment, develop their expressive abilities, providing technical content and scenic research.
Yanis Ramonda Sáenz is the other person hired part-time by ON & OFF, English language student at the University of La Rioja. Actress since birth, singer, with the ability to coordinate and lead work teams in artistic and educational fields. Digital native, decisive communicator with an interest in creating open and safe young work spaces, developing the maximum individual potential.
The tasks of writing, executing and justifying projects are carried out by Yanis, Raúl and Silvia indistinctly. For the execution of specific projects, the entity hires the people it needs according to the characteristics of the project. Teachers, educators, free time monitors, etc. to provide training in seminars and training courses, direct performances in youth exchanges, as well as the development of manuals or videos, KA2 intellectual products including Projecting Youth http: //www.projectingyouth. eu /; Drama for youth work https://dramaforyouthwork.eu/; Interarts http://www.interarts.eu/
In the specific case of the tasks to be carried out with the volunteers, Silvia will continue to be the mentor because she loves it and does it very well and Yanis will be the coordinator of welcoming and sending volunteers, carrying out the training and follow-up that she requires.

Volunteering project