Nature Γ— Creativity Γ— Self-sufficiency

ARK Year-Round Residency

Come for a season. Bring your skills. Build something that lasts.

ARK is developing a living ecosystem around a private lake in the Danube region of Serbia.

We are looking for skilled, curious and self-motivated people who want to spend several weeks or months at ARK β€” sharing their knowledge, creating practical value and helping us prepare the place for the future.

This is not a volunteer holiday.

Every resident is expected to contribute enough value to cover their own stay and the resources they consume.

We are looking for people who can grow, build, create, teach, repair, design or produce.

A small community

We have space for a maximum of 12 residents at one time, organised in up to four small teams of up to three people.

We deliberately keep the community small.

We are looking for a good mix of skills, personalities and perspectives rather than simply filling beds.

The ideal team combines different abilities:

Nature + Creativity + Practical Skills

People learn from each other, work together and leave behind something useful.

Who are we looking for?

Nature Makers

People who understand living systems.

GardenersFarmersHorticulturistsBiologistsBotanistsPermaculture designersAgroecologistsHerbalistsBeekeepersAnimal keepersEnvironmental educators

You may work on

  • 🌱 vegetable production
  • 🌳 orchards & food forests
  • 🌿 herbs & medicinal plants
  • 🌱 nurseries & propagation
  • 🫘 seeds & seed saving
  • 🐝 pollinators
  • πŸ“ animals
  • ♻️ compost & soil
  • πŸ’§ water systems
  • 🌾 food production & preservation
  • 🌳 biodiversity

Creative Makers

People who can turn ideas into things people can see, experience and remember.

SculptorsPaintersPhotographersFilmmakersGraphic designersArchitectsProduct designersArtistsContent creatorsMarketersStorytellers

You may work on

  • 🎨 outdoor art
  • πŸ—Ώ sculptures
  • πŸ“Έ ARK photography
  • πŸŽ₯ video & storytelling
  • 🎨 visual identity
  • πŸ“± social media
  • 🌐 website & digital content
  • πŸͺ§ signs & installations
  • πŸ’‘ new experiences for visitors

Practical Makers

People who know how to make things work.

CarpentersBuildersMetalworkersMechanicsElectriciansPlumbersFabricatorsDIY specialistsMakers

Especially during autumn and winter, our workshops become places to build, repair, experiment and prepare for the next season.

Autumn & winter are building season

The season does not end when summer ends.

It changes.

Autumn is the time to harvest, collect seeds, prepare the soil, plant trees, plan gardens and prepare the ecosystem for spring.

Winter is the time to learn, design, build and create.

We can work with tools, wood and other materials, repair infrastructure, make sculptures and installations, develop products, plan gardens, create content and prepare everything that needs to be ready when spring arrives.

Winter at ARK is not waiting for the next season.

It is building the next season.

A full-year cycle

Autumn

  • Harvest
  • Seeds
  • Soil
  • Planting
  • Planning

Winter

  • Learning
  • Designing
  • Building
  • Making
  • Preparing

Spring

  • Planting
  • Growing
  • Creating
  • Launching

Summer

  • Production
  • Events
  • Visitors
  • Experiences

Then the cycle starts again.

Our goal is to gradually create systems that become more productive, more beautiful and more self-sufficient every year.

Knowledge is your contribution

We are especially interested in people who are willing to share what they know.

You might teach:

gardeningplant propagationpermaculturewoodworkingsculpturephotographycookingnatural buildingdesignmarketingecologyor any other practical skill

You don’t have to be a teacher.

If you know how to do something well, we want to learn from you.

And you will learn from the people around you.

Self-sustaining residency

ARK provides a place to live, work and learn.

In return, residents contribute practical work, knowledge, production or creative output.

We are building the program around one simple principle:

Your contribution should cover your stay and the resources you use.

This can happen in many ways. You might produce food. You might establish a productive garden. You might build something. You might create an artwork. You might teach workshops. You might produce valuable visual content. You might develop a marketing campaign. You might create a new product.

The important thing is that your contribution has real value for ARK.

We agree on expectations and responsibilities before the residency begins.

What you receive

Depending on the project and length of your stay, ARK provides:

  • accommodation
  • agreed meals / food support
  • workspace and access to tools where appropriate
  • access to the lake and natural surroundings
  • practical learning
  • knowledge exchange
  • participation in ARK activities and events
  • a chance to develop your own project
  • a chance to become part of a growing community

Longer stays and specific project arrangements can be discussed individually.

We are looking for builders, not tourists

You don’t need a perfect CV.

You don’t need ten certificates.

You do need:

  • initiative
  • reliability
  • curiosity
  • practical ability
  • the willingness to share
Apply / Get in touchRead the volunteer agreement