La Guarimba Music Camp

LA GUARIMBA MUSIC CAMP

La Guarimba Music Camp is a residency for emerging musicians and composers held in Calabria, Italy’s wildest region.

For the fourth edition, we’re looking for 5 musicians who want to reconnect with their deepest sense of self, people going through a creative block or looking to find new inspiration.
You’ll take part in a music training programme, structured around different activities held in our spaces in Amantea.
A team of tutors will accompany your creative process, applying non-formal education methods and encouraging cultural exchange with the local community.

WHEN
The 4th edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from 5 to 22 September 2027.

THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Residency participants will be hosted in shared apartments, equipped with everything you need.

During the day, we’ll organize various activities in our spaces and around Amantea. There will be guided tours, lunches with local produce, and meetings with traditional musicians so participants can immerse themselves in local culture.
Everyone will have access to our library, offering workstations, computers, fast internet and other resources. Training activities will take place in our recording studio, where participants can compose and record original work.
We’ll host outdoor events and performances in our cultural space Il Terrenito, located next to our offices in the centre of Amantea.
The residency is divided into 3 parts:

1st Input and Inspiration

  • Naked Session – The Meeting: a moment to introduce yourselves and talk about your expectations.
  • Jam session with participants: a moment to enjoy the language of music and what each person brings that’s different to the experience.
  • Jam session with local musicians: for two hours we’ll meet and interact with folk musicians, drawing inspiration from their instruments and sounds.
  • Group experimentation sessions: creative exercises exploring how colours, images, drawings, names or other sounds can be represented sonically.

2nd Opening and Immersion

  • Kino day: for a whole day, the two residencies meet. This allows 55 creative people from all over the world to spend the day together in immersive activities designed to help them get to know one another.
  • Naked Session – The Progress: in the safe space of our studio, musicians and tutors come together to talk about progress on their music and compositions, and to listen to the references inspiring their tracks.

3rd The Concert and Final Reflections

  • Live Performance: the musicians perform at Il Terrenito for the town. An evening to step outside your comfort zone and enjoy the work done for yourself and for the group.
  • Naked Session – The Conclusions: delivery of the finished tracks and presentation to all participants.

WHEN

The 4th edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from 5 to 22 September 2027.

THE PROCESS

Pedagogy

Our educational approach is based on the non-formal education theories of Cooperative Learning and the Montessori method, grounded in sharing, independence and the search for creative solutions to problems.

The training also involves sharing living spaces, equipment and the people you work with. We want to empower participants and make them more independent.

Production

You’ll work with complete autonomy and creative freedom, following Montessori principles of empowerment through clear rules, freedom to choose, freedom to make mistakes, and the freedom to develop your own path naturally and spontaneously. We create a safe environment where you can test yourself and collaborate with others in full trust. The residency’s tutors will accompany participants along this path, without interfering with their personal process of learning and making mistakes.

The Kino Method

Our residency is inspired by the Kino method, which promotes the non-competitive development of different projects, with the various teams working together to reach common goals. This method invests more in the process than in the results, moving away from the anxiety of delivering a finished product and helping people understand the importance of teamwork and learning.

PARTICIPATION FEES

  • A) Residency + shared accommodation, max 3 people per room (17 nights): €600
  • B) Residency + private room (17 nights): €760

WHAT’S INCLUDED
The residency includes:

  • 17 nights of accommodation in an apartment in Amantea.
  • 1 welcome kit with a tote bag and some gifts.
  • 1 welcome dinner.
  • 1 speed dating event + breakfast.
  • 1 social lunch.
  • 1 guided tour of Amantea’s historic centre.
  • Tutor support during audio recording and post-production of your music.
  • A sound engineer for your studio sessions and live performance.
  • Use of our studio for 3 hours a day.
  • Networking events with the other 50 participants of the parallel Kino Film Residency, coming from all over the world.
  • An unforgettable experience.

HOW TO APPLY

  • Form. Fill in the form by 30 May. We’ll read your application and get in touch by email.
  • Interview. We’ll meet for an informal 15-minute video call on Zoom.
  • Selection. If you’re selected, we’ll contact you again by email explaining the next steps. Final results will be announced by 1 July.
  • Confirmation.

5 spots are available for participants, who will be selected based on portfolio, enthusiasm and eagerness to discover.

Don’t wait until the last day to send in your application, as we usually fill all the spots in advance.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Important notes

  • The programme does not cover travel expenses.
  • Every apartment has a kitchen and bathroom.
  • The apartments do not have air conditioning or WIFI.
REFUND POLICY

If a participant withdraws after having already paid the registration fee, the organization can guarantee a refund of only 50% of the amount, and only if the withdrawal is communicated at least 45 days before the start of the residency and is due to a valid reason.

INSURANCE

It is your responsibility to protect yourself and your personal belongings. Our organization takes no responsibility for damage or loss of personal property before, during or after the residency.

LEGAL ASPECTS
Here are our legal terms:

  • By taking part, musicians grant La Guarimba the right to use the tracks produced for promotional purposes, provided this use does not damage or interfere with any festival strategies previously agreed with the musician.
  • During the residency, a photographer and a videomaker from our team will take photos and videos of the activities. By taking part in La Guarimba Music Camp, participants consent to being photographed and/or filmed, and to the reproduction and publication, by any technical means, of their images for journalistic and institutional-promotional purposes related to the event’s activities.
  • Individual portraits will also be taken. If you do not wish to be filmed, we recommend not taking part in the residency.
F.A.Q.

I'm a musician with a long professional career in the field. Can I apply for this residency?

Yes, you can. This is a place to grow your creativity and explore different ways of making music.

I've never composed a track before — can I apply?

The only thing you need to apply for the music residency is a basic knowledge of music and a willingness to learn and explore.

I have a creative block — can I take part in the residency?

Of course. This is the perfect place to unblock your creativity and reconnect with your talent.

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