La Guarimba Music Camp

LA GUARIMBA MUSIC CAMP

La Guarimba Music Camp is a residency for emerging musicians and composers that takes place in Calabria, the wildest region of Italy.

For the third edition, we are looking for 5 musicians who want to connect with their inner self, people who are struggling with creative block or who want to find new inspiration.
You will attend a music training program, structured with different activities that take place in our spaces in Amantea.
A team of tutors will follow your creative process, applying non-formal education methodologies and fostering a cultural exchange with the local community.

WHEN

The 3rd edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from the 5th to the 22nd of September 2026.

THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

The residency participants will be hosted in shared apartments, equipped with everything they will need.

During the day, different activities will be organised in our spaces and around Amantea. Guided tours, lunches with local foods and meetings with traditional musicians will be organised to allow participants to immerse themselves in the local culture.

We will offer everyone the opportunity to work in our library that provides workstations, computers, fast internet, and other resources. Training activities will take place in our recording studio, in which participants will be able to compose and record original works.

We will host open-air events and performances in our cultural space Il Terrenito, located next to our offices, in the center of Amantea.
The residency is divided in 3 parts:

1° Inputs & Inspiration

  • Naked Session – The Meeting: a place to introduce themselves and talk about their expectations.
  • Jam session with participants: a time to enjoy the language of music and what we all bring differently to the experience.
  • Jam session with local musicians: For two hours we will meet and interact with folk musicians to be inspired by their instruments and sounds.
  • Group Experimentation Sessions: We conduct creative exercises aimed at exploring how one might represent colors, images, drawings, names, or other sounds sonically.

2° Opening & Immersion

  • Kino day: For one day, the two residencies meet for a whole day. This allows for 55 creative people from around the world to spend the day participating in immersive activities to get to know each other.
  • Naked Session – The Progress: In the safe space of our studio the musicians and the tutor get together to talk about the advancements in their music and compositions, the advances in the music they are composing and to listen to the references that inspire their songs.

3° The Concert & the Final Impressions

  • Live Performance: Musicians perform in Il Terrenito for the town. This is a night to get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the work you have done for yourself and for the group.
  • Naked Session – The Conclusions: Delivery of the songs you have made and showcase to all the participants.

WHEN

The 3rd edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from the 5th to the 22nd of September 2026.

THE PROCESS

Pedagogy

​​Our educational approach is based on the non formal education theories of Cooperative Learning and Montessori Education, based on sharing, independence and finding creative solutions to problems.

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

Production

You will work with complete autonomy and creative freedom, according to the Montessori principles of empowerment through clear rules, freedom to choose, to make mistakes, and to develop your own path in a natural and spontaneous way. We create a safe environment where you will challenge yourselves and collaborate with others in complete confidence. The residency tutors will guide participants on 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 achieve common goals. This method invests more in the process than the result, moving away from the anxiety of delivering a finished product and making people understand the importance of teamwork and learning. 

PARTICIPANT FEES

  • A) Residency + shared accommodation max 3 people per room (12 nights): €600
  • B) Residency + private room (12 nights): €760
WHAT INCLUDES

The residency covers:

  • 18 Nights accommodation in an apartment in Amantea.
  • 1 Welcome kit including a tote bag and some goodies.
  • 1 Welcome dinner.
  • 1 Speed Dating + breakfast event.
  • 1 Social lunch.
  • 1 Guided tour of the Amantea historical center.
  • Assistance from our tutor during sound recording and post-production of your music.
  • A sound engineer for your studio time and for your live performance.
  • The use of our studio for 3 hours per day.
  • Networking events with the other 50 participants from all over the world.
  • An unforgettable experience.

HOW TO APPLY

  • Form. Fill out the form before July 5th. We will read your application and contact you via email.
  • Interview. We will meet in a 15-minute informal video call on Zoom.
  • Selection. If you are selected, we will contact you again via email explaining the next steps.
  • Confirmation. 

There are 5 available spots for participants which will be determined by a selection process based on portfolio, enthusiasm, and willingness to discover.

Don’t wait until the last day to send your application, because we usually fill all the spots before.

Important notes

  • The program does not cover travel expenses.
  • Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and bathroom.
  • The apartments do not have air conditioning or WIFI.
REFUND POLICY

In the event of a withdrawal of the participant who has already paid the registration fee, the organization can guarantee a 50% refund of the sum only if the withdrawal is communicated within 45 days before the start of the residency and is caused by a valid reason.

INSURANCE

It is your responsibility to protect yourself and your belongings. Our organization will not take responsibility for damage or loss of personal property before, during, or after the residency.

LEGAL

Know our legal aspects:

  • By participating, musicians give rights to La Guarimba to use the finished songs for promotional activities, on the understanding that this use will not damage or interfere with any festival strategy 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 participating in La Guarimba Music Camp, participants consent to be captured in photos and/or videos, to the reproduction and publication by any technical means of their images for journalistic and institutional-promotional use of the activities related to the event.
  • Individual portraits will also be taken. In case you do not want to be filmed, we advise you not to take part in the residency.
F.A.Q.

I am a musician with a long professional career in the industry. Can I apply for this residency?

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

I have never composed a song, can I sign up?

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

I have a creative block, can I do the residency?

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

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