Friday 22 April 2011

Questions and Answers about the Culture, Creativity and Celebration Workshop

Questions and Answers about the Culture, Creativity and Celebration Workshop

Questions and Answers about the Culture, Creativity and Celebration Workshop
21st April 2011
What should I do about insurance?

We don’t provide insurance for travel. We advise you to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – which will have details of your entitlement. You may wish to also get additional insurance - there are plenty of competitive insurance companies that do very cheap health insurance for short stays abroad.



Where will we be staying?

You will be staying in the city of Derby we have booked single rooms in a local hotel. Derby is the most central city in the UK and has been described as a City in the Countryside with over 300 green spaces. Markeaton Park has vast spaces of open parklands as well as a children`s wonderland, while Cathedral Green offers a breath of fresh air in the city centre. Derby is in the heart of the rolling Derbyshire countryside and has a UNESCO World Heritage site in the city centre, as it was the site of the first water powered silk mill in Britain. The city’s cathedral is connected to the medieval chapel of St Mary`s on the Bridge which is one of the few 14th century bridge chapels remaining in Britain today. The city regularly hosts the UK's largest free open air classical concert. Derby is where Rolls Royce the jet engine manufacturing firm is based and where Sir Frank Whittle the inventor of the turbojet engine undertook most of his work. Derby is also the home of Royal Crown Derby the only surviving manufacturer of fine bone china in the UK. Visitors can enjoy a factory tour before purchasing souvenirs in the gift shop. – if you would like to find out more visit this website. http://www.visitderby.co.uk/

How do I get from the airport to Derby?

We will send you information depending on where you will be travelling from Can I use Euros when I get to the UK? The currency of the UK is the pound (also called sterling) and not the euro – so you will need to change your money to be able to use it in the UK.

I can’t afford to get to the UK is there any help?

We have travel grants to get you here and back to where you live. The money is not endless so we ask that you travel as economically as possible. The amount of money available for disabled people has been increased to take into account their personal needs.

I’ve never travelled before - is there anything you can do to make it easier for me?

Yes – we are going to set up a Facebook account for people who want to travel from their home country together. This will mean you can chat in the forum in your own language and make your arrangements on how to get to the UK and back together as soon as you know that you have been successful with y our application. You will also get to know other people well before your time of travel. You may also have friends and colleagues who may also be interested in the workshop – please share the information as widely as possible so that they can also apply to attend.

Do I need good English to participate?

You do not need good English to attend the workshop. Although the workshop itself will be in English we will send out dictionaries/phrase books to get you started. It is also not a training course but an opportunity to share cultures and experiences so there will not be a heavy use of the written or verbal word.

Will I get some time off?

Yes – the draft programme has been designed to so that you will get at least one day off – you may wish to go into town shopping, or perhaps find out more about the city of Derby. The local carnival is scheduled on the same day Am I expected to do/bring anything? We ask that you bring with you something from home to talk about and share. For example food, clothes, something about the place where you live and or the culture where you are from so that you can share that with others in the group who will be doing the same?

I am disabled how will my needs be catered for?

We have chosen a hotel which has lifts and access for people who use wheelchairs. We also have put resources aside to address any access issues you feel are relevant – this is why we need you to tell us about your requirements on the application form. If you need a personal assistant it would be helpful to us if that person was interested in coming along on the course as a participant.

Can I apply for the course – I am not an ethnic minority?

Of course you can. We are keen to make sure that there is a mix of people from all groups and have put out the marketing to appeal to those groups because so few generally apply for these workshops.
Will British people also be at the workshop?

Yes – you will have a chance to meet up and share experiences with people who live in Britain. It will be a chance to talk about the British culture as well as your own.