Practical Bamboo Internship
Come and be part of our Hands-On Bamboo Skills Training in Belega (15-20 min from Ubud), the village of world-famous Bamboo Craftsmen, Carpenters and Builders… Become an unbeatable hands-on bamboo builder and learn about bamboo: From the basics of carpentry techniques, functional design elements, modelling, furniture-making, art & interiors, traditional and modern design to getting hands-on experience in building techniques and tradie know-how alongside local families and culture… Bamboo Creative Internships is a hands-on experience for you to develop confidence and learn the basic concepts and techniques of working practically with bamboo.
This Internship program is for those who would like to familiarise themselves through gaining practical experience in bamboo building – to become proficient in bamboo design, carpentry and joinery along with gaining knowledge of the different qualities and styles of design and environmental requirements to build for. You will gain experience in bamboo joinery, carpentry and the design process through a group project and/or individual creative project (as you choose) with the guidance of expert bamboo carpenters and master-craftsmen learning the “tricks of the trade” and unique traditional skills of artesian bamboo workers. Internship programs are tailored according to the needs and interests of students.
Live-in or live-out Internship programs for bamboo building and product design are held 2-3 times per year for up to 8 people with 1 teacher for every 3 students. We are currently building a Bamboo School in Belega (15-20 min from Ubud in Bali) where local Balinese craftsmen directly share their skills and knowledge around bamboo construction through our workshop programs. The building will also provide student accommodation in future for group programs in bamboo and natural building and also host workshops where locals can share knowledge at a community level and ensure the skills of older generations are not lost through having an affordable venue and also sponsoring local workshops through our CSR programs. It will also be a place to share knowledge with locals about sustainable bamboo production and non-chemical rice farming. You can support the development of a this project while learning awesome skills to enable accessibility/affordability of bamboo for locals while reviving traditional treatment methods; and, help on our local-level Outreach Projects to make this knowledge available to anyone with a hand phone. Our Internship programs connect with our Outreach programs through utilising our class time to make items needed and come up with design requests.
Topics covered in 3 week Internship program: Basic bamboo design principles, truss method construction, Our Internship program is for those interested to be able to build with bamboo and the practical aspects of construction – from harvesting and treatment to design, carpentry and construction. We learn about traditional and modern techniques of bamboo building, workshop design ideas and then work on a build for a community project.
Topics covered in 7 week Internship Program: bamboo interiors and flooring, roofing methods and materials, window and door-making, repurposing and up-cycleing materials, finishing and maintenance of bamboo structures
Topics covered in 11 week program: as well as Earth-building techniques of clay/lime-straw panels, wattle and daub and natural plasters are part of the program options (see below).
Program Schedule and Pricing:
May 8 – 27
- Weeks 1-3 : Structural Design, Frames and Roofing: Making Trusses, Joinery and Curving bamboo, Bamboo Panels, Making Bamboo Nails and Tying Tali, Main Bamboo Building Construction, Pillars, Fish Mouth Joins, Metal Bolt and Bamboo Nail. Joining Roofing to Main Frame, Making bearers and joists (usuk) for roof structure,
May 29 – 3 June (OFF)
- VIP PROGRAM – Mentorship and Personal Project: Time to refine your skills and work one-on-one with our craftsmen and learn more about bamboo carpentry and design
June 5 – 24
- Weeks 4-6 : Interior Fit-out: Interior Design, Walling and Window Design Techniques, Framing and Doors, Carpentry for Furniture, Roofing Installation, Bamboo Carving, Artisan Decorative Bamboo Techniques.
June 26 – 1 July
- Online Course June 27, 28
- Holiday program Bamboo Build Project in combination with Cob and Natural Building Techniques including Clay/Lime-straw insulation techniques.
July 10 – 29
- Weeks 1 – 3 : Bamboo Carpentry and Joinery/Construction techniques, Model making & Design, Harvesting, Treatment,
July 31 – August 12
- Weeks 4-5 Bamboo Construction Build Project
August 14-19
- Week 6: Personal Project Design & Review VIP (Group 1)
August 21 – 26
- Week 6: Personal Project & Design Review VIP (Group 2)
September 4 – 16
- Week 7-8: 2 week Prac build
Program time: 9am to 3.30pm 6 days/week
Three-week Internship Program: (includes basic training and mentorship in bamboo construction, on-site build and construction experience program – 6 days per week) USD $1,200 / Rp.17,500,000 (Live-in); $999 / Rp.14,400,000 (Live-out).
Seven-Week Program Full-time 3 weeks on 1 week off, 3 weeks on: (includes basic training in bamboo and construction and design mentorship for construction project) Live-in :$1,930 / Rp.28,000,000; Live-out: USD$1600 / Rp.23,500,000
Eleven-week Bamboo Training Course and Build: (Full-time 6 weeks Internship, 2 weeks prac) USD$2,925 / Rp.42,500,000 (Live-in); $USD 2,415 / Rp.35,000,000 (live-out)
Book your Course
We can’t wait to share this experience with you and have you join our program learning directly from the Real Bamboo Masters… alongside local families and experiencing the local culture of Bali!
Enquiry/Enrollment Form
Can’t make it to Bali right now? We offer an alternative course format: Join our Two-Day Theory and Intro Carpentry course online and then join us at a later time in Bali for your Hands-On Training in either Bamboo Construction, Bamboo Interiors and Installation/Design or Artesian Crafts and Traditional Bamboo Art (or combination). Join the online course (USD$110) and secure a 20% discount rate for your Hands-On training program with us!
Next Online Bamboo Course
(July 18 – 19) or (August 15- 16) 11am to 4pm (GMT+8 Central Indonesia Time)
$110.00
VIP Internship Training
We host regular Internship programs where you can learn bamboo skills for individual projects and small-scale construction, bamboo art, traditional techniques and methods for design and crafting and interior design and furniture along with earth-building programs and up-cycled earthship-style affordable construction techniques. You can attend for the week (or longer than a week but must arrive on a commencement/training week) which includes basic carpentry training and Introduction to working with bamboo….
We are an all-abilities project-space – also offering collaboration programs with local families for disability-inclusive building projects. See our Revivement page or Contact us for information.
Long Course Online Study Option with our Outreach Programs
Follow our outreach journey to bring bamboo into the realm of sustainability for local people in “developing countries” by informing and facilitating wider knowledge of and examples of bamboo structures which are sustainable and affordable – Have input into the design processes for practical and affordable bamboo buildings at our Outreach Project sites – and access to all future online courses and programs starting with our traditional treatment process study on the costs/potential of this being an affordable and cost-effective treatment method.
Get Access to our Free Facebook Group and watch our Bamboo Dorm being built: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5443799475664816/?ref=share
Sign up Now
We would love your support and contribution towards our ongoing study and documentation of practical processes for making affordable bamboo design accessible to local populations and contributing to a Regenerative culture of inclusion, transparency and fairness.
We offer a sliding-scale contribution approach to make this learning accessible to the everyone. Please communicate whatever way you feel you can pay/contribute and also offer your skills and time. Whether you’d like to contribute more physically through Skills/Labour in construction and/or professional sense or are interested to assist in developing aspects of our inclusive program for disabilities. We are committed to finding ways to collaborate which are mutually beneficial for everyone. You can pre-pay your program fully or partially to assist us in financing and preparations, ready for your arrival and participation… Email us at: workshops@bamboocreative.org
Check out our Facebook page for our latest activities
Do YOU want to learn to BUILD from bamboo?
This versatile renewable fast-growing material that could help save our planet from resource depletion
What you’ll learn:
The 101 Bamboo Knowledge
- Selecting and Harvesting Bamboo; Maintaining Bamboo Clumps; Bamboo Treatment Methods
- Bamboo Tools and Safety – Knives and Tool maintenance
- Basic Bamboo Joinery and Carpentry Techniques – Cutting, Splitting, Carving/Shaping, Weaving and Joinery
- Bamboo Design Elements, Model-Making/ Miniatures; Concept of a Bamboo Structure; Costing a design.
- Onsite Construction, – Aspects of Bamboo Construction including Site Planning and Foundations.
- Carpentry Techniques – Bundling Bamboo (Bamboo Lidi), Bamboo Flooring; Bending Bamboo and Bamboo Roofing
- Long term Maintenance and protection of a Bamboo Structure; Protecting the bamboo/Finishing/Post Construction maintenance and longevity,
On top of that we’ll tell you the SECRET of our tiny house bamboo design…
Our vision
At Bamboo Creative, it isn’t just about construction, We are also looking at systems for the tropics that can help:
1. Reduce waste and Redirection of plastic throw-away
2. Lessen the need for Power consumption; Earth-friendly systems
3. Small Space/Urban Vertical Gardening for Food production
4. Grey-water systems and Energy from Human Waste
5. Education and Outreach to promote earth-friendly lifestyle practices and uptake of bamboo in developing countries
6. Affordable Practical Design and Construction Methods and Material Sources that could also be applied in “western countries”
Approaching a zero waste economy and community
Bamboo Creative wants YOU – to be the change!
Need more info?
As the founder of Bamboo Creative, I am passionate about natural building and design, experimentation, raising awareness and sharing skills that can make building bamboo homes sustainable, affordable and accessible – especially for People LIVING IN “developing countries” who make up around 70% of the global population of our planet. I have been learning about bamboo for the last five years through this construction project in Bali where I am creating an Eco-activity Community Centre inclusive of special needs and facilitating carpentry, craft-making, eco-building and product design using recycled/reclaimed trash, bamboo and earth-building techniques.
Have a question?
Bamboo Creative Bali 