Venue
New York Foundation for the Arts (20 Jay Street, Suite 740, Brooklyn, NY 11201)
Photo by Christopher Mulé, Courtesy BAC Folk Arts Archive
On Saturday, April 29th, Brooklyn Arts Council held its 6th Annual Brooklyn Folk Arts Day, presented in partnership with New York Folklore Society, City Lore, and Tradition in Motion!
Participants got an in-depth conversations with fellow artists and shared skills to creatively solve problems facing our community. Artists, folklorists, curators, and art lovers learned new practical skills to engage youth in cultural heritage and to promote traditions through use of new media. The day-long summit culminated in a celebration as artists showcasing their art forms and performing.
6th Annual Brooklyn Folk Arts Day took place from 10am-5pm at New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Breakfast and lunch was provided.
Schedule of Events:
10:00am—11:00am: Introductions and group exercise
11:00am—01:00pm: Roundtable discussion about engaging youth in your communities with folk and traditional arts. This session will feature comments by Victor Sirelson (Dancing Crane), Claire Goring (Guyana Cultural Association of NY), and Luz Pereira (Pachamama Peruvian Arts).
01:00pm—01:30pm: Lunch
01:30pm—03:30pm: Roundtable discussion about media and marketing for folk and traditional artists featuring Barbara Norales (CEO of Outta Griga Dang Productions)
03:30pm—04:00pm: Closing comments. In addition, participants are welcome to share their traditions.
Special Guests:
Claire Goring is a promoter of the culture of her homeland Guyana. She is the founder of the annual Guyana Folk Festival in North America. One of the founders of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, she is the Cultural Director and one of the creative minds behind the annual Folk Festival. Claire is also President of Friends of Victoria Village Diaspora, an organization dedicated to the redevelopment of Victoria Village, the first village bought by freed slaves after emancipation in Guyana, through revival of its traditions and culture.
Barbara Norales is the CEO of Outta Griga Dang Production the only privately owned production company in Belize, providing the highest level of cultural work, from the grassroots level on up. Outta Griga Dang specializes in producing outdoor concerts and festivals, focusing on the Garifuna and Mayan cultures. Barbara has worked with the National Institute of Culture & History of Belize for the past 20 years as Southern Regional Coordinator, Chairperson of the Regional Committee, Cultural Representative, and Producer of the first-ever World Indigenous Music Festival.
Luz A. Pereira L. is the Exectuive Director of Pachama Peruvian Arts and leads instruction in coastal dances. Born to Creole parents, she learned English and, working around her business career, attended Peru’s National School of Folk Music and Dance. In 2004, she served as Pachamama’s Assistant Director and became Executive Director in 2008. In 2010 and 2011, she served as President of the UNSRC/Peruvian Cultural Club at the United Nations.
Victor Sirelson moved to Brooklyn in 2011 and opened a studio for classes and rehearsals called the Dancing Crane Georgian Cultural Center. Currently Mr. Sirelson is the president and prime mover of the Dancing Crane organization, with a full program of professional Georgian arts performances, children’s classes and events centering on the cultural life of Georgian immigrants. Parallel to this he has a career in applied mathematics and business and is an adjunct professor of mathematics at the CUNY’s City Tech college and the University of Connecticut.
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Funder Credits
This program was presented in partnership with the New York Folklore Society, City Lore, and Tradition in Motion. Additional support for BAC folk arts programs comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.
