Announcing the 2024 ACTA Apprenticeship Cohort

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) announces its 2024 Apprenticeship Program cohort, investing $110,000 to support 22 mentor-apprentice pairs in preserving and advancing California’s diverse cultural traditions.

Now entering its 24th cycle, ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program has supported California’s cultural traditions, providing 452 contracts to outstanding traditional artists and culture bearers. Each mentor artist, selected for their expertise in traditional arts, receives a $5,000 contract to cover fees, supplies, and travel expenses, allowing them to engage in intensive, hands-on mentorship with their apprentices. Throughout the program, participants collaborate closely with ACTA staff to develop and document their apprenticeships, culminating in a public event where they have the opportunity to showcase their work to a public audience within their community.

The 2024 cohort of 44 artists (22 pairs) represents a diverse range of California’s cultural communities, continuing thriving indigenous Californian traditions like basket weaving in the Hupa, Pomo, and Wukchumni communities, while other apprenticeships celebrate cultural practices that have taken root in California, originally hailing from Afghanistan, Hungary, Ghana, Indonesia, Cuba, Mexico, and more. Spanning counties from Humboldt to Los Angeles, these apprenticeships not only highlight the state’s diverse cultural landscape but also foster intergenerational learning, strengthening connections within families and broader communities.

ACTA is pleased to announce the 22 statewide artist pairs contracted in the 2024 Apprenticeship Program:

Kwaku Manu + Kwesi Anku
Pinole, Contra Costa Co. + Richmond, Contra Costa Co.
Ghanaian Agbekor Traditional Drumming of the Ewe People

Kwaku Manu will mentor Kwesi Anku to advance Kwesi’s skills in the traditional music and dance of Ghana, particularly the Agbekor and Atamga traditions, as a lead drummer.

Julia Cepeda + Ansarys Andino
Oakland, Alameda Co. + San Francisco, San Francisco Co.
Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba Dance

Julia Cepeda, of the Rafael Cepeda family, will mentor Ansarys Andino in the Afro-Puerto Rican dance tradition of Bomba, with a focus on dance paseo (travel of dance space), figuras (figures), piquetes (dance solos and movement) within each rhythm in Bomba, culminating in the development of choreography.

Joko Sutrisno + Mel Liu
Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co. + Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co.
Javanese Gamelan of Indonesia

Pak Joko Sutrisno will mentor Mel Liu in the dynamic music patterns of Javanese Gamelan. Mel will deepen their understanding and applied skill in the advanced instruments of the gamelan, including kendhang, gendér, and bonang, while developing a deeper understanding of the concept of iromo—different temporal density flows of beats contained within a gotro.

Roshni Pillai + Janhavi Pillai
San Jose, Santa Clara Co. + San Jose, Santa Clara Co.
Kathakali Dance of India

Janhavi Pillai’s apprenticeship with her mother and mentor, Roshni Pillai, will deepen her understanding of Kathakali. This will include mastering the extensive vocabulary of its communicative hand gestures and learning advanced ‘Kalaasam’ (concluding pure dance patterns). Janhavi will also explore the complex dialogue and emotional range of the ‘Sthree Vesham’ (female role) character of Lalitha from the Kathakali play “Kirmeeravadham” to portray her effectively on stage.

Homayoun Sakhi + Yusuf Zaka
Tracy, San Joaquin Co. + Sacramento, Sacramento Co.
Afghan Music of the Rubab

Homayoun Sakhi will mentor Yusuf Zaka in the traditional music of Afghanistan on the Afghan Rubab. This apprenticeship will focus on learning Rag Bihag, developing stamina for the right-hand technique of Dir-Dir (an up-and-down stroke on one or more strings), and mastering the Bachgi technique (playing the melody while stroking sympathetic strings to create a simultaneous rhythmic partner).

Anuradha Suresh + Amrita Varshini Gunasekaran
Fremont, Alameda Co. + Fremont, Alameda Co.
South Indian Music of Harikatha

Anuradha Suresh returns to the Apprenticeship Program to mentor Amrita Varshini Gunasekaran in Harikatha, a traditional South Indian art form that intertwines storytelling, poetry, and Carnatic music based on the Hindu epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Ferenc Tobak + Mathias Tobak
Mendocino, Mendocino Co. + Mendocino, Mendocino Co.
Hungarian & Croatian Bagpipe Music of the Carpathian Basin

Mentor artist Ferenc Tobak will return to the Apprenticeship Program to teach his son, Mathias Ferenc, the techniques and skills of bagpipe playing from the Transdanubian region of Hungary. On the instrument known as Duda (Hungary) or Gajde (Croatia), they will focus on breath control and intonation to produce continuous pressure while blowing air into the instrument, as well as the specific open and closed fingering styles.

Maricela Martinez + Karen Pablo
Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co. + Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co.
Mexican Mariachi Music

Maricela Martinez will mentor Karen Pablo in Mexican Mariachi music, aiming to pass down knowledge on achieving the mariachi style, changing keys, expanding shared repertoire, and offering performance opportunities.

Bernadette Smith + Precious Thomas
Sacramento Co. + Sonoma Co.
Coastal Pomo Song Traditions

Bernadette Smith (Pomo) will guide her apprentice, Precious Thomas (Pomo), in the traditional ways and practices needed to assume the responsibility of Song Holder. This role solidifies the importance of Coastal Pomo women in Roundhouse ceremonies, preparing Precious to sing and conduct a whole set of the To’to Ko’O (Feather Dance).

César Castro + Rebecca Gómez
Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co. + Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co.
Son Jarocho Music of Veracruz

César Castro returns to the Apprenticeship Program to mentor Rebecca Gómez in the technique and repertoire of Son Jarocho music from Veracruz, Mexico. The focus will be on musicality, adornment, and leadership development in performance settings.

Kristian Kubuay + Iggy Mora
Oakland, Alameda Co. + San Francisco, San Francisco Co.
Pre-Colonial Philippine Traditional Tattooing

Kristian Kubuay will mentor Iggy Mora in the traditional practice of Philippine tattooing. The apprenticeship will cover skills including tool-making, hand-poke marking techniques, storytelling through traditional patterns, and skin stretching, as well as the use of symbolic patterns from various Philippine ethnolinguistic groups.

Jennifer Malone + Destiny Treglown
Exeter, Tulare Co. + Exeter, Tulare Co.
Wukchumi Basket Weaving

Jennifer Malone (Wukchumi) returns to the Apprenticeship Program to mentor Destiny Treglown (Wukchumi/Yokuts) in the tradition of Wukchumi basket weaving. From gathering and processing natural materials to the weaving process, this apprenticeship will immerse the Treglown in the Wukchumi language.

Wang Xiong + Pha Xiong
Long Beach, Los Angeles Co. + Long Beach, Los Angeles Co.
Hmong Funeral Traditions

Wang Xiong returns to the Apprenticeship Program to teach his son, Pha Xiong, the Txiv Xaiv, a set of Hmong funeral song rites. This includes memorizing over 30 songs with the correct tones and adapting the songs to tell the individual’s story.

Jenny Bawer Young + Lauren Benetua
Long Beach, Los Angeles Co. + Oakland, Alameda Co.
Kalinga Backstrap Loom Weaving of the Philippines

Jenny Bawer Young returns to the Apprenticeship Program to mentor Lauren Benetua a second time in the art of Kalinga Laga (backstrap loom weaving from Kalinga province, Philippines). The focus will be on expanding Lauren’s weaving vocabulary in the Kalinga language and learning about the native plants and fibers historically used for laga production.

Rosa Maria Fuentes Islas + Adela Diaz-Villalta
Huntington Park, Los Angeles Co. + Sacramento, Sacramento Co.
Traditional Danza Azteca Trajes

Rosa Maria Fuentes Islas will teach Adela Diaz-Villalta the techniques of creating trajes bordados used in Danza Azteca ceremonies, with a focus on hand embroidery and the importance of pattern creation. This apprenticeship will lead to the creation of an embroidered traje for ceremonial dancing.

Kala Ramnath + Aadi Kale
Redwood City, San Mateo Co. + Sunnyvale, Santa Clara Co.
North Indian Classical Music

Kala Ramnath will mentor Aadi Kale, focusing on expanding Aadi’s repertoire of Raags while improving performance skills and improvisation within Raags. Aadi will also work on increasing vocal steadiness for soulful phrases (Alaaps) and mastering high-tempo phrases (Taans).

Madiou Diouf + Ababacar Kouyate
Oakland, Alameda Co. + Oakland, Alameda Co.
Senegalese Drumming

Madiou Diouf will teach Ababacar Kouyate the origin, construction, history, and technique of the complex rhythmic patterns of Senegalese drumming and their role in African dance accompaniment.

Lue Her + Shue Her
Merced, Merced Co. + Merced, Merced Co.
Hmong Cultural Tradition of Mejkoob

Shue Her, under the guidance of his father Lue Her, will undergo a transformative journey to master the role of Mejkoob in Hmong wedding rituals. This involves learning not only the musical intricacies of Hmong music but also delivering ceremonial duties with precision and authenticity.

Sonam Phuntsok + Tenzin Thinley
El Cerrito, Contra Costa Co. + Richmond, Contra Costa Co.
Tibetan Opera Singing Style of Namthar

Sonam Phuntsok will mentor Tenzin Thinley in the traditional singing of Tibetan Opera. The singing style, known as Namthar, is a fundamental element of Tibetan Opera, demanding both intensive training and stamina, as well as a deep understanding of the art form.

Katiuska Lebental + Cecilia Slongo
Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co. + Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co.
Afro-Cuban Dance

Katiuska Lebental will mentor Cecilia Slongo in Afro-Cuban folkloric dance. This mentorship will enhance Cecilia’s understanding of the specificity of the dances of the Orishas (divine spirits), leading to improved dance skills, cultural awareness, and a deeper comprehension of the evolution of Yoruba heritage in Cuba.

Deborah McConnell + Natalie Scott
Hoopa, Humboldt Co. + Hoopa, Humboldt Co.
Basket Cap Weaving in the Hupa Tradition 

Deborah McConnell (Hupa) will mentor Natalie Scott (Hupa, Yurok, Karuk) in Hupa weaving techniques and the gathering and processing of materials for the creation of a traditional Hupa basket hat.

Melody Williams + Kayla Lowell
Arcata, Humboldt Co. + Willits, Mendocino Co.
Coil & Open Twine Basketry in the Pomo Tradition

Melody Williams (Pomo) will pass down traditional ecological knowledge to Kayla Lowell (Pomo), along with teaching the specific basket weaving techniques of coil and open twine baskets, which have been traditionally passed down from generation to generation.

Congratulations to our exceptional 2024 Apprenticeship Program cohort!

The Apprenticeship Program is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, with additional support from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, and ArtPlace San Joaquin Valley.