This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Recently, ACTA staff traveled to Albuquerque and Puerto Rico for the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting and NASAA (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies), joining folklorists, artists, and arts administrators from across the country. Read on to see our highlights from an inspiring conference season!
“Taproot AF”: Radical Support for Culture Bearers and Communities
Amy Kitchener presented at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, alongside Taproot Fellow and Puerto Rican multidisciplinary theater artist Pedro Adorno Irizarry. Together, Amy and Pedro shared insights into ACTA’s national Taproot Artists & Community Trust program, which provides unrestricted $50,000 fellowships to support culture bearers and grassroots arts initiatives.
When asked how state arts agencies can bring ‘radical’ change, I encouraged them: “Don’t call it radical—just do it.”
—Amy Kitchener
Executive Director and co-founder of ACTA
Read MORE about Amy’s experience →
Aliah Najmabadi advocates for apprenticeship programs
Aliah Najmabadi, Program Manager and traditional dance artist, spoke on the panel “Creating the Future through the Storm: Cultural Intervention, Cultural Sustainability, and the Role of State Apprenticeship Programs.” Aliah joined fellow panelists Philitha Stemplys-Cowdrey and Amy Mills, led by Forum Chair Kate Schramm, to discuss the powerful impact of state apprenticeship programs on preserving cultural heritage.
Amy Kitchener discusses the NEA’s National Folklife Network
Executive Director and co-founder Amy Kitchener was a panelist for “Folk Arts by Any Other Name: The NEA’s National Folklife Network.” In a session chaired by Maribel Alvarez, Amy joined a distinguished panel that included Claudio Mir, Lori Pourier, Selina Morales, Corey Travis, and Tasha Abourezk. Together, they discussed their joint efforts to build a new national network to support diverse folk arts nationwide, exploring innovative ways to promote cultural resilience and community engagement through traditional arts expressions.
Juhi Gupta receives AFS grant
Juhi Gupta, Digital Media Specialist, was awarded the AFS Gerald L. Davis grant. Named in memory of folklorist Gerald L. Davis, this grant supports persons of color committed to community development through folklore.