Alliance For California Traditional Arts

Programs: Programs including discovery research to identify traditional artists and culture-bearers; apprenticeship program, which contracts master artists to work one-on-one in an intensive period of learning with experienced apprentices over the course of six months to one year; special initiatives, such as the current traditional arts and health multi-year project in which cultural asset mapping inventories, videographic documentation and public programs are developed with community partners in efforts to "build healthy communities;" maintain a website, publishing a monthly e-newsletter (the new moon), maintaining an extensive database of artists; holding roundtable gatherings for networking, technical assistance and artistic sharing; and leading advocacy efforts, both statewide and nationally.

the living cultures grant program funds non-profit organizations statewide to support projects in the traditional arts. Grant awards range up to $5,000 for projects that nurture, sustain, and engage participation in the traditional arts in california. Examples of projects include workshops, gatherings and classes that lead to cultural continuity of traditional practices; support for needed purchases, services, or acquiring new skills that sustain future traditional arts practices; and activities that engage and strengthen communities as well as engage with others, such as public presentations, festivals or community based events. Approximately 40 grants are awarded annually. Acta staff makes in-person site visits and documents cultural practice, where appropriate.

the arts in corrections program provides traditional arts residencies in california state prisons. Acta coordinated 27 residencies serving inmates in valley state prison, pleasant valley state prison, avenal state prison, north kern state prison, california correctional institution, california state prison, los angeles county, and california rehabilitation center. Residencies consisted of two 13-week courses in traditional arts forms including native american bead work, chicano murals and illustration, son jarocho, afro-colombian percussion, djembe, blues harmonica, and storytelling. Acta worked closely with the artists and correctional staff to coordinate the residences and document the impact through site visits, photographs, videos, one-on-meetings with the artists and institution staff, and coordination of an outside evaluation project. Over 600 inmates participated in acta's program.