Brooklyn Public Library’s Immigrant Services Department is seeking participants for its Heritage Ambassadors Program. Our program aims to foster storytelling, cultural documentation, and knowledge-sharing for and by Brooklyn’s vibrant immigrant communities.
What does a Heritage Ambassador do?
- Attend Trainings:
- Trainings will cover basics of fieldwork, collection, preservation, and presentation.
- Workshop topics include: Community Engagement, Digital Documentation and Preservation, Media and Outreach, and Fundraising
- Workshops will be conducted both virtually and in-person.
- Conduct fieldwork (e.g. interviews; recordings, etc.); and publish professional fieldwork material on the NYSCA Living Traditions website.
- Work together to develop public programs and community activities in Brooklyn libraries.
What is the time commitment for the program?
The program will take place May – December 2023.
Who can apply?
- Ambassadors will have experience with, and strong ties to specific folk and traditional art forms and demonstrate success adding to and not extracting from community groups.
- Ambassadors must live in Brooklyn or work with communities in Brooklyn.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- BIPOC and LGBTQIAP+ candidates are encouraged to apply.
How can I apply?
Please send an email to [email protected] with the following:
- Why you are you interested in this program?
- Why are you interested in working with the library?
- What is your traditional art form?
- What communities are you interested in connecting with?
Deadline to apply is March 26, 2023.
Is there a stipend for becoming an ambassador?
Yes! Each ambassador will receive $4,000.
For more information or questions about the program, please contact [email protected]
Sandra A. M Bell
Sandra A. M Bell is a third generation Carnival Costume Designer and Co-Founder of JOUVAYFEST Collective preserving and presenting Trinidad & Tobago classic style J’ouvert locally, nationally and internationally. She is a NYFA Fellow, has BA in Art Administration from NYU and certificates in Film & TV Production, and is Brooklyn Public Library Heritage Ambassador.
Cinthya Santos Briones
Cinthya Santos Briones is a nahua-mestiza participatory artist, anthropologist, popular educator and community organizer based in New York. As an artist, her work focuses on a multidisciplinary social practice that combines participatory art and the construction of collective narratives.
Saratu Mshelia
Saratu Mshelia is a folklorist and cultural enthusiast from northeast Nigeria, who has found her passion in the craft of clothes making that promote African textiles by merging them with western designs.
Vong Pak
Vong Pak is a Korean folklore, teaching artist, and theatre practitioner. He is a CRNY grant award artist and Brooklyn Public Library Heritage Ambassador. Currently he does archiving for the first generation of Korean immigrant folklores in the U.S.
Régine Romain
Régine (Jiji) Romain brings tremendous joy to her life/work as a Haitian-American artist, educator, visual anthropologist, and racial justice + equity coach. As a storyteller and cultural producer, she uses photographs/film/performance as mixed-media tools to ignite critical consciousness and radical transformation.