PROGRAMS

“Since the classes started, it has given me energy. The young people are excited about learning. They are eager to participate in these classes.”—Tamo, a Karenni elder and an instructor of Eyro traditional song in A.R.T.'s pilot project at Ban Kwai Refugee Camp, in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand.

THAILAND

Mae Hong Son Province
In 2003, in partnership with the IRC, A.R.T.’s pilot program selected and trained adults in two Burmese refugee camps in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, to teach traditional Burmese dances, songs, folklore and music.  A.R.T.’s staff and the elder refugees worked side by side with over 600 youth teaching them to make and play traditional Burmese musical instruments. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from the refugee community, the IRC integrated these activities into its existing programs, and provided the costumes and materials for the musical instruments. A.R.T. returned to the camps in January and February 2004 to expand its program which continues to operate today.  The program is now run exclusively by the refugees and has become self-sustainable.

COLOMBIA

Most A.R.T.’s programs now run in Colombia.  Currently, Colombia is undergoing the largest humanitarian catastrophe in the Western Hemisphere and has the world's second largest internal refugee population. Armed conflict has created displacement throughout Colombia where over four and a half million of its forty-five million inhabitants have become refugees.

Bogotá
For its first Colombian program, A.R.T. worked with the internally displaced in barrio Tintalito, localidad de Kennedy, Bogotá, Colombia; a refugee community with over 180,000 community members.  In partnership with the Universidad de los Andes, Red de la Solidaridad (Colombia¹s governmental organization responsible for providing food, clothing, medical assistance and other programs for the Country’s displaced population) and Fundación Educacional Nuevo Retiro, A.R.T. implemented a traditional arts program in August 2005.  The University assigned students from the Anthropology, Psychology, Literature and Fine Arts departments to help A.R.T. to institute and then administer and evaluate the program; the students earn academic credit for this work.

In January 2008, we began our planned withdrawal from the program, leaving it in the hands of its current partners, Fundación Nuevo Retiro, Colegio Hernando Durán Dussán and the Community of Tintalito. A.R.T. interns from Universidad de los Andes and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana will initially continued to help run and work with the community on the ongoing classes.  Teachers in the local school will take on the responsibility of working with the community. The program became self-sustained in June 2008. 

Carmen de Viboral, Antioquia
In April 2007, A.R.T. expanded into Carmen de Viboral, Antioquia, Colombia a rural community outside Medellin in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, IOM. The program helps to revive the native ancient art of the creation, production and decoration of ceramics.  This after-school program helps to save the children in the community from joining or being taken into the armed forces by the guerillas, paramilitary or drug lords.  This area of Colombia has one of the highest rates of child soldiers.

Expansion in Colombia

Bella Flor, Bogotá
In July 2008, A.R.T. expanded its programs in Bogotá into the displaced community of Bella Flor, in partnership with Fundacion Laudes Infantis. The community program will focus on teaching weaving and traditional dances. Student interns from Bogotá will assist in the program.

Siloe, Cali
During the fall of 2008, A.R.T. will begin a program in the community of Siloe, a vulnerable population in Cali, in partnership with Sidoc, the socially responsible foundation for one of the largest iron and steel mill companies in Colombia. The focus of the program will be the reconstruction of their local history and customs, such as weaving, dances and folklore.

UNITED STATES

New Haven, CT
In 2007, A.R.T. held workshops in various cultural activities in New Haven, Connecticut in partnership with Yale University and Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services. Resettled refugees from countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Guinea, Somalia and Sudan participated. The program brought together school-age children and their families to share their own traditions with members of other ethnic groups, in an effort to break down some of the mistrust that has arisen in this very tightly packed and diverse, but impoverished, community. The program was funded by the Whitehead Foundation and the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation and was used as our pilot US program. The last workshop was held December, 2007; A.R.T. has closed this program.

Expansion in the US

Utica, NY
We are currently in conversation with Colgate University to implement a program in Utica, NY in partnership with school and the Mohawk Valley Resource Center. We would work with Colgate students and resettled refugees to facilitate a community arts program. A pilot program will be launched in the spring of 2009 and will work with the Burmese Karen.

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