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Florida Folklife Program Presents Puerto Rican Bomba Ensemble Taller Balancé Bomba Afro-Boricua in a Free Workshop and Concert

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Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee invites the public to a free workshop, lecture and performance of traditional Puerto Rican bomba music and dance by Taller Balancé Bomba Afro-Boricua in Tallahassee on September 18-19, 2019. [Read more…] about Florida Folklife Program Presents Puerto Rican Bomba Ensemble Taller Balancé Bomba Afro-Boricua in a Free Workshop and Concert

Florida Folk Heritage Award Winner Haiqiong Deng to be Honored in Ceremony in Tallahassee

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The Florida Folklife Program will honor 2017 Florida Folk Heritage Award recipient, Haiqiong Deng, at the Florida State University World Music Concert featuring the FSU Chinese and blues music ensembles at Opperman Music Hall on Thursday, April 20, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public, and recognizes Mrs. Deng’s achievements as a traditional Chinese musician and educator.

Haiqiong Deng

“We invite the community to take part in celebrating Ms. Deng’s contributions,” said Secretary Detzner. “Her dedication and life-long commitment to preserving and promoting Chinese culture and music has contributed deeply to Florida’s cultural heritage.”
Haiqiong Deng was born in Lanzhou, China, where she began her studies in Chinese traditional music. She focused on the zheng, an ancient, 21-stringed instrument with a long and rich presence in Chinese culture. After graduating from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she travelled internationally as a soloist and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2003. Eventually, she settled in Florida where she serves as the Director of the Chinese Music Ensemble at Florida State University.
Since 2001, Ms. Deng has dedicated herself to teaching Chinese music to a diverse body of students. She uses music as a tool to reinforce knowledge and appreciation of cultural heritage. Among her latest projects is an educational series called Echoes of Nature, which combines three key aspects of Chinese culture: music, calligraphy and art. Through creative partnerships and collaborations with composers, master artists, museums and educational institutions, Ms. Deng actively promotes various forms of traditional Chinese culture, and explores the boundaries of musical expression.
The Florida Department of State presents Florida Folk Heritage Awards annually to citizens who have made long-standing contributions to Florida’s cultural heritage by perpetuating community traditions. Like the National Heritage Awards, the Florida Folk Heritage Awards honor the state’s most influential tradition bearers for excellence, significance and authenticity as folk artists or folklife advocates. Information on how to make a nomination is available here and additional information regarding past recipients, including photos and bios, is available here.
The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. For further information about the Florida Folklife Program, contact State Folklorist Amanda Hardeman at 850.245.6427 or visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.
About the Florida Folklife Program
The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, the program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation.

Florida Folklife Program Seeks Master Artists and Apprentices

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Florida Department of State
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the Florida Department of State is seeking applications for the 2017-2018 Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Expert practitioners of traditional art forms and persons with a strong commitment to learning and preserving traditional arts are encouraged to apply.
“For more than 30 years, the Folklife Program has worked with folk artists and tradition bearers to preserve valuable aspects of culture through the Folklife Apprenticeship Program,” said Secretary Detzner. “Through in-depth, one-on-one apprenticeships, these master artists share traditional knowledge, skills and techniques, and ensure the preservation of our collective cultural heritage.”
2.10.2017 fl folklife

Master balsa wood surfboard maker George Robinson with
apprentice Cristian Robinson. Photo by Amanda Hardeman.

The Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program fosters the opportunity for qualified apprentices to study traditional arts with recognized master artists. Traditional arts are expressions of shared community identity that reflect the values and aesthetics of the groups that practice them. Since 1984, the program has supported 185 apprenticeships in a variety of Florida living traditions including performing arts such as Irish fiddling and Spanish flamenco, craft arts such as Seminole patchwork and Hungarian embroidery, occupational arts such as surfboard making and cow-whip making, and ceremonial arts such as hymn lining and Afro-Cuban batá drumming.
The application deadline is May 15, 2017. Interested masters and apprentices must apply as a team by submitting the joint application to the Florida Folklife Program. The Florida Folklife Council will review applications and recommend apprenticeship teams to the Secretary of State for approval. Final decisions will be announced by August. The program provides a stipend and funds for supplies.
Interested applicants should contact State Folklorist Amanda Hardeman by calling 850.245.6427 or 800.847.PAST. Program guidelines and applications can be found at flheritage.com/preservation/folklife/apprenticeship. The Folklife Apprenticeship Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program.
About the Florida Folklife Program
The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, this program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.