New Lives New England Gathering, Burlington VT, 2017
Date2017 April 29
Mediumborn digital video
DimensionsDuration: 3 Minutes, 1 Seconds
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program collections
CopyrightIn Copyright
Object number2015.196.285.6
DescriptionVideo showing talks, musical performances, and dance at the New Lives New England Gathering on April 29, 2017. Introduction of Erneste Ntahondereye, leader of the music and dance group Inziragukanya.
NotesSubject Note: New Lives New England was a two-phase collaborative project organized by the Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CCHAP) at ICR, the Vermont Folklife Center, and Cultural Resources, Inc. in Maine. The project worked with refugee and new immigrant artists now living in the three states to develop gatherings, demonstrations, and exhibits that brought these artists together across the region to collaborate, develop their own initiatives, and extend their art forms. Connecticut newcomer artists often travel around the region to visit members of their communities in the other states. They are aware of the activities and the cultural resources in Maine and Vermont as well as in other New England states, and see a great benefit in sharing their artistic skills with fellow communities. The project aimed to foster a rich cross-fertilization among the artists and groups that would result in teaching and learning that would bring new initiatives and income to the communities as they increase their connections and opportunities. Project activities provided a chance for visitors to meet these talented artists, learn more about their cultures, and try some of their art forms. Another project goal focused on assisting the newcomer artists in sharing their traditions, which they love to do, forging strong connections between these new neighbors and public audiences. In sharing these traditions, new connections could be made with a larger public audience who may otherwise know little about them (their new neighbors). The project received funding and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Greater Hartford Arts Council through contributors to its United Arts Campaign and the United Way Community Campaign, the Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD, the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls, the Connecticut Humanities Council, and the three partner organizations as well as the Connecticut Historical Society in 2016 and 2017.
The first phase, in 2013-2014, began with artists traveling to Burlington, Vermont from Hartford, Connecticut and Lewiston, Maine to take part in the Vermont Folklife Center’s Apprenticeship Program showcase of learning and to share ideas and art forms. The artists presented their cultures and art forms to each other in a roundtable discussion and discussed ideas for projects they could develop together. Translators participated so that artists could speak in their own languages. The artists and their art works were professionally photographed for their own promotional uses.
As a result of these discussions, the partners produced a traveling exhibit that was installed at the Institute for Community Research Gallery in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury, Vermont, and at the State House in Augusta, Maine. The exhibit explored the role that traditional arts play in helping these groups maintain a sense of community while building a new home in New England. For many members of refugee communities, practicing their familiar arts of weaving, knitting, basket making, lace making, music, dance, and storytelling helps them to cope with the trauma of the genocide and displacement their families have suffered. On display were hand woven carpets, clothing, baskets, decorative arts, wall hangings, and musical instruments made by skilled traditional artists living in Hartford, Connecticut; Burlington, Vermont; and Lewiston, Maine. The artists, several of whom are related although living in different states, were Burmese Karen, Somali, Somali Bantu, Bosnian, and Assyrian.
As the exhibit traveled to the three venues, many of the featured artists participated in public programs that connected them with their counterparts in the other states. The Bosnian Lilies dance group visited Hartford for the exhibit opening, staying with Hartford Bosnians forging stronger connections that have continued. Hartford’s Burmese Karen weavers demonstrated their weaving in Middlebury, Vermont and participated in a local Burmese Karen marketplace. Somali and Somali Bantu artists and musicians from Lewiston, Maine re-established ties with their family members and community artists who had moved to Hartford, Connecticut and Burlington, Vermont.
As a result of the first phase of the New Lives project, Bosnian weavers in Connecticut made lasting connections with Bosnians in Vermont, and the Connecticut artists had their work displayed successfully on a long-term basis in the Vermont Folkife Center (VFC) museum. A multi-year contract between CCHAP and VFC enabled Connecticut newcomer artists to sell their art in the museum shop. Karen weavers in Hartford also become more comfortable in demonstrating their weaving for public audiences after their visit to VFC in December 2013 as part of the exhibit. In 2014, the weavers and their translator welcomed students from Miss Porters School in Farmington, Connecticut to visit the exhibit in the ICR gallery and try out the backstrap weaving technique as part of a school project on Burma. The success of this folk arts in education activity led CCHAP and the Karen artists to join Hartford Performs, an arts education program that places selected artists in Hartford schools.
The first New Lives convening held in Burlington, Vermont in April 2013 introduced CCHAP to the Vermont Tibetan community and their excellent musicians. Tibetans in Connecticut, many visual and music artists among them, developed a plan to host the Vermont group for a gathering in Old Saybrook under this proposed project, to help them with ideas and strategies for offering cultural classes and trainings to young Tibetans in the rapidly growing Connecticut Tibetan community (now close to 500).
In 2016, this plan resulted in a visit from the Vermont-based Tibetan performing group led by Migmar Tsering to Connecticut’s TibetFest, to perform, connect with Connecticut Tibetans, and develop reciprocal cultural heritage activities. Artists and Tibetan community members camped out nearby for the weekend, creating a unique social gathering that was eagerly anticipated as an important part of the festival. Several Connecticut-based Tibetan artists performed and displayed art work at the festival, along with their families.
The second phase of New Lives New England concluded in 2017 with a large-scale gathering in Burlington, Vermont hosted by the Vermont Folklife Center and the local Somali Bantu community. Over two days, eight artists from Connecticut took part in a festival that showcased the visual arts, music, and foodways of Tibetan, Somali, Somali Bantu, Burundian, Nepalese and Bhutanese, all cultures that are shared by the three states. There were discussions, presentations, performances, and workshops in the artistic heritage of the cultural groups attending.
Biographical Note: Erneste Ntahondereye, leader of the music and dance group Inziragukanya, is a traditional drummer, dancer and singer from the Central African country of Burundi. Born during a civil war, Erneste’s family fled to Rwanda and lived in refugee camps there where he went to school and then trained and worked in the construction trade, but as Hutus it became unsafe for them there also. The family split up, and Erneste and his brother ended up in a camp in Tanzania where he married and had two sons. In 2008 he and his family came to Rhode Island under a refugee program, to join over 200 Burundians who live in the state. Erneste learned drumming in Rwanda, starting when he was 5 years old, from his father, and they played together in the camp. In Tanzania he played together with other people there from Burundi, who knew the same music; they danced togehjter and sang in their language, Kirundi. In Rhode Island he has formed a drumming group of Burundian men and boys called Inziragukanya. The name of our group comes from two words in Kirundi - “Gukanya” means “to freeze” and “inzira” means “don’t.” Together they refer to people who never freeze, who are active, not passive, warmed up, awake and ready to go wherever they are called. This name is reflective of the Royal Burundian Drumming tradition in which the specially trained drumming groups could be called on at any time to announce and play for the king, princes or other dignitaries or for special events such as government meetings and celebrations. Erneste has been asked by the leadership of the Burundian community to teach traditional drumming, dance and song to help the youth learn about their music and culture. Drummers are traditionally male, but they would often play for the women dancers in Burundi. Drumming, dancing and song are central to Erneste’s culture. In Rhode Island they have a renewed purpose - as in Burundi, drums are played to make people happy. “The beat is like a heartbeat; it is so strong it is impossible to think of unhappy things. It carries you. So many of us have experienced tragedies in our country, in the refugee camps and coming to a new and unfamiliar country. The drums remind us of good times and who we are as a people. They help us to feel strong and whole. The people who listen to us can feel this as well. Drumming helps us teach our Burundian community through the words and songs we use, telling stories of Burundian life and culture. We don’t want to lose our culture or forget it. Many of us and most of our children were born in the refugee camps and have never or very seldom been to our homeland of Burundi. Preserving our identity while becoming a part of the Rhode Island community is precious to us. We are anxious to share this rich heritage with our new brothers and sisters here in Rhode Island.”
Additional photographic and video materials are present in the CCHAP archive relating to this event, this community, and the artists.
Cataloging Note: This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245929-OMS-20.
Status
Not on view