New York State Council on the Arts & New York Folklore Offer Paid Public Sector Folklore Internships

Applications are now being accepted for public sector folklore internships supported through the internship program of the New York State Council on the Arts and New York Folklore. This year, two internships are being offered, to be hosted by Center for Traditional Music and Dance and Los Pleneros de la 21 in New York City.

Applicants may submit only one application, indicating their preferred internship. Any student enrolled in a graduate folklore, ethnomusicology, or allied program may apply. Folklorists who graduated from a graduate folklore/ethnomusicology program in the past two years may also apply.

Interns will be expected to undertake a special project linked to their learning program for graduate study, to also benefit the hosting organization. The duration of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance internship is 8–10 weeks, up to 40 hours per week. It will occur between May and July, 2021. The duration of the Los Pleneros internship is 10 weeks, 35 hours per week to take place virtually anytime between July and December 2021. A stipend of $5000 will be provided for each of the internships.

Accommodations will be made for virtual or hybrid internships.

To apply, submit a resume and a letter describing the potential benefits of the internship for the applicant’s career goals as a public sector folklorist. For current graduate students, please reflect on the internship’s relationship to your graduate learning program. The application letter should also indicate how previous experiences in programming, field research and/or administration would contribute to the organization hosting the internship. Following the internship, the intern and the host organization are required to submit a report evaluating the internship.

Applications must be received by Monday, March 22, 2021 and decisions about the successful candidates will be made by April 1, 2021. Applications must be submitted electronically to [email protected]. Please do not contact Center for Traditional Music and Dance or Los Pleneros de la 21 for information. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Ellen McHale, Executive Director of New York Folklore, [email protected].

Detailed descriptions of these internships follow:

Center for Traditional Music and Dance, New York City
Founded in 1968, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD) assists New York City’s immigrant communities to sustain their distinctive performing arts traditions and promotes cross-cultural understanding by sharing these art forms with audiences across the city. Nationally renowned for programs that combine research, documentation, presentation and education, CTMD assists immigrant communities in passing traditions to new generations. For 2021, the intern will work with CTMD staff in the design, implementation, and documentation for at least one of CTMD’s ongoing “Sustaining Cultures Initiatives” (SCI). Depending upon interest and skills, the following SCI’s are possible opportunities: The Inner Asian SCI, which partners with Buryat, Himalayan, and other Inner Asian communities in Brooklyn and Queens: the Soorya SCI, which promotes inter-ethnic conversations and collaborations in the Sri Lankan community on Staten Island, in particular; and Beat of the Boroughs: NYC Online, which supports immigrant artists throughout NYC during the COVID-19 pandemic with online visibility and technical assistance.

Interns are invited to indicate whether they have particular interest in one SCI and, if so, they should tailor their application to address their skills relating to this initiative. However, CTMD is particularly interested in interns with video production experience suited to the Beat of the Boroughs: NYC Online SCI. Depending upon COVID restrictions, this internship could be in-person, virtual, or hybrid.

Los Pleneros de la 21, New York City
Los Pleneros de la 21 (LP21), the premier East Harlem-based performing ensemble and non-profit community organization, was founded in 1983 by Juan J. ‘Juango’ Gutiérrez (National Endowment for the Arts’ Heritage Fellow, 1996) and the legendary Master Plenero, Marcial Reyes Arvelo. The ensemble was originated under the common goal to promote the importance and beauty of traditional Puerto Rican music and dance. LP21’s landmark community-based cultural and educational programs, have created a common space for the recognition, education and practice of Puerto Rican culture and identity.

This internship offers a unique opportunity for someone interested in folk arts education to work within a community based and artist-led organization. For a virtual internship in the latter half of 2021 (10 weeks at 30 hours/week), the intern will work with LP21’s education program staff and others, to create a lasting digital impact on the organization through community research, hands-on coordinating, and curation of online programming, such as “In the House,” cultural education workshops. The intern will have opportunities to interact with other Folk Arts organizations and join LP21’s team of creatives, Folk Arts leaders, and master teaching artists. Spanish language facility is encouraged but not required.