AIRMW presents the livestream final presentation for the Illinois Arts Council’s Ethnic and Folk Arts Master Apprentice Program. The presentation featuring our three pairs awardees from each of our traditional arts departments: Tatsu Aoki & Kiku Taura for shamisen, Kioto Aoki & Helen Nagata for taiko, and Fujima Shunojo & Fujima Yoshinojo for classical Japanese dance. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and by federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program (MAP) is designed to support a mentoring relationship between master artist and apprentice that concludes with a free public presentation of achievements made by the apprentice during the apprenticeship period. Illinois is home to an abundance of traditional art forms whether they are indigenous to a particular community or region, or reflect the traditions of recent immigrant communities. The practices, customs, stories, and skills that are passed from one generation to the next influence how we live, what we value, and our personal and collective identities. MAP helps communities preserve their own culture by providing an opportunity for master traditional artists to pass on their skills to a qualified apprentice in a time-honored method. The Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program (MAP) affirms the role of the master artist and apprentice relationship in the preservation of the state’s exceptionally rich cultural heritage. – from Illinois Arts Council Agency website
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