TAPS (Traditional Arts Programs for Students) is a program of the North Carolina Arts Council's Folklife Program. TAPS provides community organizations (arts centers, schools, community centers) with funding for after-school programs that unite North Carolina grade school students with local traditional artists. Taught by experts utilizing traditional instructional techniques, students receive free or affordable training in strong local, vernacular artistic traditions that have deep cultural roots in their community. TAPS applications are available by invitation only. The TAPS grant supports many Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) after school programs teaching traditional Appalachian music to North Carolina students. JAM programs are affiliates of JAMKids.org.
TAPS programs are designed to operate year after year, ensuring consistent access for returning students and steady employment for local traditional artists. A flexible funding requirement model ensures that each program can adapt itself to the unique realities of its community, helping each program gain the trust and local ownership that has sustained some programs for nearly two decades. Flexibility and local control allows the TAPS model to be easily scaled and replicated in new communities as its funding levels rise. TAPS builds intergenerational relationships, sense of place and belonging, and self-esteem through traditional skills and knowledge. With each program employing an average of four instructors at $20-$30/hr, TAPS has helped contribute to sustainable livelihoods for hundreds of artists over its twenty years of programming. Funded through NEA grants for underserved communities, the program currently reaches 23 of North Carolina's 100 counties, nearly all in rural or economically distressed communities with little alternative access to the arts in schools. Originally developed in tandem with the North Carolina Arts Council's cultural tourism and economic development initiatives, TAPS has created lasting economic and educational impact on its communities as it re-plants the forest of traditional arts practice and local cultural experience. _____ Project Website: click here State: North Carolina Category: Artist Employment, Education, Underserved Community Outreach, Youth Services |