►
From YouTube: Positively Vermont - Vermont Folklife - April 17, 2023
Description
https://linktr.ee/townmeetingtv
Dennis McMahon speaks with Ian Drury, Director of Young Tradition Vermont, and Mary Wesley, Education and Media Specialist, of Vermont Folklife (formerly Vermont Folklife Center) abouts its programs, exhibits and resources.
This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A
This
is
Dennis
McMahon
and
welcome
to
positively
Vermont,
and
today
we
are
going
to
be
exploring
the
Vermont
Folklife
Center,
which
is
headquartered
in
Middlebury
Vermont,
and
explore
a
number
of
this
very
interesting
projects
that
are
going
to
be
going
on
in
the
in
the
current
months.
We
have
two
guests
from
the
Vermont
Folklife
Center,
Ian,
Drury
and
Mary
Wesley.
Welcome.
C
C
B
Yes,
so
happy
to
be
here:
I
am
also
a
lifelong
vermonter
grew
up
in
Addison,
County
and
I
have
been
working
with
the
Vermont
folk,
Life
Center,
or
we
should
share.
Our
new
name
is,
is
Vermont
Folklife,
which
we
I'll
talk
a
little
bit
later
about
that
that
change,
so
I've
been
with
Vermont
Folklife
since
2018.
I
have
a
background
in
anthropology
and
also
documentary
media
production.
B
A
That's
great
well
tell
us
a
little
bit
about
the
history.
I'm
still
going
to
call
it
Vermont
Folklife
Center,
because
that's
where
it
appears
everywhere.
But
now
it's
Vermont
Folklife
and
we'll
emphasize
that
at
some
point,
but
tell
us
a
little
bit
about
the
history
and
how
it
got
spotted,
who
was
involved
and
what
the
intentions
were
either.
One
of
you.
B
We
were
founded
by
folklorist
Jane
Beck,
who
started
as
the
state
folklorist
embedded
at
the
Arts
Council,
the
Vermont
Vermont
Arts
Council,
but
she
struck
out
to
create
a
whole
organization
around
the
work
that
she
was
doing.
Traveling
around
the
state
trying
to
engage
with
communities
and
understand
the
everyday
lives
of
vermonters,
and
so
the
organization
has
grown.
B
Since
then
we
currently
have
four
programs,
I'd
say
the
heart
of
Vermont
Folklife
is
our
archive
and
the
archive
started
when
Jane
started
interviewing
people
in
the
80s,
and
today
we
have
a
over
6
000
interviews
with
people
from
all
walks
of
life
from
all
across
the
state,
and
so
the
archive
is
both
a
repository
for
those
materials
to
be
preserved
for
the
future.
But
it's
also
a
catalyst
to
encourage
us
to
continue
to
go
out
and
document
and
understand
the
many
diverse
cultures
and
communities
that
exist
in
this
wonderful
State.
B
All
of
our
programs
have
some
connection
to
field
work.
To
ethnographic
field
work
which
is
a
way
of
studying,
Human
Experience,
so
we
continue
growing
the
archive
our
education
programs
teach
people
how
to
do
the
kind
of
field
work
that
all
our
staff
is
trained
in
to
do
that
kind
of
field,
interviewing
long-form
interviewing
trying
to
understand
someone's
life
story.
B
So
that's
what
we've
been
doing
for
the
past.
You
know
almost
40
years
and
recently,
just
in
this
past
year,
because
we
are
our
our
building
is
in
Middlebury,
but
we're
really
a
Statewide
organization.
We
travel
a
lot
to
bring
our
programs
to
many
different
places,
and
so
that's
why
we
chose
to
drop
the
center
to
just
convey
that
that,
yes,
we
have,
we
have
one
building,
but
our
work
is
throughout
the
state.
B
B
A
C
Yes,
exactly
yeah,
it's
definitely
a
Statewide
Outreach
with
Vermont
Folklife
and
with
young
Tradition
at
Vermont
float
life
yeah.
So
you
know
I've
recently
been
hired.
This
past
January
is
when
I
started
and
I've
been
working
with
Mark
sustick
up.
You
know,
through
this
coming,
July
and
and
I'm
sure
Bianca
will
continue
to
tap
onto
his
wealth
of
resources,
to
really
kind
of
get
to
learn.
C
All
of
the
various
programs
that
that
he's
created
over
the
years
and
help
carry
those
forward
so
I've
been
you
know,
we,
we
have
kind
of
like
seven
staple
programs
that
we've
been
focusing
on.
We've
got
a
instrument
Loan
program
which
provides
free
instruments
to
young
people
throughout
the
state
where
somebody
can
reach
out
and
request
an
instrument
that
they're
interested
in
learning
and
then
I
will
deliver
that
to
them
and
then
try
to
connect
them
with
an
educator
for
that
that
instrument
and
it's
a
free
program.
C
C
Learn
about
perform,
Tunes
songs
and
dances
from
a
variety
of
traditional
Styles.
Campers
will
participate
in
group
sessions
each
day
with
a
variety
of
course,
staff
and
guest
instructors
and
the
you
can
be
a
beginner.
You
can
be
intermediate
and
advanced
levels
and
we
provide
content
for
you
to
engage
in
those
those
various
activities,
and
this
year
we've
got
amazing
instructors.
C
We've
got
Brian
Perkins,
Laurel,
Swift,
Rob,
Rohr,
Rachel,
Bell,
Heidi,
Wilson,
j
Kulu
and
the
drum
theater
Joanne
Garden,
Nick,
Mart,
searing,
Oliver,
Scanlon
and
Paulo,
and
so
there's
really
just
like
a
wonderful
group
of
people.
Oh
and
Sam.
Amidon
is
also
joining
us
this
year,
which
is
really
exciting.
C
C
Think
amazingly
talented,
Young
Artists.
So
we
leave
on
on
Friday
for
that
and
then,
when
we
return,
we
are
getting
right
into
the
young
tradition,
Vermont
Festival,
which
is
going
to
be
held
from
May
4th
through
the
7th
and
it
is
hosted
and
by
the
La
Familia
Blanc
this
year
and
there'll
be
performances
from
them
and
the
touring
group
and
the
young
tradition,
youth
Commission
as
well
and
they'll,
be
on
May.
A
That's
great
well
give
us
an
idea
of
what
type
of
groups
traditional
or
new,
with
music,
art
and
dance
are
part
of
this
Vermont
fabric.
Right
now,
this
old
Vermont
folk
life
I
know
we
have
immigrants
from
from
Asia.
We
have
our
traditional
quebecois
elements
and,
and
also
traditional
wine,
give
us
an
idea
of
the
diversity
of
people
that
are
involved
in
this.
B
Yeah
I
can
jump
in
and
talk
a
little
bit
about
that
and
and
Dennis
you're
right,
you're
right
drive
to
be
very
inclusive
when
we
think
and
talk
about
what's
traditional
in
in
Vermont,
because
there
are
people
from
so
many
different
backgrounds
in
our
state
and
that's
something
that
I
have
really
admired
is
I.
You
know
in
my
years,
working
with
Vermont
Folklife
and
in
particular,
getting
to
work
on
our
traditional
Arts
apprenticeship
program,
which
has
been
running
for
over
30
years,
and
every
state
has
a
program
like
this.
B
It's
funded
through
the
National
Endowment
on
the
Arts
and
the
Nea
provides
some
some
money
for
an
organization
in
every
state
to
to
build
relationships
with
traditional
artists
and
provide
stipends
for
apprenticeships.
So
you
know
it
feels
like
kind
of
an
old-fashioned
word,
but
an
apprenticeship
is
a
one-on-one
learning
experience
where
someone
who's.
You
know
a
community
recognized
artist
in
some
traditional
art
form.
B
If
anyone
is
interested
in
learning
more
about
that
program,
and
so
there's
a
lot
of
ties
through
the
apprenticeship
program
which
will
be
present
at
Trad,
camp
and
young
tradition,
Vermont
has
also
been
really
instrumental,
no
pun
intended
in
in
supporting
a
lot
of
those
those
communities
as
well.
So
it's
just
another
reason
why
we're
so
grateful
that
those
programs
are
are
with
us
now.
A
B
Yeah
the
the
archives
are
in
you
know,
kind
of
as
many
different
recording
formats
as
as
exist.
We
don't
go
quite
so
far
back
as
to
have
too
many
wax
cylinders,
but
we
do
have
one
I'm
pretty
sure.
So,
there's
a
lot
of
analog
media.
You
know
things
on
on
cassette,
tapes
or
VHS,
and
then
you
know
currently
a
lot
of
stuff
comes
to
us
as
as
digital
media,
The
Collection
is
largely
interview
based,
but
there's
a
lot
of
music
recordings,
including
recordings
from
Ian's,
mom
I,
don't
know
Ian.
B
C
C
A
B
B
B
B
B
We've
also
been
working
in
collaboration
through
a
grant
from
the
Library
of
Congress
on
a
project
called
teaching
with
primary
sources,
which
is
trying
to
bring
primary
source
material
from
folk
folk,
lore
archives
like
ours
and
get
them
into
the
hands
of
teachers
and
students.
So
that's
another
great
way
that
the
archives
are
are
getting
out
there
into
the
world.
These
days.
A
B
Yeah,
it's
a
it's
a
whole
mix
again
for
many
years
we
had
a
gallery
at
the
at
the
our
building
in
Middlebury,
which
is
wonderful,
but
we
felt
like
you
know.
It
was
just
kind
of
in
one
space
and
and
a
fairly
limited
you
know
reach,
and
so
in
order
to
bring
more
exhibits
to
more
places
and
and
hopefully
to
more
audiences,
we
started
designing
exhibits
so
that
they
could
travel
and
it
can
be,
you
know
very
Grassroots
yeah.
B
B
Champlain
Valley
office
of
Economic
Opportunity,
you
got
it
and
we've
been
doing
interviews
with
their
staff
and
clients
and
collaborating
with
those
folks
to
to
create
an
exhibit
about
both
people
who
are
experiencing
homelessness
and
support,
supporting
that
community
in
Vermont
and
that
exhibit
will
be
on
display
in
City
Hall
Park
this
spring
and
so
the
exhibit
materials
there
are
photographs
and
also
audio
clips
from
the
interviews,
and
that
will
that's
being
printed
on
a
lightweight.
You
know
plastic
foam
core
that
will
be
on
display
in
the
park.
B
A
Amazing,
well
tell
us
a
little
bit
about
about
what
you
need.
You
really
have
a
very
ambitious
set
of
projects,
and
that
is
website
a
lot
of
resources
on
that
we're
going
to
put
that
on
the
screen
or
in
the
video.
So
people
can
refer
to
that,
but
but
tell
us
what
you
need,
whether
it's
volunteers
or
people
to
come
forth
with
materials
they
may
have
or
or
funding
sources
of
anything
of
that
nature.
A
C
Yeah
I
I
I,
appreciate
I,
appreciate
the
question
we
are
indeed
need
in
need
of
having
some
volunteers
for
the
upcoming
festival
and
people
can
visit
our
website
at
vermontfolklife.org,
slash,
YT
Fest,
to
find
a
link
to
the
volunteer
sign
up
form
yeah.
That
would
be
that's
super
helpful
also.
You
know
very
appreciative
of
anyone
willing
to
spread
the
word
about
our
upcoming
events,
so
our
our
Festival
would
be
super
happy
to
have
that
spread
around
and
and
also
our
track
Camp
from
July
24th
to
28th.
A
B
Yeah
I
mean
there's,
certainly
many
like-minded
organizations
across
the
country
that
we,
you
know,
stay
in
touch
with
because
we're
doing
similar
work
and
you
know
we're
a
pretty
there's.
A
lot
of
different
disciplines
represented
in
our
work.
But
we
are,
you
know
at
our
core
Vermont
folk
life,
and
so
the
American
Folklife
Center
is
a
National
Organization
that
you
know
hosts
the
conference
once
a
year,
which
is
a
wonderful
way
for
for
our
our
colleagues
to
come
together.
B
We
are
also
connected
with
the
National
Endowment
on
the
Arts
through
our
apprenticeship
program,
so
yeah
there's
definitely
a
wider
Network
out
outside
the
state
and
across
the
border.
You
know
we
certainly
have
a
lot
of
relationships
in
Quebec
with
musicians
I'm
trying
to
think.
If
there's
any
organizations
in
in
particular.
A
B
Yeah,
as
Ian
has
mentioned,
we
have
you
know
this
spring.
It's
kind
of
a
lot
of
focus
on
young
tradition,
Vermont
we're
very
excited
for
that
later.
In
the
summer,
we
have
a
couple
of
learning
opportunities,
so
we
have
a
a
public,
Workshop
called
documenting
everyday
life,
which
will
take
place
in
Berry
at
the
Vermont
History
Center,
that's
June,
27th
and
28th,
and
it's
a
two-day
in-person
workshop.
That
kind
of
presents
the
foundations
of
the
we
kind
of
call
it.
B
So
that's
a
great
opportunity
and
then
later
in
August,
we
have
another
Workshop,
that's
geared
especially
for
teachers
and
is
presenting
that
teaching
with
primary
sources,
curriculum
material
that
I
mentioned
earlier,
and
that
has
a
focus
on
Farming
and
food
ways.
So
that's
drawing
on
materials
from
our
archive
interviews
with
Farmers
migrant
workers
and
people
who
are
you
know,
involved
in
kind
of
agricultural
life
in
Vermont,
so
some
educational
opportunities
in
the
summer
and
we
don't
have
anything
in
place.
B
A
That's
wonderful
and
certainly
keep
in
touch
and
we'll
maybe
get
the
another
show
going
when
those
events
get
closer.
What
I
wanted
to
do
today
is
give
people
an
overview,
and
we
certainly
have
some
very
interesting
things
to
look
at
in
the
near
future
and
also
on
your
website,
and
hopefully,
people
will
volunteer
and
assist
in
other
ways
possible.
So
I
want
to
thank
you
for
watching
positively
Vermont.
My
guests
have
been
Ian
Drury
and
Mary
Wesley
of
Vermont
Folklife.