Students of the Urasenke School of Chado share techniques of brewing matcha tea at a 2018 Traditional Arts Roundtable in Los Angeles. Photo by Timo Saarelma.

Our Work

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts administers several core programs which engage in community development and provide funding to folk & traditional artists and organizations up and down California. We also offer consulting services and opportunities to collaborate with partner organizations in serving the field of traditional arts at the local, state, and national level.

Programs

The Apprenticeship Program encourages the continuity of California’s traditional arts by facilitating a period of one-on-one training between a master artist and apprentice.

Explore the Program

Apprenticeships

ACTA works inside 18 California prisons, bridging culture and community for transformative healing.

Explore the Program

Arts in Corrections

Through BHC, ACTA elevates traditional arts practices that center community knowledge and culture in campaigns for health equity.

Learn about BHC

Building Healthy Communities

The Living Cultures Grant Program sustains and strengthens traditional arts by providing project funding for California-based nonprofits.

Explore the Program

Living Cultures Grant Program

A research and community engagement project that explores music and soundscapes as vital expressions of collective experience.

Explore SOC

Sounds of California

Sharing cultural practices, resources, and networks for a more sustainable and equitable arts field.

Find Roundtables

Traditional Arts Roundtable Series

Services

Consulting + Collaboration

ACTA brings more than 20 years of experience working closely with cultural communities and organizations across California and nationally. We collaborate with partners and clients in the areas of cultural asset mapping, program design and curation, research and evaluation, technical assistance, and more.

Collaborate with Us

Publications + Media

ACTA develops publications, reports, and multimedia reflecting the state of cultural arts and community organizing in California. In collaboration with experts, artists, and advocates from the field, we examine the intersections of arts, community health, social wellbeing, and public policy. Click to browse our latest publications and multimedia.

Browse Publications + Media

Past Programs

Community Leadership Project

The Community Leadership Project (CLP) ran from 2010 to 2017, and was supported by a joint partnership between the David & Lucile Packard, James Irvine, and William & Flora Hewlett foundations. It supported financial stability and leadership development for small and midsize organizations serving low-income people and communities of color in the San Joaquin Valley.

Watch a video about the Community Leadership Project and its impact in the San Joaquin Valley here.