Recycling Objects, Telling Stories

The International House of Blues Foundation and the UCF Cultural Heritage Allianceheld a workshop on recycling and storytelling. Thrown away objects tell stories, their stories become art, and the art becomes a gallery object. Read more...

Kohler Foundation: The Work of Dr. Charles Smith

UCF's Cultural Heritage Alliance (CHA) is honored to have six works by Dr. Charles Smith. His hundreds of sculptures collectively depict both well-known and more personal stories of African American lives.

To share and conserve their messages of opportunity for young African Americans, the sculptures will be exhibited in Orlando's City Hall gallery for three months beginning in January 2006. Later, they will be displayed at community centers in African American neighborhoods around the city in a partnership program with the City of Orlando. PAVE (Art's Partners in Visual Education) will provide programming for youth related to the Smith sculptures. Finally, the sculptures will be placed on permanent display at Orlando's Expo Center where UCF's School of Film and Digital Media has classes.

See the sculptures

Orange Center Elementary & Jones High School

After the success of Parramore foodways project, the Alliance continued activities with these Central Florida schools, including two worksops by the recycled-materials artist Mr. Imagination in November of 2003.

East Mims Oral History Project

The East Mims Oral History Project is an effort to create a lasting record of the history of east Mims, an historically African-American section of north Brevard county in Central Florida. Community elders are sharing their memories and knowledge of the region’s citrus, palmetto and turpentine industries as well as the contributions of local churches and Civil Rights leaders like the late Harry T. Moore.

Florida Folklore Society

The Florida Folklore Society (FFS) is a state-wide association for the study and appreciation of Florida’s folklife. Every year the Society hosts an annual convention at which folklife scholars present their research. The UCF College of Arts and Sciences has made it possible for the Cultural Heritage Alliance to host the Society for a two-year period. Visit the FFS website...

Hurricane Folklore

This hurricane season is certainly one to remember-and as folklorists we believe it is important for us to try to do just that. Across the state people have been sharing the folklore of disaster-stories, jokes, Internet lore. As we patch up collapsed ceilings, cut down beloved trees and generally try to keep going, I would like to invite you to contribute your narratives.

Read others' hurricane stories.

Students Work in the Community

The Cultural Heritage Alliance encourages UCF students to participate in folklife related activities. Our partnership with the International House of Blues Foundation and similar organizations offers students a unique chance to share and experience folklife first hand. Read more...

Parramore Foodways Project

The UCF Cultural Heritage Alliance recently completed a unique service-learning project focusing on foodways (customs and practices associated with food preparation and sharing) among African-American and Afro-Caribbean residents of the Parramore district of Orlando, Florida. The project, entitled "Community Stories: Documenting African American Heritage and Life in Central Florida," was funded by a CHESP (Community/ Higher Education/ School Partnership) grant. Learn about foodways...

Veterans History Project

The Veterans History project concerns the oral histories and documents relating to America’s wartime experiences, and includes veterans as well as those who served in support of them during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars in all branches of military service—Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, as well as the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.

VHP supports local and statewide workshops involving the community and veterans. One such project is a documentary recently produced by Carlton G. Cartwright. For this unique project, The Children's Coalition, Inc., providing cultural activites for under-priviledged and at-risk youth, travelled to Washington D.C. to interview war veterans and young marines. Watch a short clip of the film (5MB) | Visit the Children's Coalition online.

In Fall 2005 Childrens' Coalition participants Rashad Bell and Steven Tisci, along with founder and executive director Carlton Cartwright attended a workshop in advanced interviewing techniques to prepare them for an interviewing tour that took them around the United States. See the photos from the tour here.