Educative Encounters, Liminal Advantages and Culturally Inspired Storytelling: A Critical Look at the “Peru: Pachamama” program of the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Abstract

During the second five days (July 1-5) of the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a team of anthropologists/educators from the University of Pittsburgh, working on behalf of the American Folklore Society's Consultancy and Professional Development Program and led by Dr. Maureen Porter, (referred to in the remainder of this document as “The Pittsburgh Team”), visited the Peru: Pachamama program with the charge of participant observation of the educational opportunities and potential of the Festival. Dr. Porter prepared a comprehensive report, the most salient points of which are summarized in this document. (Page references in this report are to the longer document.) These observations are pertinent not only to the future efforts of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, but to other cultural events of various types and scope, as well as to Folklore and Education efforts in other venues (including museums, cultural centers, and classrooms).