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Wycliffe Bible Translators

EthnoArts

Purpose and Prerequisites

Course leader: Julie Taylor, Ph.D.

We regret to announce that the course due to be held August 2012 has been cancelled due to insufficient numbers registering.

Introduction

This course comprises two concurrently taught intensive modules, Research Methods for EthnoArts and Applied EthnoArts.

'Arts' will encompass music (primarily songs or chants with communicative text), musical instruments, drama/ theatre, dance, and oral arts (story telling, poetics and proverbs). Visual arts (painting, sculpture) will also be discussed.

EthnoArts modules may be taken independently of any other course offered by ETP. Our desire is simply that any training will be what you need at the right time.

If you need to take this course for credit elsewhere, you should discuss with your intended university whether they will give credit hours for the modules you take. A full course breakdown is provided on every certificate.

Click here to view a short video presentation on EthnoArts. 

Purpose and Prerequisites

These modules are designed to help students with prior training/experience in an aspect of creative arts to develop a comprehensive approach to faith-based ministry using music and/or arts. They can be taken by anyone interested in using EthnoArts with any agency.

An important focus will be on developing indigenous forms of creative Scripture based worship that reflect the hearts and unique culture(s) of such a local community.

The aim is:

  • to equip you with further skills that will help you work with any local community or church 
  • to research and utilise appropriate indigenous performing arts with the desired goals of a community in mind.

This should be generally useful for a wide range of creative arts based ministries.

If you are interested in serving with SIL in the domain of EthnoArts, there are three roles available for field based personnel: Arts worker, Arts specialist or Arts consultant. (You could only become a consultant after several years of field experience).

Applied EthnoArts is a core module (a common requirement for all 3 roles), but we recommend you also take Research Methods in Performing Arts before your first field trip.

SIL members also need to be proficient in at least one artistic domain (e.g. music, dance, drama, oral verbal arts), take some Bible courses, and have some complimentary training in another language development domain such as Scripture Use, Literacy, Community Development, Translation, Language and Culture Learning, Linguistics, or Anthropology.

EthnoArts at ETP largely parallels the MA level course offered by the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL) in Dallas, USA. However, the ETP course differs from GIAL in two significant ways. Modules are taught in a concentrated time frame, rather than spread over an entire semester or term and ETP's EthnoArts modules are not currently validated by an external academic body, other than SIL International.

For further information click on the links in the top right margin.