Seven projects documenting mountain culture from locations as diverse as the mountains of Romania and the Coastal Ranges of British Columbia, Canada received funding from The Banff Centre’s 2002 Banff Mountain Grants program. The projects, which range from an exhibition on the impact of mountaintop mining in the Appalachian Mountains to the documentation of ancient Tibetan dance techniques, reflect the diversity of the world’s mountain cultures. Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre annually awards grant money — a total of $18,000 (CAD) this year — to projects that creatively communicate the nature and culture of mountains.

"Each of this year’s grant recipients will communicate ideas and visions from a specific mountain region to a wider audience," says Leslie Taylor, associate director, Mountain Culture, The Banff Centre. This year’s selection committee reviewed 60 grant applications from 12 countries. The 2002 grant recipients are:

Joseph Houseal of Core of Culture, Chicago, USA, for Tibetan Buddhist Cham: Dance Technique and Performance, archival video to preserve endangered ancient dance traditions — $5000.

Hope Frazier of Ojai, California, USA for BRUSHY: Between the Halves of my Heart, a travelling exhibition of film, photo etchings, and poetry about the environmental and social consequences of mountaintop-removal coal mining in Kentucky — $3500.

Beth Wald of Boulder, Colorado, USA, for Eternal Afghanistan, a photojournalism project to document the impacts of war and drought and Afghanistan's rehabilitation efforts — $3500.

Paul Iacobas of Bihor, Romania, for Celebrating Life, Celebrating Mountains!, a festival and film celebrating Romania’s Apuseni Mountains — $2000.

Will Parrinello of the Mill Valley Film Group in California, USA, for Dreaming of Tibet, a film on Tibetan culture in exile in Nepal and the United States — $2000.

Janice Billy of the Neskonlith Indian Band in British Columbia, Canada, for Our Mountain Worlds and Traditional Knowledge, a brochure on what the mountains mean to these indigenous people — $1000.

Angela Heck and Ivan Hughes of Fringe Filmworks, Vancouver, Canada for In the Shadow of the Chief, a television documentary on the climbing history of the Squamish area. $1000.

Mountain Culture grants are awarded annually to projects that creatively communicate the environment, human heritage, inspiration and adventure of the world’s mountain places. more »»