Haiti Cultural Exchange- Press Profile
2010 Union Square Arts Award Recipient
115 South Oxford St. #547
Brooklyn, NY 11217
www.haiticulturalx.org
Media Contact: Regine Roumain, Executive Director
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| (718) 855-8514
Approximately 250,000 Haitians live in the New York area, primarily in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Flatbush, Canarsie, East New York, Crown Heights and Midwood and the Queens sections of Cambria Heights and Queens Village. Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) was founded by seven women who emerged from the heart of this community to develop, present and promote the cultural expressions of the Haitian people, raise awareness of social issues, and foster cultural understanding and appreciation through arts, education and public affairs programs.
On January 12, 2010, when an earthquake hit Haiti killing and displacing hundreds of thousands of people, the suffering and hardship of Haitians extended into the City’s communities and families upon whom many Haitians rely as their first line of support. HCX co-sponsored the Circle of Solidarity at the Brooklyn Museum bringing together several hundred people in a community-wide tribute to earthquake victims featuring poets, musicians, and dancers.
HCX offered free arts workshops to help Haitian and Haitian-American children and youth cope with the earthquake’s impact. Its From Haiti to Brooklyn program mobilized volunteer artists to teach music, poetry, and arts and crafts workshops for more than 300 children at a local elementary school in a program that was continued into the academic year. Krik: Krak!, HCX’s first program, also connects youth to their heritage and fosters a greater sense of pride. Every Saturday morning, it brings together adults and children, 2 to 5 year olds, to explore Haitian traditions through popular stories and songs in English, French or Haitian Creole.
HCX presents innovative programs including art exhibits, performances, and public forums that seek to support emerging and established artists, promote cross-cultural exchanges, encourage dialogue about contemporary social issues, and serve as a catalyst for the emergence of new ideas.