With support from the California Arts Council, the Eritrean Community Center of Santa Clara will increase its artistic activities like , cultural festivals, music , poetry, filming, basic art training and cuisine, being connecting diversified communities of all ages, with a specific focus on immigrant and refugee communities of Santa Clara county and the Bay Area as whole, partnering with city of San Jose, City of Santa Clara and other agencies that concerns on art and culture.
ECC has offered many arts activities, programs, and services. It offers a number of programs and workshops for the community, including traditional dance, singing, poetry, cooking, cultural celebrations, language classes, music, film viewings and much more. Specifically, adult members of the Eritrean community teach various traditional art forms to the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs) to help preserve the authenticity of our culture as well as to support their mental health in a challenging transitional time.
The workshops will continue within the current community’s schedule of events monthly with focus on the arts. Resettled refugees, immigrants & friends of the community from various ethnic backgrounds also participate. Experience demonstrates that art acts as a therapeutic treatment and immigrants integrate better in such a condition. At a recent event, the URM foster children were encouraged to present a short poem or story with the broader community.

