named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Arts-in-Education Residencies
Multi-week school and community center programs teaching West African dance, drumming, storytelling, and visual arts, with connections to environmental stewardship and culminating performances.
Dancing for Dignity
Collaborative program with NYSDEC using dance to explore climate displacement, migration, and resilience, combining ecological advocacy with bodily expression.
Rainforest Guardians Youth Program
Youth empowerment initiative using Ntakumbeng and Juju dance traditions to teach cultural identity, intergenerational knowledge, and rainforest conservation.
The Siren Commons
Planned mixed-use eco-arts campus in Brooklyn featuring deeply affordable housing, green infrastructure, performance spaces, and community programming rooted in African communal values.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
- Arts-in-Education Residencies and School ProgramsConducts arts-in-education residencies in schools and community centers nationwide, offering workshops in West African dance, drumming, storytelling, and visual arts, with showcases featuring youth performance and creative expression. Programs are implemented in Brooklyn classrooms and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
-
-
Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Collaborative Community Art ProjectsOrganizes community art projects that involve collaborative mural creation, integrating artistic expression with community engagement.
-
-
Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
- Community Workshops and Cross-Cultural ExchangeHosts community workshops, cooking programs, cross-cultural exchange events, and gatherings that include preparation of traditional African dishes, fostering community connection through food, storytelling, and shared cultural practices.
-
-
Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
- Performances and Cultural EventsPresents traditional Juju dance performances, headlines BAM's DanceAfrica, participates in Africa Day celebrations, and conducts dance performances as part of civic engagement campaigns such as 'I Can't Vote' to promote youth empowerment and cultural expression.
-
-
Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Youth Cultural and Environmental Education ProgramsRuns the Rainforest Guardians Youth Program and has launched youth programs in five cities, using Ntakumbeng and Juju dance traditions to teach youth about cultural heritage, rainforest conservation, climate displacement, and ecological justice.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Development of The Siren Commons Eco-Arts CampusDeveloping a mixed-use eco-arts campus that includes deeply affordable housing for artists and community members, performance spaces, green infrastructure (green roofs, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy), and educational programming in African arts and environmental education.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$248K
Contributions & grants$229K92%
Program service revenue$20K8%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$246K
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead22%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$9K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$4K
Cash$2K
Investments$0
Liabilities$24K
Net assets$-19K
Liquid reserves0.1 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +3.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAFOR MAMBO TSE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $9K |
board members · 7
- ABRAHAM TEJEDA — INTERIM VP FINANCE
- JUDITH BERTRAND — VP FINANCE
- MANBO DOWOTI DESIR — CHAIRPERSON
- RICARDO RICKETTS — BOARD MEMBER MARKETING DIRECTOR
- SIRAK GETACHEW — BOARD MEMBER DELEGATE DIRECTOR
- WINSOME HENRY — SECRETARY
- ZELEKE DASHO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 4
Who they work with
- BAM Partner — Presented Siren's performance at DanceAfrica.
- BAM DanceAfrica Partner — Collaborates on cultural performances at BAM DanceAfrica events.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Partner — Partner in the Dancing for Dignity program, which uses dance to explore climate displacement and ecological justice.
- UNESCO Center for Peace Government — Mafor Mambo Tse serves as Cultural Coordinator, indicating an institutional affiliation between Siren's leadership and the UNESCO Center for Peace.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cultural Arts for Cross-Community Connectionmethodology: culture-through-culinary-artsBy using food, cooking, and culinary arts as mediums for interaction, we build cross-cultural relationships and community solidarity, because shared cultural practices lower barriers to engagement and foster inclusive belonging.
- Culturally-Rooted Community Designmethodology: culturally-rooted sustainable developmentBy integrating affordable housing, cultural spaces, and green infrastructure in community development, we foster sustainable urban ecosystems, because designs that reflect African communal values strengthen social cohesion and environmental resilience simultaneously.
- Culture as Activismmethodology: culture-as-activismBy using African dance, performance, and cultural expression as forms of storytelling and education, we inspire environmental awareness and collective action, because embodied cultural practices create emotionally resonant and community-rooted pathways to ecological stewardship.