VPM History Streams Virginia Folklife Films
Starting on October 16, 2023, the new VPM History channel on YouTube began hosting Virginia Folklife Program content. Eight short documentaries produced by Virginia Folklife that profile Apprenticeship Teams will be released monthly. Virginians introduced in this series include Bernadette “BJ” Lark, a Roanoke-based artist working to share her Gullah-Geechee heritage and Brad D. Hatch, a member of the Patawomeck Tribe in Fredericksburg who is responsible for reviving the generations-old craft of weaving eel pots.
In an effort to continue expanding and creating YouTube content for audience members, VPM launched VPM History in February 2023, stating: “The channel will take viewers on an entertaining, informative and nostalgic journey through original digital content. VPM History will be the home of existing series Hidden History with Brian Bullock, and Legacy Look Back, a new series that explores the history behind hidden gems and events with fun and fascinating stories.”
This collaboration will extend the reach of Virginia Folklife films and introduce more Virginians to neighbors doing good work at the intersection of culture and community. For thirty-five years the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities has worked to document, sustain, present, and support cultural traditions across the Commonwealth.