Project Proposal written on behalf of SEAMAACs Community Outreach Office

Batik Workshop
Submitted to the Stockton Bartol Foundation

Donna Backues
4-21-2017
Bartol Foundation Application Narrative
1. SEAMAACs key programs and audience
HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
The Health & Social Services Department Staff supports immigrant and refugee families to improve the
quality of their lives through access to health care, social services, community building, community activities
promoting well-being (yoga, arts activities, etc.), advocacy, and building bridges to health care and social
service providers.
EDUCATION
The Education Department serves elementary and high school students and young adults in their educational
experience through afterschool arts & academic enrichment programs, truancy prevention, and summer
programs. Understanding the crucial role parents, family and community support play in the success of
students, the Education Department engages the participation and fosters leadership of parents and
community stakeholders.

2. How will this grant be used?

PROJECT GOALS
SEAMAAC will coordinate two 10-week Indonesian batik workshops at SEAMAACs Community Outreach
Office located within the Indonesian community of South Philadelphia. Besides learning the technique, 15-20
teen and adult community members will also learn about the history of batik in Indonesia, an art form that has
been a strong source of identity for Indonesians crossing religious, racial, and cultural boundaries. Together,
students will create a both an individual and collaborative piece that will serve as a visual representation of
the hopes and dreams of the Indonesian community in Philadelphia.

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT SUPPORT CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS?

SEAMAAC has recently created a new community space in a South Philly neighborhood where many of the
refugee and immigrant population can easily gather. Just recently we have acquired a building connected to
our 8th street office with an open space more than suitable for art classes. We believe in the power of art to
connect people, overcome barriers, educate and improve the quality of life of the people we serve. We also
believe in the importance of learning ones heritage and the heritage of ones neighbors to promote mutual
understanding. The Batik Class will fall under the Health and Social Services Department as one of many
community art activities that we hope to sponsor in the future to highlight the arts of the many ethnic groups
represented in South Philadelphia.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES PLANNED

Goal 15-20 teens & adults will gain a new appreciation for an Indonesian art form by making a batik cloth
piece of their own. Together they will create a larger collaborative batik hanging.

Objective Number One

Over a 10 - week period, students will learn the history of batik, how it developed in Indonesia and how it
influenced textile art in other countries.
Activities
Students will watch a video, listen to a presentation, look at and hold antique and contemporary batik
samples (with a possible trip to the museum).
Outcomes

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 20 students will attend the course once a week after-school and demonstrate their knowledge of the batik
patterns, where they originated on Java and how they developed over time.

Objective Number Two

Over a 10-week period, students will learn the step by step process of creating a wax-resist cloth.
Activities
Students will learn how to draw with a canting using hot wax. They will dye the cloth with brushes and
boil out the wax from the cloth.
Outcomes
20 students will attend the course once a week after-school and will demonstrate their ability to do the
batik technique.

Location/address
Community Outreach Office at 2110 8th Street, South Philadelphia (near Snyder Avenue)
Timeline
The first class will begin October 2017 and the 2nd will begin February 2018. Both classes will end with a
final showcase.

TARGET AUDIENCE AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE

Teens (13-18 years old) and Adults from the South Philadelphia Indonesian Community. Each class will
have 15-20 participants with 30-40 participants being served in total.

SPECIFICS ABOUT TARGET AUDIENCE

Philadelphia has the 2nd largest population of Indonesians in the USA and most live in South Philadelphia. It
is estimated that there are 6000 Indonesians living in South Philadelphia but there are some experts who
believe the number is higher. Most Indonesians living in South Philadelphia work for less than minimum
wage in factories within Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Many young adults who were brought to
the USA as children remain undocumented. Many members of this community do not have access to public
benefits, health insurance and educational opportunities.

STAFF AND TEACHING ARTIST

Donna Backues Teaching Artist & SEAMAAC Indonesian outreach worker (Paid employee)

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 Donna has a BA in Studio Art and Graphic Design from Southern Illinois University and an MFA from The
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She is currently working toward an MA in Urban Studies &
Community Arts, from Eastern University. In 1989, she moved to Indonesia and lived for 18 years working
alongside her husband in a grass roots development organization. Donna invested time in language and
culture learning as well as painting, drawing and learning the Javanese technique of batik (wax resist fabric
art). She founded a village community health program and a community arts program. Her interest in
indigenous art forms led to her starting a handicraft non-profit supporting local artisans in West Java as well
as designing batik textiles and woven products for export. She also created illustrations, manuals, and
teaching aids for development projects including materials used in relief efforts during the aftermath of the
2004 Asian Tsunami. Donna has been awarded numerous teaching artist residencies through the Philadelphia
Art Museums Delphi Art Futures program and Art Partners program and Spiral Q Puppet Theater. In 2013
Donna won first prize in the American Batik Design Competition and in 2014 she was awarded the Art &
Change Grant by the Leeway foundation.

Lauren Dudley - SEAMAAC 8th Street Office Manager (Paid employee)

Lauren is a Masters Level Social Worker who has been working alongside vulnerable and disenfranchised
populations for more than three years. Lauren specializes in the areas of immigrant and refugee advocacy,
community outreach, and youth services. Lauren received her Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BSW) and
her Bachelors Degree (BA) in History from Rutgers University in 2015. As an Advantage Standing student,
Lauren went on to complete her Masters in Social Work Degree (MSW) at the School of Social Policy and
Practice at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. While attending Rutgers University, Lauren was the
Secretary of the Undergraduate Social Work Organization at the Camden Campus. She is also a member of
the Phi Alpha Honor Society and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Lauren is currently
employed at SEAMAAC (South East Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition Inc.) as the Continuum
of Care Program Coordinator. She is looking forward to continuing her work in supporting immigrants and
refugees in South Philadelphia.

3. Accessibility
Our programs for the community are almost always free. The fact that we are in the heart of the immigrant
population of Philadelphia makes our programs geographically accessible and culturally welcoming.

4. Monitoring & Evaluation

The teaching artist will be required to keep attendance and an internal blog which would include a brief
paragraph about highlights of the class with 2 or 3 photos of the process and then a paragraph stating
challenges or issues that need to be addressed. The attendance log and blog will be used for monitoring and
later for evaluation. At the end of the 10 week period the teacher will meet with staff and will be asked to
verbally tell a story about her experience using prompts that are listed below. This can be recorded or video-
taped for later use. At the end of the final class, each participant will be given a brief survey and any student
who is willing can be video-taped telling their story about the workshop using prompts like the questions
asked of the teacher. The brief survey will ask practical questions regarding the teachers effectiveness,
enjoyment, location, time frame, etc. After choosing at a few stakeholders to vote on the best stories/videos,
this information with pictures/videos can be posted on the organizations website. An executive summary
including data from the surveys can be written up for funders and stakeholders with a link to the website.
Decisions about future workshops can be made based on the information collected from the blogs, stories and
surveys.

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 Measurement Plan for Batik Workshop

Project Model for Batik Workshop

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 Project Budget for One 10-week Session

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 Current Year Organizational Budget
SEAMAAC, INC. BOARD APPROVED ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2016-2017

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 Board of Directors

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 IRS Determination letter for 501c3 status

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 Page 2 of 501c3 status

SEAMAAC Organizational Chart

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 Separately Attached Documents

Summary Form for Bartol Foundation & Application Instructions

Most recent audited financial statements (or 990)
Annual Report or Overview of activities for the past year
Sample curriculum or lesson plan
Staff & teaching artist resumes
Photos of past batik projects
SEAMAAC brochure

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