About the Tramando Project
A history rooted in textiles
Once hailed as "El Centro de Oro," Kensington thrived as a global textile powerhouse in the early 20th century, boasting hundreds of mills and a diverse immigrant workforce.
Among them, Puerto Ricans sought refuge from economic hardship, drawn to Kensington's bustling garment industry as the island's needlework sector declined.
However, the neighborhood's industrial zenith waned with the onset of deindustrialization in the 1950s, triggering a sharp population decline and enduring economic struggles.
Despite its storied past, Kensington now grapples with the legacy of its industrial glory, as grassroots initiatives strive to revitalize the community while honoring its rich immigrant heritage.
Our Mission: An Idea in the making
Tramando seeks to breathe new life into Kensington’s textile heritage by empowering individuals to pursue creative paths as sustainable careers while preserving and passing down ancestral textile practices. Through the revitalization of traditional crafts and techniques, we aim to build a stronger, more resilient community where creativity and cultural knowledge become tools for empowerment and economic opportunity.
Textile arts carry the power to connect us to our roots while shaping our futures. By teaching and honoring these practices, Tramando fosters spaces where cultural preservation and innovation go hand in hand—revitalizing local production, promoting sustainability, and catalyzing the creation of circular economies within our communities.
Through collective art-making, we nurture a sense of agency and ownership, allowing individuals and diaspora communities to reclaim their narratives, express their identities, and find strength in creative collaboration. In passing down this knowledge, we not only honor the legacy of our ancestors but also empower a new generation of artists and makers to build vibrant, self-sufficient, and empowered futures.
How long is the program?
Tramando is a 9-week program designed to immerse participants in textile arts, professional development, and community-building.
Weeks 1–6 are dedicated to hands-on learning of the specified art form led by our visiting artist, offering participants a deep dive into techniques, traditions, and creative exploration.
Week 7 features the Artisano Salón, a 2-day workshop focused on professional development. During this time, participants will explore opportunities for funding, learn how to price, market, and share their work, and receive mentorship on advancing their creative practices.
Week 9 culminates with a group field trip—a celebratory send-off where cohort members will meet, connect, and reflect alongside the sister cohort.
Each cohort consists of 10 participants, bringing together a total of 20 individuals across the program. Upon the completion of all three modules, participants will be invited to return and contribute to the creation of our final textile sculpture installation at Taller Puertorriqueño, bringing the collective spirit of Tramando to life.
By agreeing to participate in Tramando, you commit to fully engaging with the program’s sessions, honoring the time, knowledge, and community we’re building together. As an incentive Tramando is paid opportunity.
Who should apply?
Tramando is designed for individuals in Philadelphia who are passionate about cultural preservation, craft traditions, and the transformative power of textile arts. This program is ideal for:
Artists and Makers looking to deepen their connection to artisanal practices, expand their creative skills, and explore the intersections of heritage, craft, and contemporary art.
Entrepreneurial-Minded Creatives who want to advance their skillsets, gain invaluable tools for success, and learn how to excel as artists through professional development, mentorship, and community-building.
Community-Oriented Individuals eager to connect with others, share knowledge, and cultivate relationships rooted in cultural traditions and textile arts.
We prioritize 50% of admissions for applicants from the Kensington, Fair Hill, and Norris Square neighborhoods, reflecting our commitment to serving local communities and honoring their rich cultural legacies. The remaining spots are open to participants from the greater Philadelphia area.
If you are driven to preserve craft traditions, build community, and embrace textile arts as a tool for cultural connection and personal growth, Tramando is the space for you.
Why We Pay You
Tramando is an experiment in new methods of passing down knowledge.
Learning skills like natural dyeing, weaving, and fiber arts can often come with significant financial barriers, leaving many disconnected from traditions that were once passed down freely. Our program exists to bridge this gap, ensuring that ancestral knowledge is not only preserved but valued.
By compensating our participants, we emphasize the importance and worth of this work. These practices—rooted in cultural heritage and craftsmanship—carry immense value, not just as skills, but as connections to identity, lineage, and community. Paying you for your participation allows you to recognize the power of these traditions and the time, energy, and artistry required to carry them forward.
We also know that a 9-week commitment is no small feat. As artists and makers, your time is valuable. Whether it’s learning new techniques, creating work for the program, or contributing to the final art installation that we’ll develop together, your dedication deserves recognition. Compensating you is one way we honor your contributions—not just to Tramando, but to the broader cultural and artistic ecosystem we are collectively building.
By participating in Tramando, you are part of a legacy: preserving ancestral practices, expanding your creative skillset, and strengthening community through textile arts. Your time, work, and commitment matter, and we’re proud to pay you for it.
We pay $500 for the duration on the program
Tramando emerges as a vital response to understanding the impact deindustrialization had on Kensington, once revered and then neglected.
By revitalizing textile arts, the project aims to empower the community, providing new tools to combat gentrification and economic challenges.
Through professional development within the arts, Tramando reconnects residents with their cultural heritage while also equipping them with tangible skills to navigate a changing landscape.
As Kensington strives to reclaim its status as a vibrant hub, Tramando embodies the ideology of "El Centro de Oro," fostering resilience and empowerment among its residents, propelling them toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
Taking Action
Have more Questions?
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life, and engages in an exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders.
