Welcome to my blog – AfriCulture Today.
I have worked in various arts and culture positions in and around my hometown of Newark, NJ. I’ve traveled abroad to W. Africa, Brussels, Paris, London and participated in a 10-day study tour of Northern Ireland which I found fascinating. I was one of 10 arts administrators chosen in the U.S. to explore cultural exchanges, courtesy the British Council.
I studied speech, theatre and television production earning a B.A. in Theatre Arts & Speech from Rutgers University and a M.A. in Communication Arts from Montclair State University. Along the way, I’ve studied piano (can’t play a lick any more), photography (could use a good camera) and Spanish (if you don’t practice you lose it). My favorite past time is zumba.
I founded my Jersey-based talent agency, The Nia Network, a division of Celeste Bateman & Associates, LLC in 2005. Please visit my website at www.celestebateman.com for details. The line-up features performing artists, historians, writers and speakers of African descent who present in various venues nationally and internationally.
Our artists and speakers perform and present at colleges and universities, performing arts centers, schools, churches, corporations, conferences, festivals, trade shows, etc. Our presenters specialize in topics and art forms pertaining to the African Diaspora. Our MISSION is to promulgate what is good and positive about African, Caribbean, and African-American culture, history, heritage and art. For booking information, please email me at info@celestebateman.com or call (973) 705-8253. Sorry, not accepting an new artists/speakers at this time.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my blog. I like to write about arts, culture and media that pertain to the Black Experience. I welcome your feedback. Thank you for visiting.
~ Celeste Bateman