About Us
ETHNOMAD is an independent ethnographic consultancy and storytelling platform dedicated to safeguarding cultural diversity in a rapidly changing world. We work at the intersection of research, education, and visual storytelling—documenting the lives, knowledge systems, and resilience of traditional, tribal, Indigenous, and marginalised communities across the globe.
From rural Afghanistan to coastal West Africa, from the Australian outback to the Himalayan highlands, ETHNOMAD collaborates with local communities, development agencies, and academic institutions to bring untold stories to light. We produce documentary features, cultural heritage reports, immersive fieldwork case studies, policy-oriented publications, and educational materials for universities and global organisations.
Our flagship publication, Fading Cultures Magazine, offers in-depth explorations of culture, nature, and identity through long-form journalism, photography, and ethnographic insight. We reinvest profits into local communities, supporting education, artisanal livelihoods, and community-led conservation.
Through our Global Ethnographer Programme, we mentor and train the next generation of cultural researchers and storytellers, building a network committed to ethical fieldwork and inclusive representation. Whether advising international NGOs, contributing to heritage documentation for global institutions, or leading workshops on field methods and participatory research, ETHNOMAD brings deep field experience, cultural sensitivity, and narrative power to every project.
Tom Corcoran
PhD, MSc, BSc, MM, ACP
Dr. Tom Corcoran is a Conservation Ethnographer, Humanitarian, and Global Explorer whose life’s work is a journey through fading traditions and enduring cultural wisdom. With over four decades of field experience across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, Dr. Corcoran has worked alongside Indigenous, tribal, and traditional communities, documenting cultural resilience in the face of displacement, development, and climate change.
A former National Geographic Global Explorer, Dr. Corcoran is also a seasoned humanitarian practitioner, having led and coordinated major emergency responses in some of the world’s most challenging environments. From post-earthquake recovery in Indonesia to the Beirut Port Blast response in Lebanon, from drought and flood emergencies in Afghanistan to supporting large-scale displacements in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Tanzania, his work has bridged cultural preservation with humanitarian action.
As the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fading Cultures Magazine, he blends ethnographic storytelling with documentary photography and longform journalism to elevate the voices of those often left out of global narratives. His fieldwork includes in-depth documentation of pastoralists, artisans, and oral historians in fragile and rapidly changing environments.
Dr. Corcoran has served as an advisor to United Nations agencies, international NGOs, and governments, producing cultural heritage reports, field studies, and educational resources for global dissemination. He is also a respected educator and mentor, having designed and taught university-level courses on ethnography, humanitarian fieldwork, and ethical representation.
In 2025, he launched the Global Ethnographer Programme, supporting early-career researchers with immersive field placements and training across South Asia and Southeast Asia.
He holds degrees from UCC, UCD, and the University of Birmingham, and began his professional life as a master of Cultural Heritage, restoring heritage sites, from buildings to monuments, an early connection to place and permanence that continues to shape his ethnographic philosophy.
Jasmine San Jose - Aniukova
Jasmine is a seasoned global explorer with a background in Business Administration and Tourism and is the driving force behind the promotions and marketing strategy at ETHNOMAD and the Fading Cultures Magazine. Born in the Philippines, she embarked on her journey of discovery at a young age, leaving her homeland to pursue a career that would span continents and oceans. Over the past decade, Jasmine has navigated the world aboard cruisers and sailboats, immersing herself in the vibrant diversity of cultures, landscapes, and traditions.
From the bustling markets of Southeast Asia to the tranquil shores of the Mediterranean, Jasmine has cultivated a unique understanding of the intricate threads that weave humanity together. Her global perspective is deeply personal—her own family’s story reflects a beautiful diversity, with roots in the Philippines and connections across three continents, scattered between Eastern Europe and the United States.
Jasmine’s experiences have instilled in her a profound appreciation for the world’s cultural richness, making her a vital advocate for the ETHNOMAD mission to document, preserve, and celebrate traditions at risk of fading away. Her work draws inspiration from her love of storytelling and her belief that every culture, no matter how small or remote, has lessons to teach about resilience, identity, and humanity’s shared journey.
Sebastian Rich
Sebastian Rich is an internationally acclaimed photojournalist and cameraman whose lens has captured some of our time's most influential and poignant moments. With a career spanning over four decades, Sebastian began his journey in 1980 with Independent Television News (UK), quickly earning a reputation for being in the right place at the right time during many of the world’s major breaking news events. His images have shaped global understanding of war, injustice, and resilience from conflict zones to humanitarian crises.
While Sebastian is widely known for his uncompromising courage in the theatre of war, his work goes far beyond frontline reporting. He is celebrated for his ability to find humanity amid chaos—revealing not just the suffering, but also the dignity, strength, and hope that endure in the face of adversity.
As a contributing photojournalist for Fading Cultures Magazine, Sebastian continues his lifelong dedication to documenting the lives of marginalised and Indigenous communities across the globe. His storytelling through photography brings vital visibility to people and cultures, too often left in the shadows.
Through his ongoing support and collaboration, Fading Cultures can shine a light on traditions, struggles, and beauty from remote corners of the world, preserving them with the honesty and depth that only Sebastian’s lens can provide.
Emily Anna Mavridou
Emily Anna Mavridou is an Anthropologist, Writer, and passionate explorer of memory, identity, and cultural belonging. Hailing from the island of Cyprus, a land rich in history and layered with stories of migration, resilience, and spiritual depth, Emily brings a unique Mediterranean lens to her work—one rooted in both personal heritage and global insight.
With a deep sensitivity to the subtle rhythms of tradition and transformation, Emily’s writing and research delve into how communities remember, preserve, and reimagine their cultural identities in a rapidly changing world. Her work often blurs the lines between anthropology and storytelling, weaving ethnographic depth with poetic reflection.
As a regular contributor to Fading Cultures Magazine, Emily brings academic rigour and lyrical sensitivity to her narratives, highlighting overlooked voices and forgotten paths. Her fieldwork has taken her into the heart of communities where oral traditions, sacred rituals, and everyday life converge to form powerful expressions of culture.
Whether documenting f, tracing ancestral stories, or exploring the role of coffee in reuniting communities, Emily’s work is a quiet yet powerful call to listen—to the everyday actions, elders, and threads that bind us across time and place.
Noel Sweeney
Noel Sweeney is a contributor to Fading Cultures Magazine and part of the growing ETHNOMAD network of storytellers. Based in Cork, Ireland, Noel is a freelance photojournalist and documentary producer whose work spans photography, print, and audio media. His multidisciplinary approach brings depth and nuance to his stories, often rooted in place, community, and cultural change.
From 2017 to 2023, Noel worked as a freelance producer for RTÉ Radio 1’s long-running maritime programme Seascapes. There, he created features exploring the lives and struggles of Irish fishing and coastal communities. His ability to blend sound with image saw him simultaneously document these communities with his camera, capturing their voices and the fading textures of their world.
A regular contributor to Irish media outlets, Noel’s portfolio ranges from arts and business to independent journalism. His storytelling style is marked by empathy and a quiet attentiveness to people’s lived realities. Whether planning a photo-led article, producing a radio documentary, or experimenting with film cameras for fun, Noel’s work is grounded in a deep love of travel, curiosity, and connecting with people on their own terms.
Through ETHNOMAD, Noel brings his eye and ear for untold stories to a global stage, helping to document endangered traditions, working cultures, and moments of everyday resilience.
"Bringing Stories to Life Through the People WHo Live Them