Vision: A world that recognises living cultures as essential to our shared future, not remnants of the past.
MISSION: To carry out long-term ethnographic fieldwork with communities whose lives are rooted in land, nature, and place, and to publish careful, honest work that reflects their realities. ETHNOMAD works with traditional, minority, and displaced peoples to understand how they live, adapt, and endure amid rapid social, environmental, and political change.
ETHNOMAD is an independent ethnographic research and advisory practice founded by Dr Tom Corcoran, Conservation Ethnographer, humanitarian, and National Geographic Global Explorer.
Rooted in long-term fieldwork, ETHNOMAD works with universities, NGOs, Governments, cultural institutions, and community partners to understand how culture, environment, displacement, and development intersect in lived experience. Its work focuses on traditional knowledge systems, Indigenous, tribal and minority practices, displacement and how communities sustain identity, dignity, and relationships with the land under pressure.
ETHNOMAD’s approach is grounded in presence rather than extraction. Research is carried out through listening, participation, and ethical documentation, with an emphasis on cultural continuity, local authority, and practical relevance. Outputs include ethnographic studies, cultural impact assessments, field guides, exhibitions, training, and advisory support for institutions working in complex social and environmental contexts.
Fading Cultures is ETHNOMAD’s flagship publishing project and public field journal. It documents the organisation’s research and collaborations through long-form essays, photography, film, and educational resources. Rather than chasing scale or speed, Fading Cultures exists to make field-based work visible, accountable, and accessible to broader audiences, while remaining rooted in the communities and projects from which it emerges.
Together, ETHNOMAD and Fading Cultures form a sustained, project-driven body of work dedicated to documenting living cultures, supporting ethical practice, and preserving knowledge that cannot be replaced once lost.
Tom Corcoran
PhD, MSc, BSc, MM, ACP
Dr Tom Corcoran is a conservation ethnographer, filmmaker, and humanitarian whose fieldwork spans more than four decades across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas. He has lived and worked in high mountain communities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan; along nomadic routes in the Middle East; in coastal settlements from Karachi to Indonesia; and among rural and tribal communities across Madagascar, Tanzania, Algeria, and Bhutan.
A National Geographic Society Global Explorer, he is a recipient of the European Outdoor Conservation Award and the FORD Award for Conservation Films for his work documenting Indigenous knowledge, community resilience, and human–environment relationships.
His work focuses on how communities maintain skill, meaning, and continuity under pressure. Through long-term ethnographic fieldwork, film, and long-form storytelling, he documents traditional knowledge systems, oral histories, craft practices, and land-based ways of life shaped by development, conflict, and environmental change.
Dr Corcoran has served as a senior advisor to United Nations agencies, international NGOs, and national governments on cultural heritage and humanitarian response, including roles in post-disaster reconstruction and displacement-affected settings. He is the CEO of ETHNOMAD, a platform dedicated to documenting living cultures with accuracy and care, and the Editor-in-Chief of Fading Cultures Magazine.
Sagar Dibra
Sagar Dibra is a communications and field production specialist from Bangladesh, of Indigenous Garo heritage, with a Master’s degree in English Literature. His work supports ethnographic and documentary projects through film coordination, production logistics, and communications.
He works across editorial support, content editing, and outreach, helping translate field-based research and documentary work into clear public narratives. His role includes supporting filming and documentation, producing newsletters and communications materials, and engaging with university students and civil society organisations involved in cultural and research initiatives.
At ETHNOMAD, Sagar supports documentary and ethnographic projects through communications and production coordination, helping ensure that Indigenous and underrepresented stories are documented accurately and shared responsibly.
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.
Farhana Akter
Farhana Akter is a writer and researcher based in Bangladesh, with a background in Communication and Journalism. Her work focuses on human–environment relationships, including human–wildlife coexistence, nature, and the lived impacts of climate change on everyday life.
Her writing and research are grounded in field engagement with communities living at ecological and social frontiers. She documents how people adapt to environmental change, negotiate relationships with wildlife, and sustain cultural knowledge in landscapes shaped by rivers, forests, and shifting climates.
At ETHNOMAD, Farhana contributes as a writer and field researcher, supporting ethnographic documentation and long-form storytelling across Bangladesh. Her work emphasises careful observation, contextual research, and accurate representation of communities navigating environmental uncertainty and social change.
"Bringing Stories to Life Through the People Who Live Them
