The Cultural Visitors Program, provides opportunities for young performing artists, filmmakers, and arts managers (ages 19-30) from countries with significant Muslim populations to take part in training, mentoring and residency experiences in the United States. These programs offer young professional artists creative approaches in the development of the visitor's artistic talents or arts management skills while promoting an understanding of American society, culture and values. The programs are designed to also strengthen the participants' cultural institutions by building sustainable linkages and relationships with American individuals and institutions. Project activities include a two-to-three week U.S.-based training program for young foreign artists and arts managers and a 21-day professional development, orientation and mentoring program in the U.S. for mid-level arts managers.

2006 Cultural Visitors

Eight traditional Indian dancers/choreographers visited California and Washington D.C. from April 23 - May 7 as part of a program coordinated by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Choreographer Debbie Allen guided the selected young artists during the program so that they would gain a greater knowledge and appreciation for the American tradition of dance. The dancers first visited Washington D.C., from April 22-28, 2006 where they participated in a press briefing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, to highlight the importance of exchange programs that support the arts. During their visit to the Kennedy Center the dancers learned about Arts Management and Arts Administration. While in D.C. the dancers visited Howard University where they learned about the university level dance education , and they had the opportunity to attend dance classes of Jamaican Hip-Hop, African traditional dance, and Afro-American dance styles. In California, Debbie Allen had the dancers attend salsa dance classes at her studio, Debbie Allen's Dance Academy.

Cultural Representatives are comprised of a dedicated group of people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who participate in exchange programs to further the Department's public diplomacy goals. These programs, which include the Ambassadors, Envoys and Visitors programs, build and strengthen relationships among diverse world cultures. The activities they carry out help countries to strengthen their own cultural institutions as well as to build sustainable linkages and relationships between American individuals and institutions and their foreign counterparts. Cultural Representative programs respond to Washington and field needs and provide opportunities to showcase American arts and arts management through targeted programs and short-term residencies. These programs also offer an opportunity for Americans to learn about foreign cultures, arts and arts management.

The Cultural Ambassadors comprise a group of people known throughout the world for excellence in their fields who teach, mentor and work with young people. While overseas they engage with youth by undertaking projects in their areas of expertise through clinics, performances, coaching sessions, motivational speeches, master classes, and leadership training.

Cultural Envoys are American performing and visual artists, arts managers and educators who travel abroad for short-term residencies to conduct workshops, master classes, present seminars, or deliver lectures. These activities are conducted in diverse fields such as film, intellectual property rights, video art, sculpture, painting, cultural preservation and heritage, conservation, museum administration, theater, modern dance, music, arts management and education to build and strengthen relationships between U.S. and foreign countries.

The Cultural Visitors program provides opportunities for young performing artists, filmmakers, and arts managers (ages 19-30) from countries with significant Muslim populations to take part in training, mentoring and residency experiences in the United States. These programs offer young professional artists creative approaches in the development of the visitor's artistic talents or arts management skills while promoting an understanding of American society, culture and values.

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The Cultural Ambassador Program is an international initiative whose goal is to improve global, cross-cultural understanding through programs led by U.S. leading cultural figures in foreign countries. Cultural Ambassadors are prominent Americans in the cultural and humanities fields who conduct high visibility outreach programs in priority countries and regions. Each Ambassador shares a common mission to strengthen cultural institutions and relationships between American individuals and cultural institutions and their counterparts around the world. While overseas, they engage with youth, particularly in under-served areas, by undertaking projects in their areas of expertise through clinics, performances, coaching sessions, motivational speeches, master classes, and leadership training.