Driven by increased global connectivity and changing domestic demographics leading to more diverse communities, international cultural engagement is happening in our own neighborhoods through community efforts and the support of local arts agencies. This webinar will demonstrate how local arts agencies, through the support of their communities and stakeholders, are acting as bridge builders of international connections to achieve their full potential as catalysts towards mutual understanding. Panelists will discuss models of locally-based international cultural exchange activities they are engaged in—how the programs started, how they are executed, and how they are sustained. These examples serve to inspire the arts and cultural sector—in particular the local arts agency field—to think about how they can build international connections with the resources found in their own communities. Participants in the webinar will receive a link to the online Americans for the Arts Special Report: Backyard Diplomacy—Prospects for International Engagement by Local Arts Agencies. The Special Report includes detailed profiles of 7 local arts agencies across the country engaging in international cultural exchange work.

Moderator: Marete Wester, Director of Arts Policy, Americans for the Arts