The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a betrayal of humanity. In the face of this attack on an independent nation, with innocent citizens being killed, maimed, or forced to flee their homes, we may feel powerless as arts organizations to make a difference. Nonetheless, this past week the classical music world has moved swiftly to respond to unfolding events and many American orchestras have expressed their solidarity with the people of Ukraine in powerful ways.
The world is sadly aware of the events in Afghanistan and of the danger faced by women, girls, journalists, and all those who helped the Americans during the war. Less visible is the danger faced in Afghanistan by musicians of all ages, and the Taliban’s history of denying the human right of access to music and music-making.
Given that this is an election year, the House and Senate are taking a long summer recess, which makes the prospects uncertain for the federal budget to be completed. Bills that are of importance to the orchestra community are on the move, and here is the latest on where things stand for…
Orchestra musicians interested in participating in international cultural diplomacy should take note of two application deadlines at the U.S. Department of State. The 2016-2017 season of American Music Abroad is currently accepting applications until January 24, 2016.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has just announced a new Request for Proposals (RFP) with a very quickly-approaching deadline of August 16th. Proposals should highlight the relationship between any combination of two or more of the following nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan.
The Educational and Cultural Exchange programs of the U.S. State Department received $538 million for FY09. While it is not clear how much of this funding might be dedicated to the grant program that supports international cultural exchanges, this represents an overall increase for the program.
The Educational and Cultural Exchange programs of the U.S. State Department received a $59 million increase for FY08. While it is not clear how much of this funding might be dedicated to the grant program that supports international cultural exchanges, orchestras should take note of a current grant opportunity.