Deadline: 15-Aug-25
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of Citizen Exchanges is delighted to announce an open competition for the Arts and Music Envoy Program.
This program will send American artists and arts experts of high artistic merit overseas in programs developed in partnership with U.S. Missions to support foreign policy goals and advance American interests.
Programs will showcase American artistic and cultural excellence to build strategic partnerships to enhance American global competitiveness, promote freedom of speech, and foster regional stability through cultural exchange and person-to-person diplomacy.
In addition to cultural exchanges, the program will develop multi-media resource toolkit(s) for America250, but not exclusively, to support U.S. diplomats engaging with general audiences, English learners, and emerging musicians and creative artists. The applicant should propose topic areas and toolkit elements that showcase American artistic excellence.
The program will feature cultural exchanges abroad maintaining a focus on countries important to the Department of State’s public diplomacy mission to build mutual understanding. Through this cooperative agreement, approximately 30 cultural exchange programs will be facilitated by engaging approximately 180 professional U.S. artists and cultural experts overseas as envoys. As part of the America250 commemoration, the applicant should be prepared to facilitate high-level requests from U.S. Ambassadors. The applicant is highly encouraged to go beyond these numbers should their expertise lead to cost-efficiencies.
Purpose
- These programs not only foster economic growth and build networks but also advance U.S. security and foreign policy objectives by engaging global audiences and strengthening cross-cultural understanding. Through strategic initiatives, it also showcases the power of the arts as a force multiplier to maintain American perspectives at the forefront of international discourse.
Objectives
- The goals are to:
- Advance American Sovereignty and Prestige by elevating and exporting the nation’s artistic achievements, ensuring that the United States remains the undisputed leader in global culture.
- Celebrate and Defend American Greatness by ensuring that national art and storytelling reflect American principles, achievements, and enduring strength.
- Empower American Creators by providing direct opportunities for U.S. artists and professionals to showcase their work worldwide, reinforcing American creative leadership and setting global standards of excellence.
- Promote American Brands and Values by sharing American cultural products-movies, music, food, fashion and technology-to enhance the appeal of American brands.
- Foster mutual understanding and deepen trust between the peoples of the United States and other countries to present positive narratives, counter adversarial actors, and advance safety and security.
- Advance and complement U.S. foreign policy objectives.
Theme
- The Semiquincentennial, known as “America250”, will be the overarching theme for programming in 2026 and will highlight the nation’s rich history in music and the creative arts.
- Programs may include high-profile engagements, performances, workshops, and masterclasses, which serve as essential vehicles to elevate the United States’ global standing and influence through the arts and highlight the arts as a patriotic expression of America’s cultural achievements.
Funding Information
- Grant amount: $3,010,000
- Duration: 27 months
Program Specifications
- The Arts and Music Envoy program will include three components:
- America250 High-profile engagements at Priority Posts and Signature Events: Quarterly high-profile engagements featuring distinguished leaders in the creative arts and music to open avenues of diplomacy that further America’s interests.
- Short-term outbound programs: Approximately 180 envoys will take part in approximately thirty separate overseas programs each lasting from 5 days to 3 weeks.
- Multi-Media Resource Kits: U.S. Missions worldwide will have access to virtual resources that include America250 playlists and related content, video interviews, online workshops, and virtual masterclasses.
Role and Responsibilities
- The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:
- Envoy Recruitment and Selection:
- Design a plan to form partnerships with U.S. and international organizations, and other relevant partners to expand and amplify the work of the Arts and Music Envoy program, foster resources to draw on for envoy selection, and create sustainability for the program.
- Maintain an online application form for candidates, to receive and review applications/statements of interest.
- Design a transparent process to identify, select, review and propose professional artists and arts experts that represent multiple genres including but not limited to music, dance, culinary, visual arts, film, literature/spoken word, and textiles/fashion.
- Envoy Recruitment and Selection:
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S. Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- U.S. Not-for-profit Public and private educational institutions
Application Requirements
- Competitive proposals can be expected to include the following:
- Resumes of experienced staff who have demonstrated a commitment to implementing and monitoring international exchange projects and achieving target outcomes.
- Resumes of experienced personnel to manage cultural and arts exchanges, including appropriate credentials (e.g. degrees, licenses) to ensure the initiative implementation is compliant with leading industry practices.
- A clear outline and description of the roles and responsibilities of all proposed partner organizations in terms of program implementation and logistics, management and oversight (e.g., the travel arranger and the passport/visa facilitator), including letters of intent from any partner organizations and resumes of staff.
- A strategy for implementing recruitment and selection of program participants and review criteria based on merit. A strategy for planning exchanges including pre-departure orientations and post-program assessment including collecting quantitative data on outcomes for individuals and groups.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.