The Cultural Connect Envoys Program: The Cultural Connect Envoys Program will support short programs for U.S. artists, art educators and arts managers. Programs may include collaborative creation of work, workshops, master classes and other training, mentoring of young artists.
American Music Abroad Program: The American Music Abroad Program, co-sponsored by the Department of State, sends selected professional American jazz musicians on concert tours in countries where there is limited exposure to American culture. The American Music Abroad Program is the new name for Jazz Ambassadors, and reflects the program’s inclusion of additional musical forms. Jazz Ambassadors was managed by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since the program began in 1998. The program is managed by a cooperating organization. The Department of State selects this partner.
Programs in the Arts and Humanities: A limited number of United States government programs exist in the arts and humanities. Selection is highly competitive. Participants should be up and coming artists, performers, or writers. Programs in museum management are dependent upon a cooperative relationship with an American museum. International Partnership among Museums is a program offered by the American Association of Museums for museum administrators and curators who wish to strengthen ties to American museums and galleries.
Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP)
The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was established by the U.S. Congress in 2001 to help developing countries preserve their cultural heritage. AFCP demonstrates America’s respect for the cultural heritage of other countries.
Since its inception, the program has funded hundreds of projects in countries around the world. Ethiopia has been lucky to receive nine Cultural Preservation grants over the past fifteen years, which have been to support the historic preservation of sites in Yeha, Guzara, Lalibella, Sheik Hussen Shrine, Hager Fikir Theatre, Teferi Mekonnen Palae in Harar, Mohammed Ali House in Addis Ababa, Lalibella, and Yemrhanna Kirstos.
AFCP is an annual competition where Ethiopian cultural establishments submit proposals to the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy. Proposals that are short-listed by Embassy will be submitted to Cultural Preservation Office in Washington, D.C. where funding decisions are made by a committee.
Proposals involve historic preservation projects at cultural sites, the preservation of cultural objects or museum collections, or the preservation of forms of “intangible” cultural heritage, such as traditional cultural expression. Examples of previously funded projects include the preservation of archaeological or historical sites, archaeological surveys or excavation, preservation management planning, public education projects at a particular site, the conservation of historical objects, specialized training in the preservation of objects or collections, recording of traditional music, dance, oral history, or poetry. Grant awards typically range from US $ $30,000 to $200,000. Projects that include cost sharing by local sources are encouraged. Please visit our website for the annual announcement that will posted in January each year.
