ACE: Artistic and Cultural Exchange

I am exploring the idea of starting a not-for-profit called ACE: Artistic and Cultural Exchange which aims to foster greater international artistic and cultural exchange through advocacy, research, and facilitation support.

International artistic and cultural exchanges foster greater understanding and can leverage true change between people coming together across many miles, disciplines, cultures, faiths and beliefs. There are currently two international issues affecting the arts community: prohibitive restrictions by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on foreign artists obtaining visas, and a lack of funding for the Cultural Programs Division of the State Department’s Office of Citizen Exchanges, resulting in difficulties in cultural exchanges. Let’s work together in eliminating these obstacles to global dialogue through the arts.

This is a new initiative for me – so I welcome your ideas and feedback as to what services would best aid you and/or your organization toward successful artistic and cultural exchanges.

I see ACE serving these primary functions:

• Advocacy: Action area to educate and advocate for governmental policy changes in the area of international artist visas and taxation, plus cultural exchange.
• 
  Research: Both research on cultures/countries to prepare for exchanges, plus research on the value of artistic exchange in glocal dialogue.
  
  
• Facilitation: Visa petition filing services, taxation consultation, and eventual matching of artists/presenters (possibly as an extension of NEFA‘s Matchbook)
  
  
• Funding: Initially, this will be links and news on grants and foundations, but the eventual hope would be to establish a fund to help with associated costs (petitions filing fees, travel expenses, interpreters, etc.)

Make yourself at home and please share your ideas and experiences.  You can also explore my beta group and cause at Razoo.