The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Office of Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU) is announcing an open competition for the FY 2025 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.

The Semiquincentennial, known as “America250”, will be the overarching theme for programming in 2026 and will highlight our 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.

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.  

The envoys will engage with key foreign audiences through performances, collaborations, workshops, and master classes. The program will provide comprehensive support for the five-day to three-week exchanges.  Virtual and hybrid engagements offer additional flexibility to program offerings.

The cooperative agreement will include a competitive selection process to maintain a robust roster of artists representing the highest artistic merit across genres and creative industries to showcase American excellence and spirit of innovation in the arts.  ECA anticipates that the single award recipient will manage the comprehensive organizational and administrative responsibilities of these programs.  

Please see the full announcement for additional information.

Education

• Public and state institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education

Nonprofit

• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Miscellaneous

• Other