As a nationwide, membership-based nonprofit, the American Craft Council leveragess the transformative possibilities of craft through storytelling, resources for artists, and unique experiences designed to bring makers and appreciators together.

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.

Soft power, a term coined by Joseph Nye in the 1980s, is the ability to influence others through appeal and attraction instead of by resorting to coercive pressure through military or economic threats or actions. Cultural exchanges are a significant tool in projecting soft power. French Cultural Counselor, Mohamed Bouabdallah and American classical singer and cultural diplomat Carla Canales both have decades of experience in organizing and participating in cultural exchange events.

The two panelists will share their experiences and insights into the impact and value of these events in the conduct of foreign relations. Forum member, Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm, a retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer who organized “soft power” events as part of her duties at US embassies abroad, will moderate the conversation between Ms. Canales and Cultural Counselor Bouabdallah.

Carla will moderate a panel titled “Stories from the people already weaving a new social fabric”. You can watch the session here.

The Clayton Center for the Arts of Maryville College in Tennessee will celebrate their 15 year anniversary, and Ms. Canales will offer a commemorative speech.

As a Visiting Professor, I will offer a course on Cultural Diplomacy at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Affairs, which is intended to provide an in-depth look at how the arts and culture have been harnessed by nations, communities and individuals worldwide.

Presented jointly by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Department of Music at Tufts University, this panel discussion will explore the role of music in cultural diplomacy, focusing on Dmitri Shostakovich and U.S.-Soviet cultural exchanges. As a composer deeply entangled in the political and artistic currents of his time, Shostakovich was a towering cultural figure of the Cold War era. His works were alternately celebrated, scrutinized, and politicized by both Soviet and Western audiences. The panelists will examine the historical and political dimensions of U.S.-Russia musical connections, the broader significance of cultural diplomacy, and the ways in which Shostakovich’s life and music reflected and influenced Cold War tensions, offering insights into the enduring power of culture in international relations.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

160 Packard Avenue, Medford

6:00 - 7:00 PM ET Panel discussion in ASEAN Auditorium

Featuring a solo violin performance

7:00 - 8:00 PM ET Reception in the Hall of Flags and Mezzanine

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.

Finding Your Authentic Voice is designed to help participants feel empowered to use the full potential of their voice as leaders for social change. Through activities that explore culture and personal identity as well as vocal exercises, we will explore ways to best utilize the power of our voice to communicate authentically and effectively.