Turkey and the Netherlands are celebrating 400 years of diplomatic ties with a yearlong series of events, including an exhibition that draws parallels between the Dutch of the 17th century and the Turks of today...“We also tried to show the bridge between Dutch culture and Ottoman culture in the 17th century.”

The festival, now in its second year, is a joint production of the Indian Embassy in Israel and Teamwork Productions, an event management and entertainment company with offices in Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore and London. In its sophomore year, the festival is marking a special milestone: 20 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. With events in art, culture, music, film and food, the festival’s producers hope to nurture the two nations’ evolving friendship, aiding the Indian Embassy in Israel in what Ila Gupta of Teamwork calls “soft diplomacy.”

Since the beginning of the year palpable change is in the air. It is readily apparent to me that a critical mass has been reached and that China's long-time inability to master the art of soft power and cultural diplomacy is finally changing. The few popular long-time staples of Chinese cultural diplomacy like kung fu fighters and acrobats, together with a few memorable highbrow museum shows, now have more and more company.

The Korean embassy began Tuesday night, a week of activities at the embassy to introduce authentic Korean culture to Kuwait. “Recently, I have realized that there has been an increasing interest in Korea among Kuwaiti people,” said Kyungsik Kim, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait, adding” I think cultural exchange is very important to strengthen bilateral relationships.”

"Youth Excellene On Stage" is the theme of this workshop launched in 2009 jointly by the US Embassy in Thailand and a non-profit organisation, American Voices, with the aim to form a bridge between American and Thai cultures through the power of art and music, by providing budding Thai talents a chance to learn and master their skills from seasoned professionals.

APDS Blogger: Oscar Castellanos del Collado

Between January 29 and May 6, 2012, posters of Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait were hung from light posts around Los Angeles. The portraits served as invitations to “In Wonderland: the Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States,” the first co-organized exhibition by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Mexico’s Museum of Modern Art.