Expos, the quinquennial display of national, corporate and cultural hegemony started as commercial fairs more like today’s trade shows than the theme parks they are today. [...] Subsequent expos evolved into highly branded affairs in which participants sought a revivified international identity as nations and did so with increasingly bombastic pavilions.

The Philippine Embassy in Doha marked a milestone in the field of cultural diplomacy with yesterday’s official opening of Sentro Rizal - a learning centre for Philippine arts and culture which is the second to be opened in the MENA region. [...] Hundreds of students from two Philippine schools in Qatar are set to benefit from the newly opened centre.

The Market Theatre Foundation applauds Business Arts South Africa for acknowledging the US Embassy’s contribution to the development and preservation of the arts in South Africa as well as the US Embassy’s continued prioritisation of cultural diplomacy programming between South African artists and their US counterparts.

“Under this programme, Martha and Tinashe will be provided with an opportunity to explore Indian culture and expose Indian children to their country’s art, culture, history, language, music and dance. The internship will be at Ryan International School, Chandigarh and Delhi.”

Sports are an intrinsic part of the American life — bringing folks together on the field, in the backyard and around the TV. But sports are also bringing people together in an even bigger way — people from different continents, cultures and walks of life — thanks to a concept called sports diplomacy.

The ancient sitar instrument originally crossed cultural boundaries when it was used by The Beatles during the 1960s. Now, it’s hoped the instrument will again bring cultures and countries together, as part of an Indian exhibition featuring sitar soloist Shubhendra Rao.

Since its premiere in Beijing in 2013, the 90-minute show has become something of a cultural calling card for China as the country seeks to bolster its efforts to project soft power abroad. Having already toured in Europe, the production will move to New York in January and then to the Kennedy Center in Washington.