ocal youth-focused NGO has partnered with a Dutch organization to facilitate Lebanese-Dutch youth conversations and cultural awareness through film. The international exchange, started by Unite Lebanon Youth Project and Dutch NGO Open Roads Media, also aims to spark introspection, driving Lebanese youth to face the complexities within their own society.

However, Ballet Austin is now going where few, if any, Western ballet companies have gone before. The major cities of Beijing and Shanghai are typical tour destinations for the few American dance companies  that have performed in China. Yet Ballet Austin’s tour includes farther-flung cities like Kunming, Chengdu and Chongqing, where few Western performing artists ever tour.

Since 2014, the Crosscut Asia non-competition category has been organized to increase Japan's cultural interaction with other countries in Asia. The category helps to strengthen the filmmakers network across Asia and their exchange with journalists and film critics. Each year, the festival focuses on one country. This year the festival is celebrating "Colorful Indonesia."

China's Mid-Autumn Festival will fall on September 15th this year. Chinese people mark the festival by getting together with their families and eating mooncakes. Even if you're not in China, you can still get a taste of the festive atmosphere. We'll take you now to a special performance in Australia and a mooncake-making contest in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Kyrgyz Republic is home to the pearl of Central Asia – Lake Issyk-Kul, a government protected biosphere reserve and recognised by UNESCO as the second-largest high mountain lake in the world. [...] Cholpon-Ata, a city in the heart of this region, is host to the Second World Nomad Games. Around 10,000 people were present at its spectacular opening ceremony. 

Performing on Sunday on the stage of the Ramat Gan theater in central Israel, Taiwanese art students showcased their country’s folk-inspired dance and culture, as part of a project initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei. Before visiting Jerusalem yesterday, they performed their show in Jordan, and in the coming days will take the act to several Northern African states.

Founded in July 2014, VizEat has built a platform — or marketplace — that connects those seeking an authentic local dining experience with hosts who are willing to cook for and invite strangers into their homes. In a sense it’s similar to the early days of Airbnb in that the social aspect is part of the draw. A cultural exchange, if you will.