OPEN WORLD PROGRAM HISTORY

CEC ArtsLink began its collaboration with the Open World Leadership Center in 2003 when the Open World program expanded to include cultural leaders – young artists and arts managers from Russia. At the inception of the program, CEC ArtsLink contributed its extensive experience organizing cross-cultural artistic exchanges to the new initiative’s development and implementation.

Since then, CEC ArtsLink has partnered with leading arts organizations around the United States to host over 25 groups of Russian writers, filmmakers, choreographers, musicians and arts managers, among others.

In addition, CEC ArtsLink continues to provide general administrative support to the Open World Cultural Leaders program, including:

• Managing the process of participant nominations
• Conducting systematic program evaluation
• Developing PR and outreach campaigns
• Designing program materials
• Acting as an adviser to other Open World Cultural Leaders grantee host organizations

In the latter capacity of an advisor, CEC ArtsLink has contributed to a variety of residencies, such as a program for a group of Romani musicians (hosted by The World Music Folklife Center, 2009) and a program for a group of opera theater directors (hosted by Sonoma City Opera, 2006).